Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff:
Over the past year, we have all become aware of an increase in vocalized negative rhetoric concerning immigrants and foreign-born visitors to the United States. This problematic discourse has led to a corresponding buildup of concern and uncertainty for many, including for some of our own Village students and their families.
I feel that it may be helpful to remind everyone that our Ridgewood schools welcome and embrace children from all over the world, who by federal, state and local law are guaranteed equal access to an education. Our student database shows that we are truly a “melting pot,” with children from the following countries:
Albania Egypt Lebanon South Africa Australia El Salvador Malaysia Spain Bahrain Ethiopia Mexico Sri Lanka Bangladesh France Monaco Sweden Belarus Germany Netherlands Switzerland Belgium Guatemala Northern Mariana Islands Syrian Arab Republic Bermuda Honduras Pakistan Taiwan Bolivia Hong Kong Panama Turkey Brazil India Peru Ukraine Bulgaria Iran Philippines United Arab Emirates Canada Ireland Poland United Kingdom China Israel Puerto Rico United States Costa Rica Italy Romania Uruguay Czech Republic Japan Russian Federation Uzbekistan Denmark Kazakhastan Saudi Arabia Venezuela Dominican Republic Korea Singapore Vietnam
Far beyond our legal and moral responsibilities for educating all children, the Ridgewood Public Schools have a long and proud history of incorporating and celebrating the diverse cultures of our student body into our regular curricular programming. From the annual Asian Festival held at Ridgewood High School each spring, to the International clubs at the middle school level, and down to International Day at our elementary schools, we affirm our respect and admiration for other nationalities in large ways. We are fortunate to have numerous families and community members from other countries who are willing and eager to share their traditions and we are enriched by the numerous opportunities they give us to learn firsthand about other cultures and beliefs.
Through these opportunities, we are also able to teach our children about tolerance and respect for the dignity of every being. Of course, as we are all prone to making mistakes on occasion, we also have a longstanding official policy of zero-tolerance for prejudice and disrespect that is strictly enforced if the need arises.
In sum, long before the recent uptick in negative rhetoric on immigration issues, inclusivity has been a top priority in the administration of our schools. We have worked hard to be inclusive and we will always continue to work even harder to make all students and their families feel welcome and valued in the Ridgewood Public Schools.
I conclude with the meaningful words found at the base of the Statue of Liberty, that wonderful symbol of welcome to visitors and immigrants from afar:
The New Colossus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! Emma Lazarus (November 2, 1883)
If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to your child’s principal or me.
Sincerely yours,
We got that email and I can tell you that we were highly offended to see Puerto Rico listed among the foreign countries. Puerto Rico is part of the United States and Puerto Ricans are US citizens. There is enough misunderstanding about this concept in general, but for educators to make this mistake is unforgivable.
8:13 ease up on the hyper-sensitivity. .
There will be a profuse, over the top, politically correct apology for this simple mistake.
Im sure I t won’t be good enough to repair the damage to your over sensitive, liberal bleeding heart
In PR hey don’t pay tax to the US Treasury….they only take hundreds of millions a year in aid that is divided up amounbst the political class and its citizens get to enjoy all the freedoms our constitution provides.
We are not hyper-sensitive liberals. We voted Trump.
Why is mentioning Puerto Rico a mistake? Puerto Rico IS culturally distinct… and even within Puerto Rico there are immense cultural distinctions, as much between the US and the Northern Marianas, of which Guam is a part…before going into a PC tizzy, get your facts straight…. and as someone who is half Puerto Rican (family from Mayaguez) I think referencing Puerto Rico as culturally distinct is a complement…. Will we have outrage from our residents who are from Guam and Saipan next…
Puerto Rico is a US protectorate ie in non-pc lingo a Colony of the USA, they use US passports
If you are going to use the culturally distinct label, then so is Hawaii, Alaska, and just about of of the continental border States.
Hey Fishbein STFU about the social agenda and focus on improving the quality of education in RW which has declined over the past years (including under your reign)
Yes, I too would ask our esteemed superintendent to keep his eye on the job he is paid to do.
I did not appreciate this letter, I am well aware of his political leanings and do not wish for them to be taught to my child.
Did he write letters like this in the past when the candidate he voted for was in office?
I am hoping that the BOE will shut down Fishbein’s political commentary – both in his letters and his tweets and retweets.
He can dance around a topic such as this as much as he wants BUT he is being political.
Sure, he never mentioned Trump but we all know what he is talking about.
How about teaching our kids to toughen up, not fall apart when their candidate loses, respect leaders and process even when you don’t like it and work for respect rather than expect it —– that would be a better education than they are currently getting!
This letter is disgraceful. The only “rhetoric concerning immigrants and foreign-born visitors” has been the liberal media’s false spin of the campaign issue of ILLEGAL immigration. Of course he doesn’t provide a single example of the true issue. The dishonesty and liberal bias of entertainment and the media is now abundantly clear in our own local education system. Certainly not a surprise, but extremely unfortunate. If politics is going to be permitted to creep into the education of our children, then present all sides of an issue, and teach our children how to make their own decisions without passing judgment on those who think differently. Shame on all those who consider themselves educators but purposely fail in this manner for their own personal or political agenda.
@Amamom – Is this Kellyann? Good grief. I feel sorry for your kids and husband. You sound nasty. If you don’t like it then MOVE! We voted by an overwhelming majority in our town for Clinton/Gottheimer. We would love for your kind to move the heck out of town.
wow Sieg Heil, going to start burning books next?
2:36 Nice tolerance. Your way of thinking is at the heart of the demise of our country.
There ya go 236…put right out there …. Your a complete fool.
Hey 2:36 Clinton lost get over it and maybe you should move..
2:36 – you brought a smile to my face.
You were able in only 4 sentences to exhibit exactly what is wrong with the liberal/progressive/democrat thinking.
How funny that your “side”, as you put it “WE”, will tolerate every other group in the USA BUT not the conservatives.
Wow, how quickly you resorted to calling names (nasty), making it personal (husband and kids) and telling me to move out of town.
What if I told you I was a black, gay, Syrian refugee – would you change your tune?
What if I told you I was an old white male christian?
I think your tolerance or respect of my opinion is not based on my humanity but based on your party platform.
I am guessing you think that your politics make you and your party the better people.
4:18 My tolerance? SMH
5:34 – just to remind you, again, you are the minority in this town. You always will be. Yes, we are the better people. Your party is plagued by bigots, homophobes, white trash, uneducated angry white men and women. I should probably throw overweight in there, too. Shall I go on? LOL I love getting you all riled up.
but we never owned slaves like Democrats or opposed civil right legislation
5:21 – I believe you meant to say “you’re”? You’re is a contraction and means “you are”. “Your” is possessive. It means something belongs to you or is related to you. Looks like YOU’RE the fool, so keep YOUR uneducated comments to YOURSELF. Just solidifies my point that Trump supporters are really not that smart……..
sorry living in NJ virtually disqualifies people as “Smart”, let’s face it, highest taxes, worst business environment, huge unfunded pension liabilities, drugs everywhere none of these things are “smart”
I can see the point of his letter as some crazy parents will influence their kids to act out but “melting pot” is funny.
A welfare state with open borders is unsustainable.
James – We live here because the company pays us an unbelievable amount of salary. We buy our time here and then move to a place that is cheaper. That is smart.
7:41 is your post a joke? Because if it’s not, my faith in humanity just went another notch lower.
The funniest thing about people like @2:36 is that Ridgewood has for a very long time been a very American, right wing red state suburb. These people escape from core Democratic progressive NYC/Brooklyn/Jersey City to come to places like Ridgewood.
And then they curse the people who made Ridgewood so attractive. They vote for the people who made NYC/Brooklyn/Jersey City they way they are.
These people voluntarily escape ‘diverse’ places and head for lily white suburbs at the drop of a hat. And then they blame the suburbs for being the way they are. You literally cannot make that stuff up!