Thank you to everybody who supported us throughout this journey! I wouldn't have been able to be writing this today without all of you. We decided to declare victory because of the next steps we're taking that we planned out with Mr. Balla and eight other admins last Thursday. Today Mr. Balla sent an email to Annie going over what we talked about in our meeting last Thursday. Dear Annie, Thank you again for reaching out and being willing to collaborate with us as we work to continue to address these important and crucial issues. Per our discussion, there are several next steps as we work together to advocate for key supports for our students. I will list our initial proposed steps with the understanding that they are just the beginning steps, and that details will become clear as we move forward with our planning. I have copied a number of individuals who work at the district level and were at the meeting, as they will work with us as we continue to address these issues. Suggested next steps from meeting: - In cooperation with Corie Gudgeon, who oversees Health in the district curriculum department, we will closely review the health curriculum to ensure (and I am quoting directly from your communication to me) “inclusive sexual education and consent education in our health classes.” - In cooperation with the district curriculum department, we will closely review the health curriculum to ensure (and I am quoting directly from your communication to me) “education for students on domestic violence, assault, sexual assault, and consent, and how to report instances of abuse.” - You had discussed not only the importance of inclusion in the curriculum but also making sure all students knew exactly what steps they should take to report issues of possible abuse. In other words, making sure the process was clear to all students. That includes, per our conversation, publishing signs for each classroom with resources, as well as a dedicated bulletin board on campus devoted to the sharing of resources and who to go to for help. - You asked to consider specific training for counselors in the “specialized in the field of sexual assault and assault.” We will be working with Mr. Peters to ensure that this training is included specifically this year and will review the training already required in this area for counselors. - You also asked for “mandatory, trauma-informed training for Everett School District teachers, administration, and counselors on how to appropriately respond to reports of assault and sexual assault.” I will be working with Mr. Peters and other district-level personnel to determine who best to bring our staff this training within the January-March time frame to best ensure proper identification of a professional consultant and to make sure I find an appropriate time for the taring for staff. - You had also suggested that there is a need for a follow-up process that is clear to students, even if the final outcome does not end up with discipline. You acknowledged you were aware that of the legal requirements related to privacy, but also said that it was important to know what can be shared after an incident is investigated. We will review our processes to ensure that a follow-up is always a part of the process regardless of the outcome. - You did not mention this is your original request, but we are also committing to creating a gender-neutral bathroom on campus. The details are in the initial planning, but this will be something that is completed within the first couple of months of the new year. Again, I share these next steps with the understanding that we will need to figure out the details and it will take some time to accomplish all of these goals. However, I do hope that by sharing these with you and by having follow-up meetings with you as the process progresses that we are showing our commitment to addressing these complex and important issues.