Greendale Schools Committed To Welcoming Diversity: Editorial

The following is a letter submitted to Patch from Gary Kiltz, Superintendent of Greendale Public Schools:

In a time when social media and quick access to information lead to impulsive, knee-jerk reactions, our goal as a learning organization is to provide opportunities for thoughtful dialogue that seek to understand perspectives and gain knowledge for both our students and our larger community.

Some stories shared over the past six months characterize Greendale Schools and the community of Greendale as racist and accepting of hate speech. This is far from the truth. The narrative in social media would have you believe that the schools and District allow the use of hate speech, including the use of the “N” word, with no repercussions.

Again, this is not true.

Greendale Schools has and will always be proactive in creating a safe, nurturing environment for all students, including those who come from diverse backgrounds. The schools do this through education and celebration of diversity, caring classroom teachers and administrators, strong counseling and support staff, a broad range of academic and co-curricular opportunities, and student leadership that works to generate solutions to the challenges that exist in the schools.

We work everyday to reinforce the lessons of respectful, responsible and safe behavior with our students in every school.

Race and prejudice are not easy topics to discuss, but to meet our obligation to our students and
families, Greendale Schools will lead community conversations. These are not one time conversations, but will occur over an extended period of time, so that mindsets shift from fragility to courage, openness and belonging.

We are eager to begin these conversations with our entire community, beginning with community
leadership. Over three days next week, Village of Greendale municipal leaders, as well as business,
District, church and community organizations will meet.

In May, Greendale Schools will host a public discussion for all community residents on welcoming diversity in our community. That event will be held on Tuesday, May 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Greendale High School Multipurpose Room.

The May 7 forum will be led by the Zeidler Center, a Milwaukee-based group that partners with
organizations, neighborhoods, and businesses to facilitate group processes, bringing about lasting change for communities. This is one of many such community forums that will lead us to collaboration, solutions, and improvements across the Village.

This is not quick or easy work, but it is worthwhile. It will lead to better opportunities for our children, our families, and our community. Greendale Schools is committed to this work and we hope you will join us.

We are inspiring minds.