Have They No Sense of Decency?

Some action are to egregious to ignore

My Note:  The Palm Beach County School System has been bullied into changing its policies. Although they are making an effort to dissuade us into thinking  "values and commitment have not changed", the facts of the changes will be evident. I am not blaming the school system. Taking care of kids must be a priority. Loosing 300 million for low income students aid was untannable. Much of this money was to go for free breakfasts and lunches for low income students. Possibly the child's only meals of the day. 

The School System's logos states "Educate. Affirm. Inspire". With the change in policy it is the "Affirm" part that will suffer. The Bullies will rule until we stop them. "Where is the humanity"? 

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The School District Of Palm Beach County's public statement: 

The School District remains committed to supporting all students and staff and to providing a high-quality education in a respectful and supportive environment. That commitment has not changed.

In response to recent directives from the U.S. and Florida Departments of Education, the Palm Beach County School Board was required to take emergency action to update certain District policies. Compliance with these directives is necessary to protect approximately $300 million in federal funding that supports essential services for our students. This includes funding to support students from low-income families, services for students with disabilities, free breakfast and lunch programs, professional development for teachers, and more.

The recent policy updates do not change the core values of respect and opportunity that are expected in our classrooms. They do not impact what is taught in classrooms, the educational opportunities available to students, or the School District’s ongoing commitment to anti-discrimination practices. Please note, an Equal Employment Opportunity Policy (Policy 3.05) remains fully in place and prohibits discrimination in the School District. 

As part of the updates, the School Board also updated its policy on Small Business Enterprises (SBE) by adopting a comprehensive small business program into policy. This builds on practices the School District has followed since 2017 and maintains the support provided to small businesses by the School District. In addition, language referencing contracting preferences based on race/gender was removed from School Board policies. We also removed language that used race, ethnicity, and national origin as factors that give an advantage or disadvantage in employment, contracting, student placement, and District decision-making. Our goal is to ensure School Board policies remain aligned with local, state, and federal laws, practices and procedures.

These emergency policy changes are in effect for 90 days and must undergo a rulemaking process before becoming permanent. The values of fairness, opportunity, and respect for every student continue to guide our work.

Thank you for understanding the precarious situation we are in and rest assured that our values and commitment have not changed!

Thanks Rand Hock (Palm Beach County HRC) for including me in the School's less than reassuring communication.