The current Northern Valley Old Tappan curriculum lacks an effective education on race and diversity. In its absence, a culture involving both students and faculty has developed, which permits ignorant and racist behavior at the expense of NVOT’s students of color.
We’re asking you, current students, alumni, parents, and faculty, to share your experiences with racism, whether these incidents affected you personally or were something you were witness to, during your time affiliated with NVOT or NVD. These experiences don’t just have to be examples of overt racism but can also include more covert instances of racism (e.g., microaggressions, racial jokes made at either your or a classmate’s expense, etc.) committed by other students and faculty.
Our goal is to present these testimonies to the administration, along with appropriate resources and suggestions for ways to incorporate diversity and an understanding of systemic racism and imperialism into the existing curriculum. Due to the sensitive nature of this information, you will have the option to remain anonymous when we present your experiences to the administration. Furthermore, any names mentioned in your response will also be redacted, as this survey is not meant to target specific individuals but highlight a specific culture in our community.
NVRHS has the ability to ignite change within our community and has the potential to teach the youth of our privileged town how to meaningfully engage with and discuss contemporary social issues. We hope that, by reading these stories, the administration will internalize the gravity of this issue and the effects it has on the past, present, and future students of NVRHS.
This survey will close Sunday, June 21.