The authors argue that ICE should not be allowed to infiltrate school settings and make students and teachers fearful. Educators already have so much responsibility and need to resist ICE and advocate for students so that they are safe.
Three Talking Points:
Beginning: In the first article, Kicking ICE out of our Schools and Communities, the author states that "students need to feel safe -- physically and emotionally -- to learn, and ICE's presence in our communities destroys that sense of safety" (By the Editors of Rethinking Schools). Educators' highest priorities are that students are safe, known, valued, learning, and having fun. We first need to ensure that our students feel safe on our campuses and in our classroom and school communities. We need to be inclusive and stay informed for the safety of our students. We also need to ensure that we are creating a supportive environment for students to express themselves and any concerns or questions they may have. Students might come in feeling overwhelmed, worried, or stressed if they have seen or know someone close to home or in their community that has seen or been in contact with ICE.
Middle: The next article I am going to reflect on is LA Educators vs. ICE. "In California, about one in five k-12 students come from mixed status families, meaning at least one parent is undocumented. Every school day, these students face the possibility of coming home to find a close family member missing." I can only imagine how distressful this could be for students not knowing if this situation could hit close to home. In this article, educators in this community came together to support and raise money for food for these students. Trainings were also created so that educators would be in the know for protocols and for ways to take a stand.
End: In the article, In it for the Long Haul, the author stated, "Those things that we need in a restructured society are foundational to our personal community safety. Within that context, it's not that you are taking abolition and putting it into an educational context; instead, it's a process. It's a practice, a way of being, and a way of acting in the world that provides you with an opportunity to reach the restructured world we are trying to build." This makes me think of the way we show up for our students day in and day out is a practice or a way of being and being able to support and help our students requires us to come from a place of calm and collected. We have to be emotionally and mentally prepared to support students in general as well as in times of distress that they could be feeling.
Connections/Reflections: While reading these articles, I kept thinking back to when our school had sightings of ICE very close to school property and we had very little information provided about what to do and we were in a shelter in place protocol. We didn't get much clarity about what happened off campus nearby which was unsettling because there wasn't a debrief or a meeting with what to specifically do if ICE is spotted nearby or on campus. I think we definitely need more training as a school surrounding this topic.
Hi Madison! Thanks for sharing your reflection from this week’s topic. In your discussion on “In it for the Long Haul”, you mentioned the importance of the way we show up for our students and our ability to support them. I agree with this in school and when I am at the hospital. Kids and patients are looking for our guidance in a time of chaos and uncertainty. I often struggle with when to show my emotions because I also think it is important for kids and patients to understand that we are human. It’s a tough balance.
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