Anonymous
Protest against racial inequality and police brutality organized by local high school students earlier this month (edhat photo)
Source: Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD)
As we honor Juneteenth, the oldest celebration of the end of slavery, we are moving forward swiftly to support the demands of local black and other students of color. We have heard their calls for equality, justice, and the end to systemic racism within our district: from the thousands who marched to our district office, the hundreds who have sent emails, the dozens who spoke out at our last meeting, and the student leaders we met with for hours earlier this week. And now we are prepared to act.
At our next school board meeting on Tuesday, June 23rd, we will be taking action on each of the six demands, listed below. We are also voting to approve a Black Lives Matter resolution declaring racism as a public health emergency. We will meet again with student leaders following the meeting. We look forward to continuing the start of this honest dialogue with these students and others, one that is not meant to simply smooth things over but fundamentally make progress on eliminating the structural racism that for too long has created educational, economic, and social disparities in our District”
- We demand ethnic studies classes with culturally relevant curricula.
- We demand SBUSD implement equitable hiring practices and recruit culturally competent teachers of color for Ethnic Studies and all classrooms.
- We demand SBUSD have student resource officers complete bias training classes before being allowed to work on campus in addition to improved de-escalation training and protocols.
- We demand SBUSD publicly condemn the school to prison pipeline.
- We demand SBUSD allocate funds to rehabilitation and mental health services for at-risk youth as an alternative to probation and/or juvenile hall.
- We demand SBUSD adopt a resolution declaring racism as a public health emergency and allocate resources to implement restorative justice practices to deal with hate crimes.
Sincerely,
Santa Barbara Unified Board of Education
Laura Capps, President
Jacqueline Reid, PhD, Board Vice President
Rose Muñoz, Board Clerk
Kate Ford, Board Member
Wendy Sims-Moten, Board Member
Related Articles
June 10, 2020: Students Voice Concerns to Santa Barbara Unified School Board
June 8, 2020: High School Students Organize Rally Against Police Brutality and Racial Injustice
It used to require an ennui-like sense of detachment, or a forlorn and struggling sense of victimhood, or perhaps just an offhand sense of humor to suggest that the lunatics were running the asylum. But things have changed.
Not being very in touch with the racial issues in our local schools, I would like it if someone could give some real concrete examples of the “systemic racism” in our local schools instead of just the BLM party line diatribe that the school officials are bowing to. Do we really have significant problems in this regards,??
They lost me at “condemn the school to prison pipeline.” Tell that to the parents.
looks like a step back by all appearances
How does this post only have 6 comments at this point? Anyone remember 2017 and Evergreen College?
Interesting that both Santa Barbara’s school board and city council are pursuing aspects of the BLM agenda. This group has a somewhat informal org structure. However, videos of the group’s leaders suggest SB proceed with caution in adopting their agenda . The co-founder of BLM, Patrice Cullors, identifies on video as a trained Marxist. While a Seattle CHAZ/CHOP leader, Jaiden Grayson, has immediate demands for radical change. (including that law enforcement turn in badges). Additional demands to follow, once initial demands are met.
Will this help with the serious issue of disruptive classroom behavior?
Many students struggle to learn, when teachers have no recourse for protecting their learning process.
(before Zoom at least).
Yeti, Thank you. I would like to know that as well.
@Yeti – to understand this you would need to understand what systemic racism is. Here’s a start: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffraikes/2019/09/19/we-can-challenge-systemic-racism-one-school-district-at-a-time/#23829c97e429
This is a step forward for minorities to achieve equality in education.
What does that have to do with Santa Barbara County?
SUNDOWN – so what? The Board isn’t proposing to allow “trained Marxists” to run the schools. All this is, is an acknowledgement of the need to change. No need to be so frightened of working towards true equality.
M-Cubed – explain how, exactly, pursuing racial equality in school is a “step back?” Really curious to hear your theory on this.
SUNDOWN – this is about racial equality, not classroom behavior. Why would you think this is related to classroom “disruptions?”