Dear ISLA families,

Alongside our December newsletter, I wanted to share some personal thoughts. In both our local and national news right now, there is a strong current of xenophobia and racism, and with that there is a lot of fear in our immigrant, Somali, Latino, and Black communities. Some of us are undoubtedly following text and social media alerts of increased ICE presence in Minneapolis, Richfield, and Bloomington. Some of us are worried for family and friends, and even at ISLA some families have chosen to uproot established lives and leave Minnesota. And frankly for some of us, it's easy to tune out of hard truths our neighbors face as the crush of daily life and holiday plans are upon us.

Here's what I know to be true of ISLA: as an International Baccalaureate school, one of our highest ideals is to understand multiple perspectives. As our Director of Curriculum often reminds me, "other people, with their differences, can also be right." This isn't a matter of endorsing the truth of one political party, or of one religion, or of one group. Our IB values compel us to seek multiple stories, to grapple with hard questions knowing there are no simple solutions.

Our IB philosophy tells us that our work is not to silence voices but rather to uncover the missing voices and to ensure that we have the broadest of possible perspectives from within our community and our global network. That is why our diverse and international staff and family community is an asset that many of you sought out intentionally when you chose ISLA. You didn't want a single story. You wanted your child to have a richness of many different perspectives, experiences, and truths. We can't realize that benefit if our neighbors are called “garbage,” are forced to flee, or are paralyzed in fear.

In today's polarized world, my plea is that we in our ISLA corner are attuned to the many stories that make us great. We need to talk in class and at home about our values that all people deserve dignity and respect. May we openly celebrate the richness of our community - the Christmas songs, the Kwanzaa symbols, the Hanukkah traditions, the Diwali festivities, and beyond our holidays, the strengths and beauty of our diverse school. Language or actions that minimize humans in our community are not acceptable.

In practical terms, we continue to work with local law enforcement and state education officials to ensure safety and security, aligned to what other local school districts are doing:

• If federal agents ever arrive at one of our schools or buses seeking to question or detain someone—an extremely unlikely situation—our procedure is to deny entry. When necessary, we will contact local law enforcement and immigration attorneys for assistance.
• As a district, we neither ask for nor track the immigration status of our students. Our priority is to ensure every family feels welcomed and safe in our schools.
• Because our buses operate as extensions of our school buildings, drivers will keep doors closed and will not release students if federal agents are present at a bus stop. In such a rare situation, drivers will immediately contact transportation dispatch. They will prevent entry onto the bus and, if needed, return directly to a district building with all students onboard.
• If families needed to come into school in the event of ICE activity, families are always welcome.
• We remain deeply committed to fostering a community where every student and staff member feels a sense of belonging. Regardless of your racial, cultural, religious, linguistic, LGBTQ+, or gender-diverse identity—you belong here.

I wish you all the comfort in knowing that none of us are alone. We can and we must be a community that stands together in the embrace of diverse identities, that has the hard conversations because they matter, and that teaches our children to create a world that is far better than the one they inherited.

All the best,

Molly

References and Resources:

The Danger of a Single Story, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Minnesota Attorney General Immigration Guidance for Schools

Minnesota Education Equity Partnership Toolkit