New York City Public Schools: “Meeting the Moment” to Combat Hate and Bias in Our Schools

Building on Comprehensive "Meeting the Moment" Agenda, New York City Public Schools Launches Anti-Hate Hotline

New York, NY - Building upon the comprehensive plan introduced last school year, New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) remains steadfast in its commitment to combating antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hate, with new and ongoing initiatives designed to foster safety, engagement, and education across its 1,600+ school communities. As the city commemorates the anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks and the ensuing international crisis, NYCPS is determined to continue taking decisive steps to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all students, families, and staff.

"As educators, a critically important part of our job is to teach our children about the world around them-to understand complex issues, to appreciate diversity, and to be active citizens who can respectfully engage with others. Our 'Meeting the Moment' initiative is focused on precisely that," said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. "I'm proud to be strengthening this initiative with our new Anti-Hate Hotline, which will allow for more streamlined incident reporting and emphasizes a critical message, that hate has no home in NYC Public Schools."

"Our 'Meeting the Moment' work reaffirms our commitment to safe, inclusive, respectful school environments. In challenging times across our country and world, it is especially important to teach our children to engage in constructive, empathetic dialogue on issues of the day," said incoming Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. "There is zero tolerance for hate in our schools, and this new hotline will help ensure incidents are reported and addressed. Ultimately, I believe our 'Meeting the Moment' approach, focused on safety, education, and engagement, will help further strengthen our diverse NYCPS community."

SAFETY: NYCPS Launches New Anti-Hate Hotline for Streamlined Incident Reporting

As part of an unwavering focus on student and staff safety, NYCPS is proud to announce a new Anti-Hate Hotline, designed to provide a streamlined path for students, parents, staff, and community members to report incidents of hate, harassment, or discrimination. This adds an additional, overarching reporting pathway to the already established pathways for flagging incidents of bullying and discrimination. This hotline will enhance the system's ability to respond to and track incidents while supporting affected individuals. The creation of this service underscores the commitment to ensuring that every member of the NYCPS community feels safe and protected.

The Anti-Hate Hotline is staffed with New York City Public Schools employees and can be reached at 718-935-2889 and will be available Monday-Friday from 8am to 6pm. Incidents can be reported anonymously at the caller's request.

In advance of 10/7, reminders were shared with NYCPS principals about the role of school communities: to provide safe spaces where students can engage on the issues of the day, but in ways that ensure schools do not take political stances nor allow hate to fester.

Additionally, as always, the Office of Safety and PreventionPartnerships and School Safety Agents are fully prepared to respond to any safety incidents. Borough Safety Directors are connected with schools to advise them on how to increase situational awareness and recommend the activation of Building Response Teams (BRT), a group of staff in every school led by a trained leader, during morning entry and dismissal. Additionally, the Office of Safety and Prevention Partnerships will be deploying additional staff to schools to ensure safety.

"As we continue to confront hate and bias in our schools, safety remains our top priority. The new Anti-Hate Hotline is a vital tool that empowers our students, staff, and families to report incidents swiftly and ensures that no act of discrimination goes unaddressed," said Chief of Safety and Prevention Partnerships Mark Rampersant. "Our commitment is clear-every child and every member of our community deserves a learning environment where they feel safe, valued, and respected. Together, we will create spaces where hate has no home, and our diversity becomes the foundation of our strength."

ENGAGEMENT: Interfaith Advisory Council Begins SY24-25 Meetings

NYCPS' Interfaith Advisory Council has begun meeting for the 2024-2025 school year. This council consists of community and spiritual leaders from across numerous faiths and is designed to build bridges and model the type of constructive dialogue NYCPS hopes to instill in students. The council was launched as part of the 'Meeting the Moment' work with the goal of providing input and ideas for engagement with the faith-based community, and through the council, NYCPS is modeling for students how to build bridges and foster collaboration across differences.

"As chair of the Interfaith Advisory Council, I strongly believe that we must model for our students how to build bridges, reflect our values,and collaborate across communities, especially in difficult times," said Reverend Jacques DeGraff, Interfaith Advisory Council Chair. "I thank the members of the Interfaith Council for their continued dedication to our city and applaud the steps NYCPS is taking, including their new anti-hate hotline, to ensure that hate has no home in our schools."

EDUCATION: Ongoing Initiatives to Promote Cultural Understanding and Equity

NYCPS continues to prioritize education as a central tool in combating hate. Through the Hidden Voices curriculum, which highlights the contributions of underrepresented communities, NYCPS is fostering a deeper understanding of cultural diversity. NYCPS recently released resources on people with disabilities, and later this year NYCPS will release resources on the Latino community, the Muslim American community, and the Jewish American community. Resources are available to all for free download here.

Additionally, this fall NYCPS is offering new anti-discrimination staff training from the office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), with an explicit focus on antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Finally, this year, NYCPS is encouraging schools and districts to engage with cultural and historical museums across the city, deepening their understanding of the histories and contributions of different communities.

NYCPS calls on all students, families, and staff to continue standing up against hate and joining us in the mission to foster a culture of respect, understanding, and peace. Last year, all middle and high school principals (approximately 900 school leaders) received an initial training on navigating crucial conversations from our highly respected and longtime partner, Facing History & Ourselves. The workshop, which these principals then provided to their own staff, includes strategies to foster respectful and empathetic classroom conversation on difficult topics and issues of the day, in combination with current events resources already available to our schools.

All educators have access to a digital toolkit from Facing History & Ourselves to further support these crucial conversations. Facing History & Ourselves is also providing office hours for middle and high schools for personalized support.

"Our school leaders are at the forefront of creating inclusive, respectful environments where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. The 'Meeting the Moment' initiative and our new Anti-Hate Hotline represent our unwavering commitment to addressing hate and bias head-on, empowering our school communities to take action," said Deputy Chancellor of School Leadership Dr. Danika Rux. "By providing clear pathways for reporting and responding to incidents, we ensure that every child can learn in a safe, supportive environment. This work is about more than safety-it's about fostering the values of empathy, understanding, and respect that will shape our future leaders."

About New York City Public Schools: New York City Public Schools is a testament to the history and impact of urban education in the United States. With over 1,600 schools spread across five boroughs, the system is made up of approximately 1.1 million students and staff, making it the largest public school system in the nation. These schools employ more than 75,000 teachers, who deliver a rich tapestry of educational experiences to a student body that reflects the city's vibrant and diverse cultural heritage. This network of educational institutions represents not just the scale of New York City's commitment to public education, but also its dedication to fostering a learning environment that is as dynamic and diverse as the city itself.