The New York City public schools system announced on Monday new initiatives to combat bias in schools, including a new anti-hate hotline and an interfaith advisory council.
The initiatives are part of the city Department of Education (DOE)’s ongoing “Meeting the Moment” agenda launched after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East on Oct. 7, 2023, to combat increasing incidents of antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of bias around NYC and inside classrooms.
“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,” outgoing Schools Chancellor David Banks said. “Our ‘Meeting the Moment’ initiative is focused on precisely that.”
As the world recognizes the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks that started the war in the Middle East, the city’s school system is “determined” to continue taking decisive steps to ensure a “safe and welcoming environment” for students, families and staff, according to a public schools’ press release.
“Our ‘Meeting the Moment’ work reaffirms our commitment to safe, inclusive, respectful school environments,” incoming Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said. “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.”
New anti-hate hotline for streamlined incident reporting
A new hotline — 718-935-2889 — is available for students, parents, staff and the community to report incidents of hate, harassment or discrimination.
The hotline is staffed with employees from the public schools’ School Parent Support, P311. It is accessible Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Incidents can be reported anonymously at the caller’s request.
Public school officials said the hotline was created to supplement email and an online form by providing another way to report incidents of bullying and discrimination.
“As we continue to confront hate and bias in our schools, safety remains our top priority,” said Mark Rampersant, chief of safety and prevention partnerships at the schools. “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.”
Interfaith advisory council
Community and spiritual leaders from various faiths started a council and began meeting this academic year to provide input and ideas for engagement with faith-based communities.
Reverend Jacques DeGraff, the council chair, said the panel aims to help teach students “how to build bridges” and collaborate with others.
“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,” he said. “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.”
Meanwhile, the DOE leadership is continuing other initiatives to combat hate in schools. It is offering new anti-discrimination staff training with a focus on antisemitism and Islamophobia. Leadership is also encouraging schools and districts to engage with cultural and historical museums across the city to “deepen their understanding” of the histories and contributions of different communities.
