Advocating for Safe, Inclusive K-12 School Climates: Educator Guide
Tools and Strategies
Empower K-12 educators to advocate against antisemitism from colleagues, unions, or students. Create safe, inclusive school climates through direct advocacy.
Advocating When Antisemitism Comes from K-12 Students
Tools and Strategies
Immediate Response and Reporting When educators face antisemitic incidents in the classroom, the first priority is to stop the harm and stabilize the classroom. For guidance on incident response specifically, you can view ADL’s bias incident response guide for educators. While an immediate response is crucial, consistent with governing law and school/district policies, it’s also critical to continue proactive advocacy work – ensuring school leadership strengthens systems…
Best Practices for Combating Antisemitism for State Lawmakers
Tools and Strategies
ADL has been closely tracking how states are addressing antisemitism and supporting their Jewish communities. In 2024, ADL tabulated 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the United States – a 5% increase from 2023, a 344% increase over the past five years, and an 893% increase over the past decade. These numbers underscore the urgent need for state-level action. As highlighted in our first-of-its-kind Jewish Policy Index (JPI), our goal is to provide a tool that advocates, educators and…
Identity-Based Bullying: Listening to Young People
Tools and Strategies
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current EventsAll young people should be able to feel safe, included and respected in their classrooms and schools. Unfortunately, many do not. A recent study of high school students found that nearly four in ten students experienced identity-based bullying or bullying related to an aspect of their identity such as race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or physical appearance. How can we listen and learn from young people about…
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current EventsYou may have heard about “swatting” because it's been in the news recently. What exactly is swatting? Why do people do it? Because young people are exposed to swatting online, on both mainstream websites and the “dark web” (i.e., hidden websites) and because some swatting incidents begin in online gaming or other digital platforms, it is an important topic to discuss with young people. Swatting is &ldquo…
When ‘Just Joking’ Is No Joke: How to Respond When Students’ ‘Jokes’ are Biased or Offensive
Tools and Strategies
There are many benefits of humor. A good joke can ease tension in a stressful situation. Humor can connect people and bring them together. Jokes can bring levity to a situation that begs for lightheartedness. Being funny can signal to others who you are. Humor can even open a conversation that previously felt closed or off-limits.
However, jokes and humor, when they target social identity groups, can do the opposite. They can make people feel unsafe, disconnected, excluded and…
ADL’s new capacity to support municipalities, and others interested in using the law to deter harm and hold individuals and groups accountable for violent extremist actions. As our democracy as well as vulnerable communities are increasingly at risk of extremist violence and threats, ADL has expanded its capacity to support municipalities, community organizations and others interested in learning more about how to use the law to deter harm and hold individuals and groups responsible for…
Short Online Experience to Learn about this Core Topic For Educators and Middle and High School Students About the Mini-LessonThe Pyramid of Hate is a powerful framework for understanding how bias escalates—from biased attitudes and stereotypes to discrimination, violence, and even genocide. Through the lens of antisemitism, this mini-lesson helps middle and high school students and educators explore how prejudice grows and intensifies over time, and provides practical strategies to…
A Guide for Responding to School-Based Bias Incidents
Tools and Strategies
Is your school experiencing a bias or hate incident?Whether it be a racist “joke,” slur, stereotype or some other form of implicit or explicit bias, school community members must be committed to addressing bias-related incidents in schools. Educators and school administrators play vital roles in creating an environment where all students can learn and thrive. Cultivating an equitable and inclusive school community requires ensuring that historically marginalized students are…
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current EventsIn its simplest terms, voting is an act of expressing your opinion. Whether you participate in a poll, take an online survey or vote in the Presidential election, you are expressing an opinion or point of view with your vote. Merriam Webster defines voting as “to express one's views in response to a poll” or “to express an opinion.” In political elections, people vote for a variety of offices and laws. This includes…
What is Everyday Bias? (In English and en español)
Tools and Strategies
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Topic SummaryIt seems like we are seeing more and more news and social media stories about people experiencing bias as they go about their daily lives—riding the subway, shopping in a store, dining in a restaurant and hanging out with friends. Indeed, the surge of such stories makes it seem like racism, sexism, antisemitism and other forms of bias and discrimination are becoming more pervasive…