Speak Up at School

group of students outdoors raising hands in solidarity

One of the commitments our school community has made to strive for equity is to train every staff member and student the Speak Up strategies developed by Learning for Justice and Austin ISD's Cultural Proficiency and Inclusiveness office. The commitment to Speak Up At School means that every person at Bowie knows that we do not tolerate any biased language that would harm someone's identity development. Using the school board policy on harassment, biased language is language that is directed at another person and includes threats, intimidation, humiliation, offensive jokes, name-calling, slurs, rumors, or negative stereotypes.

We are all trained to interrupt biased language any time it occurs to prevent any escalation. We also learned how to use questioning, how we might educate the person who used biased language, and the echo strategy to stand in solidarity with one another. Ultimately, the Speak Up strategies are about bringing restorative justice to our community and making our school a safe place for every person to be themselves.

Speak Up at School Strategies from Learning for Justice