Human Relations Task Force

December 12, 2019

All are welcome to join us at the following Human Relations Task Force Meetings, where participants will review the progress of the 2019-20 HRTF Implementation Plan, along with Dr. Teresa Neighbors from The University of California, Irvine, who will assist NMUSD in evaluating the effectiveness of the action items in the implementation plan.  

2020 Human Relations Task Force Meetings: Postponed due to Covid-19

Human Relations Community Workshops: Postponed due to Covid-19

November 22, 2019

In April 2019, Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) partnered with Orange County Human Relations to lead the district's Human Relations Task Force (HRTF). Orange County Human Relations facilitated 12 meetings among the group, which included students, parents, staff and community members. 

The HRTF was tasked with developing recommendations to the NMUSD Board of Education to create a greater level of cultural understanding and acceptance that appreciates and celebrates the diversity throughout our community. 

Nearly 200 people participated in the first meeting, which included an exercise where all members noted topics of interest and issues of concerns on a “Thought Wall”. During the remainder of the meetings, HRTF members formulated key themes and topics from the “Thought Wall” to create four sub-committees to address key topics and formulate recommendations to the Board of Education. The HRTF recommendations were presented at the July 16, 2019 Board of Education meeting. (See news feed below for summaries of HRTF meetings)

District staff reviewed the recommendations and developed the 2019/20 HRTF Implementation Plan (See Spanish below). The University of California, Irvine (UCI) Dr. Teresa Neighbors will assist NMUSD in evaluating the effectiveness of the action items in the implementation plan. 

In addition to the HRTF meetings, monthly Community Workshops were also hosted and included the following topics:

• April 2019 – Anti- Bias Training (OCHR)
• May 2019 – Becoming An Ally (ADL)
• June 2019 – How Do You Treat The (Religious) Other? (Interfaith Network)
• July 2019 – Everyday Restorative Justice (NMUSD)
• August 2019 – Health and Safety of LGBTQ Youth (OCHR)
• September 2019 – Conflict Resolution & De-escalating Conflict (OCHR)
• October 2019 –  Unpacking Antisemitism (Jewish Federation & Family Services)

2019/20 HRTF Implementation Plan (Spanish)

September 10, 2019

Reminder: Next Task Force Meeting is today, September 11, 2019 (See below for details)

Human Relations Task Force (HRTF) members reviewed the District’s feedback regarding the recommendations they made to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) Board of Education on July 16, 2019.

Below is the status of some of the recommendations:

Subcommittee #1 – Opportunities for Cross-Cultural Dialogue

• HRTF members are working with the District director of nutritional services regarding inclusive lunch menus
• Courage to Remember - a traveling Holocaust exhibit for high school students
• Secondary principals to consider at least 1 organized student dialogue surrounding anti-bias and connectedness

Subcommittee #2 – Policy and Processes

• HRTF members continue to work with District staff to determine the possibility of the following:
  • Developing administrative regulations for  various anti-bias and school culture board policies
  • Integrate school parent organizations to foster more diversity in membership
  • Analyze school climate data and develop a plan for sharing it with the school community

Subcommittee #3 – Empower Youth

• Implement “No Place for Hate: Anti-Bigotry and Bullying” Program by ADL
• Provide schools with year-long organizing framework for combating bias, bullying & hatred in schools
• Secondary principals will encourage middle, high school students and teachers to participate and submit entries into the annual “Chapman’s Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest

Subcommittee #4 – Education

• Staff:
  • Aug. 12, 2019 - NMUSD Leadership team participated in ADL – anti-bias training
  • Aug. 29, 2019  - certificated staff at all four comprehensive high schools participated in anti-bias training
  • District staff is considering an anti-bias workshop at its annual Classified Development Day
• Students:
  • The NMUSD Department of Elementary Education is considering piloting a read-aloud program (Read to Me Project) in Kindergarten through third grade that addresses unity, empathy, and understanding of differences
• Parents:
  • District is considering opportunities throughout the school year for parents and educators to dialogue and learn about each other to build community and learn how to best support students
  • District is considering additional community workshops centered on cultural inclusivity, bullying, technology use and special education 

Please see below for upcoming Task Force meetings and Community Workshops. 

Task Force Meetings:

Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District, 2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm

• September  11, 2019 (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• September 25, 2019  (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• October 9, 2019 - CANCELLED
• October 23, 2019 (Board Room)

Community Workshops:

• ​September 18, 2019
  Topic: Conflict Resolution and Deescalating Conflict / Resolución de Conflictos y Como Disminuir la Intensidad de Conflictos
  Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District - Sanborn Assembly Room (2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)
  October 30, 2019
• Topic: TBD
  Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District - Sanborn Assembly Room (2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)

 *Spanish interpretation will be available at all task force meetings and community workshops. 

August 7, 2019

Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District, 2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm

• August 21, 2019  (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• September  11, 2019 (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• September 25, 2019  (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• October 9, 2019  (Sanborn Assembly Room) - Cancelled
• October 23, 2019 (Board Room)

Community Workshops*

• ​August 14, 2019
  Topic: Health and Safety of LGBTQ Youth
  Community Workshop Flyer - English & Spanish
  Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District - Sanborn Assembly Room (2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)

 *Spanish interpretation will be available at all task force meetings and community workshops. 

July 23, 2019

Some of the initial recommendations that were shared at the July 16, 2019 board meeting are noted below:

• Inclusive lunch menus
• Documenting history through art
• Intra and inter district/campus dialogue surrounding diversity, inclusion and racial relations
• Engage community in dialogues/panels
• Sister School/Sister District program to increase relationship building and connectedness
• Analyze current Positive Behavior and Intervention Systems (PBIS) and similar activities district-wide to identify best practices, ensure consistency of implementation and expand robust use of restorative practices and provide the resources to support this recommendation.
• Approve and fund a district-wide Equity Audit to uncover institutional bias
• Develop Administrative Regulations for the following Board Policies:
  • 5137 - Positive School Climate 
  • 5138 - Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation (Restorative Practices) 
  • 5145.2 - Freedom of Speech/Expression 
  • 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment 
  • 5145.9 - Hate-Motivated Behavior 
• Provide parents with information related to procedures for how the district responds to  hate crimes and discrimination
• Implement “No Place for Hate: Anti-Bigotry and Bullying” Program by ADL in schools (Grades K-12) to provide schools with year-long organizing framework for combating bias, bullying & hatred in schools 
• Encourage middle, high school students and teachers to participate and submit entries into the annual “Chapman’s Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest”
• Implement anti-bias training for staff 
• Implement reading program (kindergarten through third grade) centered upon children’s books that address unity, empathy, and understanding of differences
• District-wide review of educational parent workshops focused on empathy and compassion.

These initial recommendations were a result of various meetings where task force members were divided into four subgroups to review and brainstormed ideas related to a specific topic. The four subgroups focused on how to:

1. Create opportunities for cross-cultural dialogues that build an understanding of diversity and inclusion
2. Develop policies and processes that support all stakeholders to respond quickly and effectively to hate incidents
3. Empower youth with the tools and skills to stand for what is right and to be “upstanding” on campus, in the community and online
4. Educate stakeholders on empathy, compassion and acceptance of differences.

District staff is now in the process of reviewing the initial recommendations to determine what can be immediately implemented in the 2019/20 school year.

Upcoming Task Force Meetings*

Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District, 2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm

• July 24, 2019 - CANCELLED
• August 8, 2019 - CANCELLED
• August 21, 2019  (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• September  11, 2019 (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• September 25, 2019  (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• October 9, 2019  (Sanborn Assembly Room)
• October 23, 2019 (Board Room)

Community Workshops*

• ​August 14, 2019
  Topic: TBD
  Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District - Sanborn Assembly Room (2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)

 *Spanish interpretation will be available at all task force meetings and community workshops. 

July 19, 2019

Task Force Meetings
Newport-Mesa Unified School District
2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
6:00 - 8:00 pm

• Canceled - July 24, 2019 - Sanborn Assembly Room
• Canceled - August 8, 2019 - Sanborn Assembly Room
• August 21, 2019 - Sanborn Assembly Room
• September  11, 2019 - Sanborn Assembly Room
• September 25, 2019 - Sanborn Assembly Room
• October 9, 2019 - Sanborn Assembly Room
• October 23, 2019 - Board Room

Community Workshops
6:00 - 8:00 pm

• ​August 14, 2019
  Topic: TBD
  Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District, Sanborn Assembly Room

*Spanish interpretation will be available at all task force meetings and community workshops.

July 11, 2019

The next Community Workshop is on July 17, 2019, 6-8 pm in the NMUSD Board Room (2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626). Topic: Everyday Restorative Justice.

June 21, 2019

Human Relations Task Force members were given clarity on the roadmap for formulating recommendations to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) Board of Education (BOE). Task Force members are expected to have recommendations to the BOE for the July 16, 2019 board meeting.

To assist the HRTF members with development of recommendations, district staff reviewed a list of curriculum and activities that schools currently do in the areas of inclusion, diversity, cultural awareness, kindness, anti-Semitism, Holocaust and other related topics.

HRTF members continued to brainstorm in their specific subcommittees. A few of the notes from the brainstorming session are listed below.

Subcommittee 1 - Create opportunities for cross-cultural dialogues that build an understanding of diversity and inclusion

• Inclusive lunch menus
• David Labkovski Project-Documenting History Through Art
• Ongoing intra-district dialogue
• District calendar that highlights more holidays/holy days (when excused absences are appropriate)
• Interactive curriculum (Living History, done at many NMUSD schools, is a good example)
• Sister School, Sister District-Looking for relationship building across schools & within schools creating connectedness.
• Considerations for how technology limits human connections

Subcommittee 2 - Develop policies and processes that support all stakeholders to respond quickly and effectively to hate incidents

• Edit/specify language of administrative regulations (which describes how California education code is implemented)
• Create a summary of policies related to management of hate incidents
• Approve and fund a district-wide Equity Audit to uncover institutional bias and make the report public.
• Create and distribute a parent-friendly document that describes resources and procedures that are in place if a student experiences a hate crime/incident or is discriminated against.
• Analyze school climate data and develop a plan for sharing it with the school community.
• Analyze current PBIS and similar activities (as aggregated by district staff) district-wide to identify best practices, ensure consistency of implementation and expand robust use of restorative practices
• Note that incidents that occur off campus are outside of district purview, with the exception of when it impacts students’ education at school

Subcommittee 3 - Empower youth with tools and skills to stand for what is right and to be “upstanding” on campus, in the community and online

• Read to Me Project (Grades K-3 & 4-6) - Create collections of selected books that promote unity, empathy, and an understanding of differences.
• No Place for Hate: Anti-Bigotry and Bullying Program by ADL (Grades: 3-12)
• Student participation in the “Chapman’s Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest”
• Mentoring for Character – Passkey's Foundation
• Chapman Holocaust Arts and Writing Contest
• Bridges writing/art program
• Courage to Remember exhibit
• Show the film Shindler’s List in schools (Grades 7 and up)
• Facilitate classroom discussions surrounding the topics of cultural awareness, implicit bias, mental health, social media (previously done at Newport Harbor High School)
• Social Media Workshops
• Anonymous reporting system

Subcommittee 4 - Educate stakeholders on empathy, compassion and acceptance of differences

• Staff:
  • Ongoing implicit bias training
  • Identify experts, tools, and resources for ongoing staff professional development to assist in empathetic and inclusive teaching and lesson design
• Students:
  • Focus on curriculum that celebrates shows understanding of differences
  • Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS) - needs to be consistent throughout all schools; must include parent involvement. Can be a framework to build character education and civics.
• Parents
  • Parent education classes – how to help their children
  • Bullying, technology use
  • Special Education Services
  • Other social services available and support

The Next Task Force meeting is on July 10, 2019, 6-8 pm in the NMUSD Sanborn Assembly Room (2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626). The meeting will focus each subcommittee reviewing their notes to develop final recommendations to be submitted to the NMUSD Board of Education.

The next Community Workshop is on June 26, 2019, 6-8 pm at the City of Newport Beach (Community Room) 100 Civic Center Dr. Newport Beach. Topic: Religious Tolerance.

May 29, 2019

Four subcommittees were formed to focus efforts on specific themes. Notes from the brainstorming session are listed below.

1. Subcommittee 1 - Create opportunities for cross-cultural dialogues that build an understanding of diversity and inclusion

   1. Create calendar holidays and acknowledgement

   2. Tools to facilitate diversity and inclusion dialogues for educators

   3. Diversity and Inclusion dialogues in high school campuses

   4. Dialogues on youth terminologies and the power of words

2. Subcommittee 2 - Develop policies and processes that support all stakeholders to respond quickly and effectively to hate incidents

   1. Policies that help create a dialogue between parents/students of various races/ethnicities that acknowledges disparities in parent involvement for PTA, Booster Club, & other activities that happen outside of school

   2. Policies to address racial disparities in lower level academic classes that focus on classroom integration, along with training for teachers on how to address students’ and positively impact their self-image

   3. Funding for translators for PTA, Booster Club, and other parent-involved school groups that directly impact students

   4. Shared power between the English Learner Advisory Committee and PTA, so the voices represented in those various parent groups have equal power

   5. Policies to acknowledge religious holidays (I.e. Ramadan)

   6. Policies to restoratively address hate incidents and other types of incidents so that parents and students know what to expect when requesting support

   7. Inclusivity/equity/access policies created at the district level that ensure students are given the same opportunities (I.e. ASB, Honors classes, Lyceum)

3. Subcommittee 3 - Empower youth with tools and skills to stand for what is right and to be “upstanding” on campus, in the community and online

   1. We as group members should get training so that we can be trainers at school

   2. We should go to schools to share our own stories

   3. The people in the group have a lot of knowledge, we should start with an idea bank

   4. Consistent curriculum and programs at all grade levels

   5. Have outside agencies/training/events (examples – Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Stop the Hate, Orange County Human Relations (OCHR) Bridges, Walk in my Shoes, Bullying films, trainings, workshops, Museum of Tolerance, etc.)

   6. Have students be the models

   7. Peer mentors and adult mentors (adults mentoring high school students, high school students mentoring elementary students)

   8. Consider monetary restrictions

   9. Teach people how to use social media appropriately

   10. Corporate partners

   11. How do we create equity for lower income areas/schools?

4. Subcommittee 4 - Educate stakeholders on empathy, compassion and acceptance of differences

   1. Curriculum on human relations and civics

   2. Review curriculum already in the district - Look at what is currently being done and build on it

The Next Task Force meeting is on June 5, 2019, 6-8 pm.

The next Community Workshop is Tomorrow, May 29, the topic will be Promoting Respect and Inclusivity for All at the City of Costa Mesa Senior Center, Grand Hall 1 (695 West 19th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627).

Please visit the newsfeed on the district website nmusd for more information.

Questions may be directed to Dr. Kirk Bauermeister, NMUSD executive director of secondary education at 714-424-7516 or kbauermeister@nmusd.us.

As a reminder, below is a list of the dates for the Human Relations Task Force meetings and Community Workshops. Everyone is welcome to attend either.

Task Force Meetings
Newport-Mesa Unified School District
2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
6:00 - 8:00 pm

• June 5, 2019 - Board Room

• June 12, 2019 - Board Room

Community Workshops
6:00 - 8:00 pm

• June 26, 2019
  Topic: TBD
  Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District

• July 17, 2019
  Topic: TBD
  Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District

• August 14, 2019
  Topic: TBD
  Location: Newport-Mesa Unified School District

As you know, Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) has partnered with Orange County Human Relations (OCHR) to lead the district’s Human Relations Task Force (HRTF). Below please find a brief recap of the May 8 meeting, which included the development of norms and guidelines for task force members, and outline on how the group will proceed in addressing issues to improve human relations throughout the district.

• The HRTF provided direction for OCHR to formulate key themes/topics using the thought wall activity input from the March 27 meeting

• The HRTF would like to create subcommittees for specific themes/topics once they are defined

• The two-hour meeting time seems too short and additional meeting times or longer meeting times were proposed, but not agreed upon

The next HRTF meeting on May 22 will focus on the following:

• Review key themes/topics as generated through analysis by OCHR

• Assess the formation of subcommittees to review and research specific themes/topics

• Continue the discussion and develop a consensus on the possible need for longer meetings and/or additional meetings

• Identify topics for future community workshops

The next Community Workshop is on May 29, the topic will be Becoming an Ally: Promoting Respect and Inclusivity for All.

The district has and will continue to send reminders and meeting recaps to the school community via the following methods: email to all parents, email to all staff, news item on district and all school websites, and distribution to news media. The district will expand its communication to include district social media (Facebook and twitter).

Please visit the newsfeed on the district website nmusd for more information.

As a reminder, below is a list of the dates for the Human Relations Task Force meetings and Community Workshops. Everyone is welcome to attend either.

April, 29, 2019

As part of Newport-Mesa Unified School District's (NMUSD) Human Relations Task Force (HRTF), the district has partnered with the Anti-Defamation League, who is leading various community workshops about anti-Semitism and hate. The workshops are open to everyone that is interested in attending.

The first workshop (hosted on April 25) was interactive and engaging, focusing on key implicit bias concepts, such as the influence of bias and its effects on interactions and decision-making. It also explored effective interpersonal approaches to minimize and respond to bias.

The workshop guided participants through a journey of personal exploration for an awareness of the shortcuts and subsequent perceptions we make about people and our surroundings. Participants discussed bias, emotional intelligence and leadership. A recap of the workshop will be presented at the next HRTF meeting.   

April 19, 2019

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) hosted the first task force meeting on April 17 regarding the creation of a Human Relations Task Force (HRTF).

At the meeting attendees reviewed the input that was received at the March 27 meeting, surrounding topics about:

• What groups/communities should be represented
• Qualities of the ideal HRTF member/Commitment to Participate Form
• Goals of the HRTF
• Issues and Concerns that HRTF should consider addressing

The input and thoughts provided at the March 27 HRTF meeting were available to review at the April 17 HRTF meeting and will also be available at the May 8 HRTF meeting.

Discussion topics for the May 8 HRTF meeting will be the goals of the HRTF and to start looking at the list of issues and concerns that the HRTF should consider addressing, with the objective of developing action items for the consideration of the Board of Education.

The High School Principals also had the opportunity to share what current initiatives are already taking place at their school site to build a culture of safety, respectfulness, and inclusivity.

Next Steps:

• HRTF will meet for approximately six months.
• Commitment to Participate Form is now available and will also be available at the next meeting on May 8.
  • The form is an acknowledgment of your willingness to serve on the Task Force and understanding of member expectation. All that are interested in participating will be accepted.
• The first community workshop meeting will be on April 24 and the topic covered will be Implicit Bias (link flyer). The Anti-Defamation League will be leading the May 29 community workshop, the topic will be selected using data collected from the April 17 HRTF meeting survey and the work done at the next HRTF meeting on May 8.
  • Implicit Bias Community Workshop Flyer 

Spanish Forms:

Formulario de Compromiso de Participación

Volante del primer taller communitario en el tema de los Sesgos Implícitos

The Human Relations Task Force Meeting will be on Wednesday, April 17 from 6 – 8 p.m. in the Sanborn Assembly Room (Newport-Mesa Unified School District – 2985 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626). Spanish interpretation and childcare will be available.

A Commitment to Participate Form will be available at the meeting on April 17 and online following the meeting. Please see below for a link to a draft of the Commitment to Participate Form. The form is an acknowledgment of your willingness to serve on the Task Force. It will be reviewed at the meeting to ensure that participants have a full understanding of member expectation.

Draft of the Commitment to Participate Form

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) has partnered with Orange County Human Relations, to lead the district’s Human Relations Task Force (HRTF). Please see below for a link to the HRTF informational meeting recap.

HRTF informational meeting recap - English

HRTF informational meeting recap - Spanish

For updated information visit the newsfeed on the district website nmusd

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) has partnered with Orange County Human Relations, to lead the district's Human Relations Task Force (HRTF).  NMUSD hosted an informational meeting on March 27th regarding the creation of a HRTF. Please see below for a link to the HRTF informational meeting recap.

HRTF informational meeting recap - English

HRTF informational meeting recap - Spanish

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Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) will host an informational meeting on March 27th regarding the creation of a Human Relations Task Force to create a greater level of cultural understanding and acceptance that appreciates and celebrates the diversity throughout our community.

NMUSD will partner with Orange County Human Relations, which has trained mediators who specialize in building communities to foster respect, resolving conflict and pursuing equality. Orange County Human Relations has supported NMUSD schools to build campus environments that are respectful of diversity, where all students, staff, and parents feel safe, welcome and respected. They also work with school districts to develop and manage task forces that define and develop courses of action for improved school and community culture.  

While details of the task force are yet to be determined, students, staff, parents, community members, and community organizations are invited to the informational meeting.

Human Relations Task Force
Informational Meeting

March 27, 2019

6:30 pm

Newport-Mesa Unified School District
(Sanborn Building)
2985 Bear Street, Sanborn Assembly Room
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Spanish interpretation and childcare will be available.

Contact the office of Secondary Education, if you have any questions at 714-424-7551.