Silverton school officials try to reduce bullying

“Moving forward … together,” was the message Silverton High School staff wore on their matching T-shirts when classes resumed after Thanksgiving break, three weeks after Election Day sparked cases of bullying among students.
The message was simple enough, but news that a handful of students made threatening statements such as “Pack your bags, you’re leaving tomorrow,” and “Tell your family goodbye,” to Latino students at election time has a provoked community outcry and a multi-layered response at the school.
“Discriminatory, racist and intimidating words are not acceptable and will be dealt with very seriously,” said Principal Justin Lieuallen.
A total of 10 students received referrals, he told the school board on Nov. 28, and the pair that initially came to administrators’ attention for comments made near a pro-Trump rally in the parking lot on Nov. 8 was suspended.
That discipline was a start – but only a start – said the group of parents who packed the school board’s earlier meeting on Nov. 14. Several urged the board and administrators to crack down harder on racism and commit to long-term change.
“People turned free speech into racism,” said student Gabriella Rodriquez, explaining some students asked whether she was “ready to go back to Mexico.”
“It’s not a one-and-done. It’s not an assembly and then everyone’s fine,” testified Elizabeth Neves, a resident who works as a mental health specialist.
At the meeting, board members and administrators quickly agreed, saying they’re committed to taking an in-depth look at the high school to make sure students feel safe.
“This is distinctly not a one-and-done situation,” Supt. Andy Bellando replied. “Discrimination of any sort is not acceptable in any of our schools.”
Silverton High’s immediate response to the bullying that occurred at election time was intercom announcements encouraging respect, an automated call to all parents of high-schoolers, and four emergency assemblies, Lieuallen said.
The next weeks saw the beginning of support and training for employees, starting with a session led by Rodney Dean, a member of Willamette Education Service District’s school safety team. Staff then met with John Lenssen, an education support specialist, who shared ways to foster respectful student dialogue.
“Often teachers can sense the tension, but they really don’t know how to handle the conversations among students,” Lieuallen said.
“There’s going to be a difference of opinion among students – there actually should be a difference – but kids need to be respectful,” said Board Chair Wally Lierman. “They need to learn how to respond respectfully and get their point across and moved on and not have a degrading discussion.”
Silverton High’s unique advisory group system – where each student is matched with an adult-led group that meets together for all four years of his or her time on campus – is another place where discussions will occur, Bellando said. Advisors have been given at least one lesson on the topic of respect and cultural sensitivity.
Longer-term goals proposals include forming a student panel that would report to teachers on cultural issues on campus, getting more training, and possibly adopting curricula with stronger multi-racial elements.
Perhaps farthest on the horizon is the idea of hiring more diverse staff in Silver Falls schools. In discussion, board members generally agreed it’s time to actively recruit teachers and classified staff members who better reflect the student body’s ethnic makeup. 
The district’s most recent state report card showed staff members are 92-99 percent white, while the student body is only 80-81 percent white. Between 14 and 16 percent of Silver Falls students are Hispanic or Latino, while only 1-4 percent of schools’ staffs are.
It’s not easy competing for multiracial candidates with districts such as Salem/Keizer and Woodburn, who offer financial incentives, said Asst. Supt. Dandy Stevens adding, “We are in a teaching shortage, and we have not even begun to see what that looks like.”
Among other reasons to seek a multi-ethnic staff, board members recently wondered aloud whether students would feel safer reporting harassment problems to staff whose ethnicities more closely mirrors their own. 
“It could be easier for kid who are having problems with racial harassment to speak with someone who’s been there,” board member Tom Bucholz said.
The district’s on-hand data shows Silverton High is average or below the state when it comes to racial harassment. But data is just “a snapshot in time” and doesn’t always reflect reality, especially if students aren’t reporting problems, Bellando cautioned.
Until this November, Silverton High had no reports of racial harassment on record over the last four years. General bullying and harassment referrals have been 20 or less per year.
Another measure is the Student Wellness Survey, taken by all Oregon students in the 9th and 11th grades. A month before the election, 9.8 percent of Silverton’s 11th graders reported being “harassed at school, on a school bus, or going to and from school because of (their) race or ethnic origin” in the last 30 days. The state average is similar, at 9.7 percent.
Bellando said district staff will likely do more surveys as they try to find the best path forward for Silverton High: “We’re continuing to drill down deeper and look at this.”