In my previous post, I asked if you are indicted by or changing our education system.  Are you just going along with a system that marginalizes some groups of people or are you standing up for and pushing to make change.  In our current political environment, it takes courage to stand up for marginalized students.

If you have not heard of Sara Inama from Idaho, let me share her courage with you.  Sara taught last year in the West Ada School District, just west of Boise, Idaho.  She had a sign in her classroom that proclaimed “Everyone is Welcome Here.” That message was illustrated by showing the arms and hands of numerous people with varying skin tones.  The West Ada School District told her to remove the sign as it expressed a personal opinion and was deemed to be a political and ideological display.   Sara refused to remove the sign.  At the end of the school year, she resigned and took a job for the current school year in the Boise School District where she once again displayed her sign “Everyone is Welcome Here.”  

Then things really got crazy.  Idaho legislators passed a law (HB 96) that bans political, religious, or ideological displays in public buildings including schools.  The Idaho Attorney General weighed in this fall that signs such as “Everyone is Welcome Here”  were political in nature and should not be displayed in schools. 

However, the Boise School District’s board members and superintendent stood up with Sara and all their other courageous teachers to declare, that indeed in the Boise School District, “Everyone is Welcome Here.”  Board members and the superintendent sent a letter to parents and staff that stated that the “Everyone is Welcome Here” sign affirms a foundational principle of public education — that every student, regardless of their background, is legally entitled to dignity, respect, and a sense of belonging in their school community.”   They also affirmed that they would continue to support their teachers who display such signs in their classrooms.

The Boise School District board members, administrators, teachers, and staff are working to change the system rather than going with the current winds that marginalize many of our most vulnerable students.  We all need to display the same courage and stand with them in their commitment to public education that educates every student to the highest levels regardless of their background. 

Boise School District I am very grateful for your courage and commitment to our children.  Thank you.  And to all the courageous educators standing up for marginalized students across our country, thank you.  When all of our children are educated to the highest level, we will be a more prosperous and caring nation.

References

Bosie School District,(July 10, 2025)  In Our Schools Everyone is Welcome, retrieved at https://www.boiseschools.org/cms/one.aspx?portalId=508306&pageId=97422901

This blog is written by Dr. GwenCarol Holmes, a long-time educator and passionate advocate for all students mastering rigorous standards.