Discrimination

[Dennis Shaughnessy]

I have some questions about the model and discrimination.

For instance, should School Meeting members be advised

prior to staff elections, that discrimination on the basis of race,

age and sex, for example, is illegal? And if discrimination on

the basis of sexual orientation is illegal because of school bylaw

or law, how are staff and students apprised of this? Thank you.

 

Dennis Shaughnessy

 

"Ageism is rampant." Jane Fonda

 

 

[Scott Gray]

The School Meeting is an employer. It takes its responsibilities and obligations very seriously. Two factors are at work to make SVS a very professional and responsible employer: Democracy and debate means that decisions are always made openly for cause rather than whim. A tradition of fairness justice and efficiency is demanded in a meeting filled with young fresh ideas in a body that turns over dramatically every few years.

--Scott

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[Isabella O'Connell]

I think stuff like that is assumed. I know schools have rules against generally harassing people based on race age and sex, but not discriminating based on age especially is something kids at Sudbury schools dont need to be reminded of.

--

[Mike South]

On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 4:05 PM, Isabella O'Connell <izzybe...@gmail.com> wrote:

I think stuff like that is assumed. I know schools have rules against generally harassing people based on race age and sex, but not discriminating based on age especially is something kids at Sudbury schools dont need to be reminded of.

Are you saying no one would ever think "that person is too old to be staff" and voice that opinion in a discussion?  Obviously one would hope not, just based on a culture of mutual respect.  But the laws are such, I think, that having that come up at all could be an issue if someone really wanted to press it.

mike

[Scott David Gray]

I won't be so foolish as to put words into Isabella's mouth.

But I -- as a student thirty years ago, and now as a staff member --
never considered age in a staff election, and never heard the
slightest hint that anybody was considering it.

So, no, it would never have crossed anyone's *mind* as School Meeting
Members to think that "that person is too old to be staff."

However, I can imagine and remember scenarios in which I would think
(and say) that so-and-so is too "too set in her/his ways" to be on
staff, or "too prone to live in the past" or "not able to talk to
kids" or "not likely to be on staff for more than a few years into the
future if hired now" or "seems unable to do the work."

Speaking with my alumnus hat on, I will say this: What the kids want
and need from the staff are those things in which students -- by their
nature -- tend to be lacking. Wisdom and experience. As a result, I
can say for a certainty that as a student we absolutely *loved* being
around the staff of grand-parent age.

Older people that know how to talk to kids have *experience* and
*wisdom* and so round out our community. If anything, our community is
less prone to hire *younger* potential staff -- though when we do
encounter a young person who *does* have the wisdom and ability to do
the job, we grab her/him up fast.

On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 1:18 PM, Mike South <mso...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 4:05 PM, Isabella O'Connell
> <izzybe...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I think stuff like that is assumed. I know schools have rules against
>> generally harassing people based on race age and sex, but not discriminating
>> based on age especially is something kids at Sudbury schools dont need to be
>> reminded of.
>
> Are you saying no one would ever think "that person is too old to be staff"
> and voice that opinion in a discussion?  Obviously one would hope not, just
> based on a culture of mutual respect.  But the laws are such, I think, that
> having that come up at all could be an issue if someone really wanted to
> press it.
> mike
>
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 3:05 PM, Dennis Shaughnessy <den...@yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I have some questions about the model and discrimination.
>>> For instance, should School Meeting members be advised
>>> prior to staff elections, that discrimination on the basis of race,
>>> age and sex, for example, is illegal? And if discrimination on
>>> the basis of sexual orientation is illegal because of school bylaw
>>> or law, how are staff and students apprised of this? Thank you.
>>>
>>> Dennis Shaughnessy
>>>
>>> "Ageism is rampant." Jane Fonda

--
-- Scott David Gray
http://www.sudval.org/