
Official Letter
Official Letter
Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:
Resources to Support Safe, Inclusive Schools
on the Anniversary of October 7, 2023
This letter is to provide resources that support all local education agencies (LEAs) to provide safe, inclusive learning environments during the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas-led attack in Israel and the start of the continually escalating war in Gaza and the greater Middle East region. We encourage all educators to consider making this a time for empathy, not advocacy, in recognition of the fact that many of our students have directly experienced loss as a result of the October 7 attack and the military strikes across the region, and students may have experienced or may be experiencing bullying, harassment, or other forms of antisemitism, Islamophobia, or xenophobia.
California’s public education system supports some of the most diverse school communities in the nation. Please recognize that many of our Jewish and Israeli American students know someone who was killed or taken hostage in the attack of unarmed civilians on October 7, and many of our Arab American, Palestinian American, and Muslim students know someone who has been killed in and around Gaza during the many military strikes that have taken place since the start of the war. Make effort to ensure these students feel safe at school.
All students, regardless of background, must have access to safe, inclusive learning environments that support them to build the academic skills they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
If educators, staff, or students choose to use this as a time for teachable moments, please remember to use the guidance in California’s state standards for how to teach about global conflict. Developmentally appropriate guidance for the teaching of controversial issues, geopolitical conflict, and world history can be found on the CDE History-Social Science Framework web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/hssframework.asp.
Rather than imparting our views on students, let’s ensure that our classrooms are always safe spaces in which our students can have safe, structured discussion that allows for multiple viewpoints and experiences to be shared without consequence for expressing one’s views or beliefs.
In support of educators’ efforts to create safe and inclusive classrooms on and after October 7, this letter gathers broad guidance about best practices for supporting students impacted by war and how to discuss times of war and conflict with children of all ages. We encourage educators to use these research-based recommendations to ensure that the needs of the most impacted children are met during this challenging time.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, on their website at https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/talking-to-children-about-war.pdf, emphasizes the importance of maintaining a normal school routine, especially to support students who may have directly suffered loss, while acknowledging that it is okay to be upset and providing outlets for students’ desire to help those in need.
UNICEF has also provided parent-facing guidance for talking to children about conflict and war (at https://www.unicef.org/parenting/how-talk-your-children-about-conflict-and-war) that may support developmentally appropriate discussions at home and in the classroom. It suggests:
- Find out what children know and how they feel.
- Keep discussions calm and age-appropriate.
- Spread compassion, not stigma.
- Focus on the helpers.
County, district, and school leaders are also encouraged to maintain awareness of relevant local board policies and to maintain open, collaborative relations with fellow community leaders who may help school leaders remain aware of the specific needs of their school communities. The San Diego County Office of Education has provided guidance for the San Diego community, which can be found on their website at https://www.sdcoe.net/about-sdcoe/news/post/~board/news/post/resources-for-educators-families-to-discuss-the-events-in-israel-and-gaza-with-students, that may be useful for fellow county and district leaders who seek to make a model for making resources available locally.
Sincerely,
Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
California Department of Education