The Bedford County School Board plans to address that viral photograph taken last week at Jefferson Forest High School. The photo shows some students holding up Confederate flags in school. Board members are scheduled to take the matter up at their next regular meeting February 21st.
From Bedford County Public Schools: In light of recent events the Bedford County School Board will address this topic later this month at its regularly scheduled meeting. In the meantime, our staff at Jefferson Forest High School, as well as the rest of our schools, will use this incident to examine historical practices around spirit week and other school activities, to make sure that we steer clear of situations that may unintentionally encourage learners to engage in behavior that others may find offensive. Perhaps most importantly, we also have the opportunity to focus even more intently on conversations with our young learners and staff about respect, empathy, and understanding how images can mean very different things to individuals based on their own unique circumstances. Though these conversations can be awkward, we have an obligation to facilitate them as best we can and also encourage parents and community members to have the same difficult conversations with our young learners and each other.