Dear Parents and Residents of Little Miami School District,
The Little Miami School Board will have a first read on a new policy that restricts the types of flags and displays allowed in our schools at the Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, school board meeting. If agreed upon, they could vote to pass the policy as early as the regular January 2025 board meeting.
The broad language would mean teachers have to remove any posters/signs/flags that are not related directly to curriculum. This would include, but is not limited to, signs that say things such as “Welcome to Our Classroom,” “Let Your Light Shine,” “Go Bengals/Reds/other sports teams!” and more. This interpretation has been confirmed by Central Office.
This is part of an effort to restrict displays supporting minority groups and has been proposed by board member David Wallace, who included among his campaign promises to remove these types of displays while also promising to hand out Thin Blue Line flags at all home football games.
The wording of the policy was borrowed from Big Walnut schools in Sunbury, which has received a cease and desist letter from the ACLU protesting Big Walnut’s recently passed policy.
Here is the language of the proposed policy:
FLAGS AND DISPLAYS
This is the policy of the Little Miami Board of Education as a neutral policy in respect to the appropriate usage and display of the items in District buildings or on District property. This includes flags, banners, posters, electronic insignia, and similar items (collectively displays) and is in addition to the use of the current American flag as referenced in policy INDB . This policy applies to displays affixed to the grounds, stadium fencing, walls, doors, ceilings, or or any other furnishings or appurtenances of any public school system building, vehicle, or the facility owned or operated by the Board of Education. This also applies to any electronic messaging, including emails, on the District's network, and are as follows:
A. The current American flag and current State of Ohio flag.
B. The current Little Miami flag or mascot.
C. Displays used in the classroom as part of a temporary unit of study within the curriculum. If this may be in question of a controversial nature please refer to policies INB and IB.
D. Displays that denote a recognition of achievement and are approved by the Superintendent as to content and location of the display.
E. Ohio High School Athletic Association or similar sport tournament displays, approved advertising, including visiting schools' current flag, mascot, banners, etc. recognizing the participation of or accomplishment of a school team or student.
F. Displays from the branches of the United States Military, colleges, and universities may be placed in approved locations.
G. Flags of countries representing our Foreign Exchange Students may be placed in approved locations by building administrators.
H. Flyers, notices, or invitation for clubs shall be placed only on approved bulletin boards approved by building administrators. Flyers, notices, or invitations for clubs shall be no larger than an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.
If you would like to join the petition AGAINST the policy, please sign!
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
December 17, 2024
December 16, 2024
We are grinding toward five hundred signatures and I need everyone to get the word out right now because the board is honestly not going to listen unless our numbers are huge. It is wild how fast this is moving but we have to keep the momentum going so they can see exactly how many of us are actually paying attention to this policy nonsense.
Reached 100 supporters
December 13, 2024
137 Comments
If this was a truly neutral policy, then why are military posters permitted? I teach at a Quaker institution where peace and non-violence are fundamental values. Promoting/glorifying involvement in war is not a neutral stance. I live in the little miami district and am adamantly opposed to this infringement on free speech.
Schools should be a safe place to share beliefs, ideas, and values. This board policy does nothing except sanitize what should be a place of meaningful and deliberate conversations. What is the benefit of this policy? What issue does the board see in our schools that this policy addresses?
Please don't do this. My daughter is special needs and has a hard time opening up because she feels judged due to her disabilities. With these signs it shows that she isn't alone and the positive side of learning, of problem solving and being kindness towards every single person.
I was an intern at Little Miami Primary school and saw first hand the amount of love and passion each teacher has for their students. I believe the best people to decide what is viable to have in a classroom is the teachers. They are there each day and see what students struggle with and what will best help them.
As a student of Little Miami High School, I fully believe that we should have the posters and flags and that the school will be a more depressing place without it. They keep us in the loop, display school spirit and show safe places for those to go.
Hello. I work in a school in northeast Ohio and we are currently going through a similar situation presently, We are reaching out to other schools in Ohio to seek advise, information, anything that might help us fight for our rights to support all students and freedom of speech. Thank you in advance for your help.
Keep free speech in classrooms.
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Dear Parents and Residents of Little Miami School District,
The Little Miami School Board will have a first read on a new policy that restricts the types of flags and displays allowed in our schools at the Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, school board meeting. If agreed upon, they could vote to pass the policy as early as the regular January 2025 board meeting.
The broad language would mean teachers have to remove any posters/signs/flags that are not related directly to curriculum. This would include, but is not limited to, signs that say things such as “Welcome to Our Classroom,” “Let Your Light Shine,” “Go Bengals/Reds/other sports teams!” and more. This interpretation has been confirmed by Central Office.
This is part of an effort to restrict displays supporting minority groups and has been proposed by board member David Wallace, who included among his campaign promises to remove these types of displays while also promising to hand out Thin Blue Line flags at all home football games.
The wording of the policy was borrowed from Big Walnut schools in Sunbury, which has received a cease and desist letter from the ACLU protesting Big Walnut’s recently passed policy.
Here is the language of the proposed policy:
FLAGS AND DISPLAYS
This is the policy of the Little Miami Board of Education as a neutral policy in respect to the appropriate usage and display of the items in District buildings or on District property. This includes flags, banners, posters, electronic insignia, and similar items (collectively displays) and is in addition to the use of the current American flag as referenced in policy INDB . This policy applies to displays affixed to the grounds, stadium fencing, walls, doors, ceilings, or or any other furnishings or appurtenances of any public school system building, vehicle, or the facility owned or operated by the Board of Education. This also applies to any electronic messaging, including emails, on the District's network, and are as follows:
A. The current American flag and current State of Ohio flag.
B. The current Little Miami flag or mascot.
C. Displays used in the classroom as part of a temporary unit of study within the curriculum. If this may be in question of a controversial nature please refer to policies INB and IB.
D. Displays that denote a recognition of achievement and are approved by the Superintendent as to content and location of the display.
E. Ohio High School Athletic Association or similar sport tournament displays, approved advertising, including visiting schools' current flag, mascot, banners, etc. recognizing the participation of or accomplishment of a school team or student.
F. Displays from the branches of the United States Military, colleges, and universities may be placed in approved locations.
G. Flags of countries representing our Foreign Exchange Students may be placed in approved locations by building administrators.
H. Flyers, notices, or invitation for clubs shall be placed only on approved bulletin boards approved by building administrators. Flyers, notices, or invitations for clubs shall be no larger than an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.
If you would like to join the petition AGAINST the policy, please sign!
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
December 17, 2024
December 16, 2024
We are grinding toward five hundred signatures and I need everyone to get the word out right now because the board is honestly not going to listen unless our numbers are huge. It is wild how fast this is moving but we have to keep the momentum going so they can see exactly how many of us are actually paying attention to this policy nonsense.
Reached 100 supporters
December 13, 2024
137 Comments
I am a Little Miami alumni and would have described the environment as "hostile" at best for minority groups. This feels like a grab to make the hostility more known and acceptance harder to find in an already unaccepting place.
If this was a truly neutral policy, then why are military posters permitted? I teach at a Quaker institution where peace and non-violence are fundamental values. Promoting/glorifying involvement in war is not a neutral stance. I live in the little miami district and am adamantly opposed to this infringement on free speech.
Schools should be a safe place to share beliefs, ideas, and values. This board policy does nothing except sanitize what should be a place of meaningful and deliberate conversations. What is the benefit of this policy? What issue does the board see in our schools that this policy addresses?
Please don't do this. My daughter is special needs and has a hard time opening up because she feels judged due to her disabilities. With these signs it shows that she isn't alone and the positive side of learning, of problem solving and being kindness towards every single person.
I was an intern at Little Miami Primary school and saw first hand the amount of love and passion each teacher has for their students. I believe the best people to decide what is viable to have in a classroom is the teachers. They are there each day and see what students struggle with and what will best help them.
As a student of Little Miami High School, I fully believe that we should have the posters and flags and that the school will be a more depressing place without it. They keep us in the loop, display school spirit and show safe places for those to go.
Hello. I work in a school in northeast Ohio and we are currently going through a similar situation presently, We are reaching out to other schools in Ohio to seek advise, information, anything that might help us fight for our rights to support all students and freedom of speech. Thank you in advance for your help.
Keep free speech in classrooms.
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I am a Little Miami alumni and would have described the environment as "hostile" at best for minority groups. This feels like a grab to make the hostility more known and acceptance harder to find in an already unaccepting place.