Editor’s note: This commentary is by Curtiss Reed Jr., the executive director of the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity.
[F]ellow Vermonters,
Trump won the election. It’s time to act; the time is now; and the place is the Green Mountains!
We have re-dispatched to our nation’s capital Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch, a formidable trio to battle whatever Trump proposes to do against our collective best interests. Our most pressing work, however, resides here in Vermont in our 14 counties and 251 towns.
We ask that you move beyond the national anger, hurt and disbelief to dedicate your time, treasure and talents around these four concrete actions designed to advance inclusive and equitable Vermont communities.
• Ensure every chief of police and sheriff has read and adopted the recommendations contained in the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
Ensure every sworn officer and support personnel at your local police department and sheriff’s department have received training in implicit bias and fair and impartial policing. Be sure to ask the chief of police or sheriff to review the training materials with you and how their law enforcement agency supervises for bias.
Remember local action, not anguish, will bring about social justice where we live, work and play.
If they have not received training, have them contact Capt. Ingrid Jonas, Vermont State Police director for Fair and Impartial Policing and Community Affairs (ingrid.jonas@vermont.gov ), for a list of the 30+ fair and impartial trainers to conduct training for their staff. Use all means at your disposal to ensure all law enforcement personnel in your jurisdiction receive training and ongoing supervision to rout out negative implicit bias.
Advocate for sufficient funds in the budget to cover the cost of implicit bias and fair and impartial policing training.
• Ensure every school board member, licensed educator, support staff, and administrative personnel in your supervisory union receive training on implicit bias and how bias informs discretionary decision making in policy making, recruitment and hiring, curriculum content, co-curricular choices, teaching methods and classroom management.
Be sure to ask the superintendent or principal to review the professional development materials on implicit bias with you and how their school or supervisory union staff supervise for bias.
Advocate for dedicated in-service training days and sufficient funds in the budget to cover the cost of implicit bias training.
• Volunteer to coordinate our statewide efforts to achieve items Nos. 1 and 2 above. Contact us at info@vermontpartnership.org or call (802) 254-2972.
• Make a tax-deductible donation to Vermont Partnership at paypal.me/vtpfdorg.
Remember local action, not anguish, will bring about social justice where we live, work and play.
