Education is one of the single most important investments a society can make. Every child deserves to make it. We need to support our teachers because our kids depend on them. When our kids make it, we win. I want to live in a society that make it possible for every child to thrive.
In Burbank Unified School District, we need highly trained teachers and faculty that are up on the latest, most effective practices in education, high-quality materials, and a system that works for everybody. Schools need to be safe for all children regardless of their heritage, race, language or how they speak, how they look, who they love, or how they learn. We need a community that comes together to raise everybody up.
I met Polly and Carmenita when I joined BUSD’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. I was inspired to do this work because in my daughter’s school, children were not learning accurate US History. I was mortified to uncover that not only had schools not progressed in teaching history correctly, but that the historical perspectives and contributions of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) are virtually non-existent. BIPOC only show up in the traumatic aspects of our history—and even that is superficially covered. When it comes to contributions in all disciplines, or other key roles that BIPOC have played in shaping our nation and our world, they are absent. Our children are not exposed to a wide variety of literature like I see in other school districts. One day my daughter asked, “do Native Americans still exist?” it broke my heart.
Once I joined the committee, my eyes opened up even more. I learned about the experiences of other BIPOC students and they were alarming. Kids who are not a part of the dominant culture are being mistreated and not protected in this district. Kids are racially taunted, harassed and traumatized. Discipline isn’t handled equitably and racism is not being addressed adequately. The practices and curriculum of the District are not supportive of all students.
My mission is to not do the business of education as usual. My vision is an educational system where children learn to collaborate, can empathize with somebody who has differences, can view the world critically and are inspired to make it better. My dream is for children to be placed at the center of decisions that are made when it come to their encounters with this system. If a child is harmed, we need the right structures in place for it to be thoroughly dealt with. I want children to be free of trauma that takes them away from their learning, and for them to receive a quality education that prepares them for a complex and ever-changing world. I will work towards obtaining whatever resources and tools the district needs to make this the system works for all children.