Minneapolis school: We Support and Love Our Muslim Families

December 18, 2015

Here is a good story about the Minneapolis Public Schools, just in time for winter break. 

Last night, Minneapolis K-8 school, Barton Open, issued a statement in support of the many Muslim families who send their kids to the school. And it’s a beautiful thing. Here is the gist of it:

In light of the recent demonstrations of intolerance directed at Muslim people, we want to reinforce what our school stands for. We support and love our Muslim families. Because all of our children are learning together, they are better prepared for the world and will be leaders. 

Yes, exactly.

My oldest child started at Barton in 2004, as a kindergartner. Now, my youngest (of four) is a first grader at the school, and I have never loved it more than I do now. The school has shifted, in the eleven years we’ve been a part of it, from a mostly white island of progressive privilege to something much more dynamic and diverse.

We have an increasing number of Somali students at Barton, as well as an increase of kids in poverty, and It has been a good challenge for the school.

There is still a lot of privilege floating through the halls of Barton, but it’s the kind of privilege that every school should be centered around. The school feels safe and welcoming. The hallways are orderly but bursting with life. Down one hall, you might find an absorbing spread of student autobiographies, complete with hand-drawn self portraits and a list of likes–Hot Cheetos, soccer, time with family–that rings familiar.

Even though the kids are not all the same. 

But that is how it’s supposed to be. Barton, which turns 100 years old this year, has been flourishing as an Open school for over twenty years. As the population of Minneapolis has rapidly changed, the school is now doing its part to adapt to a growing population of non-white, non-native English speakers, while holding true to its magnet school, progressive education focus. The statement in support of Muslim families reflects this:

We are a school community committed to progressive education. We value each child and strive to creatively and courageously meet our students’ needs and create lifelong learners. Barton students have many different life experiences, traditions, stories and languages. Our strength is our diverse student body and our goal is to create a learning community that is welcoming, respectful, equitable and culturally responsive. This is the environment in which all our children learn best.

The statement was written by Barton parents and staff members, with input from school board member Siad Ali, who is also a Barton parent. Here is Barton principal Jonas Beugen’s take on why the statement was necessary:

There were a number of different things bubbling up that led to this statement. One thing was a conversation on the Barton Facebook page, where a parent, Rabbi Michael Adam Latz, had asked what Barton could do about the recent outpouring of anti-Muslim sentiment.

A parent on the Barton leadership council emailed me, prompting me to think more about what Barton could do to assure Muslim families that we are with them, and that we don’t agree with the rhetoric out there. We wanted to show them that we love them.

That was really the purpose. Some kids are saying they are scared, and we want to make them feel safe at school. 

There are no known examples of bigotry or anything at Barton. This is really more about the national dialogue, and knowing that some of our families are not feeling safe. We wanted to show that we are willing to stand up and make our values clear.

We are one community.

Kind of reminds me of a song, “Wavin’ Flag,” that has become a staple at Barton concerts and all-school meetings. It was written by a Somali native, K’naan.