The results of the November election have left many New York City public school students feeling vulnerable. 

Some are worried that they or their parents will be deported; others fear bullying based on hostility toward people of different sexual orientations and ethnic backgrounds. A number of our female students wear hijabs and fear the anti-Islamic rhetoric of the campaign season will turn into official government policies that profoundly affect them and their families. 

No one knows what will transpire over the next four years. But the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate crimes, has collected more than 400 reports nationwide of hateful harassment and intimidation in the first six days after the election. 

We are lucky to live in a city and a state where our elected officials have taken a stand against this kind of harassment and have vowed not to implement discriminatory practices or laws that may be handed down by the new administration. Nonetheless, we must reassure our students that within the four walls of their school they will be safe and supported in their efforts to learn. 

Now is the time to revisit lessons on empathy and compassion and to discuss the values of diversity and tolerance. Bullying and intimidation take many forms, and the results can be stark. A student who is no longer participating in class or staying for after-school activities, a student who is suddenly failing classes — these changes can point to some kind of harassment or isolation. 

For older students, a civics lesson may be in order: How government works (or is supposed to work); the role of the different branches of government; the importance of peaceful dissent in a democracy; and the need to be informed citizens, with the ability to identify trusted sources of news.

School should be a sanctuary, a place where — no matter what is happening outside — students feel safe, protected and equipped with the knowledge they need to face whatever lies ahead.