Hart School District

William S. Hart Unified School District is located in Santa Clarita, California, and is the only district to win the “Mix Model School” designation for all its schools.

Update: Read this article [1] from the community's local media congratulating their Model School recognition. 

In 2005, the Hart school district created a district-level diversity coordinator position. This was in response to a flurry of complaints from some parents and community members alleging discriminatory treatment in discipline decisions, intergroup conflict along racial lines and anti-Semitism. 

While not all of the allegations were found to have merit, the concerns were real. So the district adopted an ambitious action plan intended to "create an environment where all students and staff are respected, and where diversity is seen as a strength, not a liability."

Mix It Up at Lunch Day was one of the first activities adopted to address our goal. Rather than merely suggesting the event to individual schools, the expectation was set to have every school in the district participate, preferably on the same day, to put a major, community-wide emphasis on breaking down social barriers.

Although the efforts at first were not uniformly vigorous, over the last two years, we can honestly say that Mix it Up has become institutionalized in the Hart District and is part of the culture at our schools. The participating schools include six junior highs, six comprehensive high schools, our charter school, middle college and continuation school. Typically, it is the Associated Student Bodies that organize the activities, although some schools have culturally-themed clubs that take on the responsibility for Mix It Up.

Several of our schools actually conduct "Mix It Up Week." Most schools run their events over at least two days. While several of the schools rely on the excellent activities suggested on the Teaching Tolerance website, a lot of them do get very creative, and have thought up their own activities as well.

One thing to keep in mind is that, as a Southern California suburban school district, we don't really have cafeterias. Our students eat outside, and our activities have to do more than just get kids to switch chairs at a table. We have to get them to move across whole campuses, from where each group has established a haven, and get them to risk coming into the common spaces. It now seems cool to participate. But the effort has to be organized, and poor planning becomes evident pretty quickly!  

As for specific activities, I know that the conga line is very popular at our campuses where there are multiple elevations (stairs and hills). The students endeavor to snake the conga line across the entire length of the school. Along the way, the line travels through areas staked out by different social groups, and those kids get swept up in the line. It is really very stunning to watch.

Last year, students at one junior high school constructed a "brick wall" of campus issues. Over the course of multiple periods, they pledged to address each issue, and, one by one, broke the wall down.

On some of our campuses, the staff members get into the act by switching classes and experiencing a new student population. Covering specialized classes, like PE, performing arts or industrial arts can help a teacher interact with students in a whole different way, when properly organized.

At our continuation school, students constructed a massive (construction paper) tree, inscribing core values on the trunk and personal affirmations on the leaves.

On Mix It Up at Lunch Day, our district public information officer and I get in our cars and spend the day racing from campus to campus, taking digital pictures of as many activities as we can. It's a whirlwind tour, because so many events are taking place at the same time! Our local newspaper also sends out a photographer and runs a nice piece on the event.   

Greg Lee
Coordinator of Diversity
William S. Hart Union High School District
661-259-0033 x232
"...because everyone matters at Hart."