The Hilliard Education Association will professionally develop, promote, and protect the educators of Hilliard City School District while guarding the integrity of the education profession.
HEA Statement on Safe Space Badges:
The well-being of our students is and always has been the Hilliard Education Association’s top priority. We know every student must feel safe, welcomed and respected in their school environment before they can focus on academic instruction. The “I’m here. Safe person. Safe space” badges that some Hilliard educators opted to wear are visible symbols of their support to their students who may need it and serve as a critical lifeline for LGBTQ+ students who are in crisis who need a trusted adult to help. The QR code on the back of the badge links to a long list of resources for educators –not students—to ensure trusted adults are equipped to support their students and provide assistance as needed.
And make no mistake, that support is desperately needed. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24, and LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. This elevated risk is not because of who LGBTQ+ children are but because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized by the people around them. They need to know there are adults who care about and value them, regardless of who they are, where they’re from, what they look like, their gender identity, or who they love.
Unfortunately, extremists working to amplify the playbooks of a national network of political radicals are once again trying to manufacture controversy and weaponize LGBTQ+ issues to distract Ohioans from the very real issues facing our schools. Our students need fully and fairly funded public schools; they need relief from high-stakes standardized testing that takes time away from teaching and learning and unfairly punishes kids and school districts; they need stronger mental health supports; they need the freedom to be themselves, pursue their dreams, and feel safe in our communities; the list goes on and on. They don’t need to have pundits and political puppeteers spinning up a moral panic around badges that simply identify some educators as trusted adults. It’s disingenuous and cruel, and we must all come together to demand better for our kids.
HEA Statement on BLM:
Hilliard educators believe that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
These are unparalleled and unsettling times for all of us, and educators are afforded the opportunity to demonstrate moral leadership. Ohio Education Association’s President Scott DiMauro reminds us that “we have a unique responsibility as educators to fight against injustice” and “only by addressing these deep-seated issues head-on can we ensure that all students are positioned for success, regardless of where they live or what they look like.” In part, we know that the silence from people in positions of power and privilege plays an integral part in maintaining social injustice. Therefore, all of us have a responsibility to address what is unfair, discriminatory, and morally wrong, and we are called to stand with and serve as allies to those who face social inequities. As union members, we take pride in working with and advocating for others. As educators, we have to acknowledge our obligation to oppose systemic and individual racism, as well as any other form of discrimination, and create inclusive and democratic spaces where all students know their value. It is our hope that when students witness us speaking up and taking action, our students learn how they can create a world that is more just and more peaceful that what we have today. Hilliard Education Association believes that Black Lives Matter. We see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.