*PASSED: ANTI-RACISM AND WALTHAM SCHOOLS
UPDATE: 7/13/2020 RESOLUTION PASSED!
URGENT ACTION ITEM: ANTI-RACISM AND WALTHAM SCHOOLS
The Waltham School Committee meets remotely this Monday 7/13/20, 4pm-5:30pm EDT. The agenda includes consideration of an anti-racism resolution (below), created by the MA Association of School Committees, and already approved by over 100 other school committees in MA.
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED:
Before 3pm on Monday, please email Mayor McCarthy, Superintendent Reagan, and the six elected School Committee members, adapting the following ask, signing with your name and Waltham address if possible:
To: mayor@city.waltham.ma.us, brianreagan@walthampublicschools.org, stephenrando@walthampublicschools.org, johnfrassica@walthampublicschools.org, margaretdonnelly@walthampublicschools.org, lizaljammal@walthampublicschools.org janegately@walthampublicschools.org, edmundtarallo@walthampublicschools.org, SCquestions@walthampublicschools.org
"At this week's school committee meeting, please: a) immediately pass the proposed anti-racism resolution, b) set a date for a community meeting prior to the start of the 2020-21 school year, enabling meaningful BIPOC input on anti-racism action steps to be implemented for the coming school year and beyond, c) provide racial disparities data to community members as may be requested in preparation for that meeting."
7/13/20 Meeting Agenda
The meeting will be broadcast for the public :on The Waltham Channel: http://www.wcac.org/government .
Up to the start of the meeting, Waltham residents may email comments/questions to: SCquestions@walthampublicschools.org.
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE ANTI-RACISM RESOLUTION:
NOTE: This has been revised for general distribution (6/14/20)
WHEREAS, as schools have the responsibility to equip students with their civil right of obtaining a free and appropriate public education, it is the responsibility of each school to ensure we create a welcoming community for ALL students; and
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility that every district provide to all district staff, including School Committee members annual professional development on diversity, equity and inclusion; and
WHEREAS, every district will commit to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive teaching workforce; and
WHEREAS, every district will examine their policies for institutional and systemic racialized practices and implement change with sustainable policies that are evidence based; and
WHEREAS, every district will incorporate into their curriculum the history of racial oppression and works by black authors and works from diverse perspectives; and
WHEREAS, we as school district leaders can no longer remain silent to the issues of racism and hate that continue to plague our public and private institutions;
RESOLVED: that [District] and all the school districts in the Commonwealth must guarantee that racist practices are eradicated, and diversity, equity and inclusion is embedded and practiced for our students, families, faculty and staff.
We must ensure our own school culture and that of every district in the Commonwealth is anti-racist, that acknowledges that all lives cannot matter until black lives matter.