Teachers and students of color experience racism daily in Illinois schools.
In one study, students of color experienced more than 5 racist incidents every day. Unfortunately, most of these go unreported for lack of clear definitions and victims’ worries that reports will be ineffective or spark retaliation.
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Many schools have adopted resolutions or issued statements of support for students of color. While those statements were welcome, words alone cannot change the daily experiences of students and teachers of color.
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The Racism-Free Schools Act requires every school in Illinois to adopt a specific policy on race-related acts of hate, train employees to recognize and report them, and inform student and families of their rights and reporting options. Together we can educate, repair, and prevent future harm.