As parents of students attending Clover Hill Elementary School, we have grown deeply concerned about incidents of bullying, inadequately addressed by school officials, in our children's learning environment. 

Alarmingly, some of these cases involved racially charged language, a circumstance that no child should ever have to experience. Most recently, a six-year old was punched and called the n-word on the bus even after the parent had called the school numerous times to report bullying. 

We are circulating this petition, as inspired by the bravery of this child’s parent, who has urged us all to speak up about what now seems to be an ongoing lack of attention to these matters. This follows on another incident in the same week in which a 5th grader, apparently a victim of bullying, issued a “kill list” targeting other students. 

We must help protect all children who attend CHES. Our children are the future of our community. All of them should experience a nurturing, positive, and safe educational journey.

First, we expect better responsiveness from the school administration to parents or students who report instances of bullying and/or racial slurs. Multiple parents have experienced a lack of response from the administration after they reported an instance of bullying or use of racial epithets. This not only allows these issues to escalate but also contributes to an environment that may potentially normalize such behavior.

Second, communication from the school administration needs to be timely and clear. Only after pressured and word leaked to the media did the school administration email parents about the recent "kill list" incident. Vague reference in the email to a potential "demonstration" spurred parent and child anxiety, rather than helping us to understand and respond as a community. We have seen examples of communications from other schools that much better inform communities about what is happening without compromising the privacy of those involved.

Third, and more generally, the school administration needs to adopt a more holistic, proactive approach to issues of bullying and racism. Rather than seeming unwilling to openly recognize these problems, the school administration should better partner with its faculty, staff, students and the community in open conversation. School safety begins with such conversations. If school safety is largely reduced to lock-down drills and school resource officers, we have our priorities misplaced.

We also believe that recent staff decisions to leave the school have been partially caused by an environment of distrust at CHES, and as parents, we are concerned for the loss of these teachers. We are worried that the atmosphere which is negatively affecting students is also affecting the staff, who may not be advised on how to handle bullying, who may also not receive clear communication following bullying incidents, and who are experiencing the consequences in their classrooms of the lack of proactive action on these issues.

As concerned members of the community, we urge Superintendent John Murray, School Board Representative Dot Heffron, Director of Elementary Leadership Elizabeth Stefanko, and Principal Karyn Andersen to hold a town hall meeting to answer questions about recent incidents, hear the experiences of parents and their children, and to discuss what the school will do better about bullying and the use of racially charged language. This will help ensure the school Community that these issues are being addressed. Again, school safety is not just about lock-down drills and reactive police presence- it’s about proactive programs and strong communication.

We ask that you show our children that their voices matter, and their concerns are valid and heard. This approach to resolving these incidents is not just a solution but also the model we want our children to carry into their futures. Please sign this petition and show Clover Hill Elementary School that immediate action is needed. When signing, please include your location so we know how many local residents are represented.

Signed,

Concerned CHES Parents