Central Valley Movement Building and our partner organizations are participating in the National Week of Action Against School Pushout (October 19-27th), and giving full support of the Black Organizing Project Campaign to remove SROs from the Oakland Unified School District in 2020.
National Week of Action
During the Week of Action, CVMB partner organizations (Black Parallel School Board, Dolores Huerta Foundation, Fathers and Families of San Joaquin, Fresno Barrios Unidos, Legal Services for Children, and Tower of Youth) will host online video presentations that highlight teachers, parents, and students sharing their thoughts on school safety, student resource officers, and school climate, and the efforts to change the narrative about school safety in Central Valley schools. View and follow the CVMB Facebook page to get updates when the videos are posted.
On October 19, The Fresno EdJustice Coalition will provide a brave space for youth and allies to come together to learn more about the School to Prison Pipeline in the Central Valley, student rights on campus, and to collectively envision what a safe and supportive school might look like in Fresno. We will do this with activities, art, and an EdJustice Gallery Walk.
Contact Carrie L. Ayala, 209-286-7564, cvmbconnector@gmail.com for more information.
On October 21st, at its monthly Restorative Justice Practices meeting, the Black Parallel School Board will show the Central Valley and BOP Solidarity Week of Action videos, and followed by a special presentation by principal Jim Peterson of Burbank High School. Mr. Peterson will talk about the implementation of a restorative justice program at his school. That presentation will be followed by a Q&A.
One of the important ways to end school push-out, police in schools, and the criminalization of Black and Brown students in our Central Valley schools is to encourage and demand the implementation of restorative practices, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and cultural sensitive and anti-bias in all schools.
Our Week of Action Videos
Fellow our Facebook for Video Updates
Traditional policies and forms discipline don’t help students succeed in school. One of the traditional policies is the suspending students for willful defiance. Earlier this month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 419 into law, expanding current protections for students that prevent subjective suspensions for “willful defiance/ disruption” in grades K-3 statewide, as well as prohibiting recommendations for expulsion for these offenses up through 12th grade.
SB 419 is an important milestone, but much more needs to be done. So join us in during the National Week of Action and share your stories of about redefining school safety and building culturally responsive schools and classrooms.
Note: CVMB is a partner of the Dignity in Schools Campaign – California. Check out its event page for activities being held across the state.
We Support BOP
In addition to the National Week of Action activities, we’re also supporting the Black Organizing Project in their 2020 goal to remove police from Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).
OUSD is the only school district in the Alameda County with its own police department, the Oakland School Police Department (OSPD.)
The average teacher salary in OUSD is $59K, whereas the the Chief of Police salary is $180K.
Black students represent 26% of OUSD enrollment, but they make up 58% of the office referrals. Black students are disproportionately pushed out into the OUSD continuation schools. They make up 42% of students in continuation schools.
Black youth in OUSD make up 73% of the students arrested. 87% of Black students arrested are males, and 27% of them have a disability.
The BOP campaign has the following demands:
- Elimination of OSPD by 2020. No contracting with OPD or any law enforcement agency.
- Restructuring security personnel to become support mentors.
- Invest money used by law enforcement into harmony school counselors, special ed aides, etc..
- Community Oversight Body which reviews all complaints, options of reparations for any student traumatized by law enforcement or security interactions.
CVMB and its partners have already signed BOP’s Sanctuary Pledge, and we encourage supporting organizations to do the same.
Other organizations, like the Black Parallel School Board have also been working in coalition with Sacramento activist groups to get police removed from school. See our recent article on what is being done in the Sacramento Unified School District.
Your Feedback
We hope that you will be able to participate in the National Week of Action, and would definitely like to your feedback and questions about the work that CVMB and its partner organizations are doing. Drop us a comment below. ,
