By Lupita T
Editor’s note: The letter is from February 4 and was public comment to the school board at that time. The writer is the mother of a student in DJUSD and lives in Davis.
Good Evening Staff and Board of Education Members,
I am a concerned parent with a 6th grader in the Davis Joint Unified who took part for a couple of days in the experimental cohorts of students attending in-person learning.
I had a very disturbing experience during the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory meeting last week on January 28th. I was verbally attacked by another parent who did not like what I had to say about the experience my daughter had with the two days she attended in-person learning.
She didn’t even let me finish my sentence before I was cut off, and she started screaming at me because I told her some of the teachers and students need more training because they were not properly following COVID protocol.
She said that I stood alone, “party of one”, and I assured her that I represent many of those parents whose silence does not mean that they agree with returning to school prematurely.
I let this parent know, her experience, while a positive one, does not represent our experience, and that we have a right to be concerned when a disproportionate amount of black, brown and indigenous people of color are dying from this virus.
While many white, upper and middle class families seem to be eager to return to life as normal, I assure you with a heavy heart that things will not be able to be normal again.
I want these parents to understand that we are in the middle of a pandemic and your privilege will not protect you from the dangers of this virus. The vaccine will not be the answer in of itself either.
The reality of it is that we are in this for at least another year, maybe two before things get better. So for now, following proper procedure such as mask-wearing and frequent hand-washing/sanitizing can save lives.
The assumption is that, just because you didn’t die from this virus while being exposed to it, that means it is not “as bad” as everyone is saying that it is.
There are many factors affecting how people react to this virus, and how our immune system responds. Good health and adequate nutrition, outdoor sun exposure, healthy immunity and exercise are also factors that affect our response to this virus. These things are never mentioned when a discussion of COVID-19 takes place. Everyone is so set on a magical pill or shot that will fix everything. I assure everyone, this is unfortunately not the case.
Until we can begin to address the deep systems of inequality that plague our country, things will NEVER be normal again. Until all human beings living on the planet have adequate access to good health care, nutrition and shelter, there will always be crisis within black, brown, indigenous communities of color.
My daughter explained to me that she witnessed teachers and students removing their masks indoors, which is a big no no, and one adult even removed his mask inside the classroom to sneeze!
It is clear that this Parent Coalition is eager to return to school. So are we. However, doing so without adequate training for the teachers, students and parents will only put all of us at risk, needlessly.
Opening our schools while the district has not addressed the deep system racism and inadequate plans for return will put our students in danger and let me remind you all that our Latinx, Black, Indigenous and Low-Income students bear the greatest risk returning.
So please, think about the racist nature of your ask to return to school and trying to silence those that oppose. You are asking communities of color to take on a greater risk than your families in order to return. So you can have your free babysitter, so your child can socialize and feel like things are “normal” again, you are asking me to put my daughter and countless others in a very psychologically stressful and dangerous situation in which our communities are facing a greater risk than yours. Think about this.
Parents in the Davis Joint Unified, please think about the students of color in your community and instead of yelling at us because you think we want the schools to stay closed, please get involved and demand that the district follow proper procedures to adequately train and orient EVERYONE that comes into contact with our student, on why its important to have self-discipline and maintain proper COVID protocols. Thank you.
–Lupita T,
Concerned Parent in the Davis Joint Unified
Families, I assure you that there are many unduplicated students (foster youth, homeless, low-income, English Learners) and other vulnerable families that have LEFT the district due to the outright negligence of the DJUSD regarding this issue. It is our voices that are largely being ignored. Local teachers and parents also have concerns regarding lack of adequate COVID-19 protocol education, and math/English intervention and support for failing Distance Learner students.
Please send your public comments to BOE@DJUSD.NET before the next Davis Joint Unified Board of Education meeting on April 15, 2021 from 6:30PM – 11:00P. Demand that they not only provide proper COVID protocol education for all students, but also outreach to all vulnerable students in the district with a survey at the very least, and use alternative forms of communications such as PeachJar, text, mailing flyers, etc. to provide adequate input and information regarding the newly adopted re-opening models and easy access to required documentation for the parents, available not only on the website AND BILINGUAL (some of the bilingual links don’t work on the DJUSD website!) but also on physical flyers and via cell phone messages. The digital divide is real!
Additionally, the DJUSD needs to prioritize distance learners who are failing their classes and provide Math and English intervention before they continue to fall through the gaps. This discrimination will not be tolerated in our schools and our school supplemental funds can and should be utilized for this purpose!
Below is a link to parents who wish to sign the petition to return to schools safely reopening in Yolo, in order to ensure that our all families and especially the most vulnerable and those at-risk, can have an equitable, inclusive and enjoyable school re-opening experience. Taking one minute to sign this petition could save many lives! Thank you:
https://www.change.org/SafelyReOpenYoloSchools
Support our work – to become a sustaining at $5 – $10- $25 per month hit the link:
Why post this letter now? This letter is over two months old and things have changed a lot since then?
Because she submitted it now and requested publication. I would also point out that she specifically requested we include the date of the letter so the public was aware.
I can agree with the author that safety protocols are very important and need to be adhered to but the author lost me when race was infused as it seems everything these days goes down that rabbit hole.
I suspect this is why she wanted the letter published. (1) COVID has impacted communities of color far more than other communities. (2) There are disparate impacts on communities of color because such communities were not able to safely shelter in place. (3) The impact of distance learning is also disparate in a lot of respects.
I also suspect that the board decision last week where they cut public comments from 65 people down to 20 minutes also played a role in her desire for the publication of this letter.
So that’s a great reason why the kids should get back in the classroom.
Since we know that distance learning is hurting the kids can’t we just do all we can to get the students back in school without having to make it about race?
It’s interesting that you pulled out one of three things I listed as racial impacts – the one that suggested the outcome you prefer and ignored the two that pointed away from it.
I think rather than arguing with me about this, you should talk with Lupita or others and attempt to learn their perspective on this as it’s not necessarily one I share. But then again, I’m in a different position than others.
You’re assuming that the education factor outweighs the health factor. Why?
We know this: ” According to the CDC, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous Americans are 1.1 to 1.9 times likelier to be infected with COVID-19 than white Americans, and Black people have died at 1.4 times the rate of white people, according to The Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project.”
So why are you automatically assuming that getting kids back into the classroom is the priority rather than protecting the health of a community that is less able to protect itself in part due to job vulnerability and in part due to lack of access to health care?
This is a straight-out racist comment.
How?
The fact that you can’t automatically see that say something about you, as well.
When you attribute something to someone due to their race (e.g., the word “privilege”), it’s not only racism – it might also be incorrect.
The letter is oozing with racism.
Also, since when have you allowed letters to be published without last names?
I don’t think it’s a completely accurate statement. But I don’t see it as a racist statement, it simply says that privilege will not protect people from the dangers of the virus. Actually, it does – it shields people because people of privilege are better able to shelter, distance, work from home, they have better baseline health, fewer preexisting conditions, etc. But there is nothing racist about it.
We have never had a policy on publishing names and from time to time published letters anonymously when warranted.
Let’s focus on this one statement, for the moment:
To you, is “privilege” something that “white” (or possibly Asian) people uniquely have? And, how exactly do you define it?
Also, why do you require full names from commenters, but not letter-writers? (And, why did you determine that requiring a name is not “warranted”, in this case?)
Yeah, that’s it, people only want their kids back in class so they can get their free babysitter and their kids can socialize. It has nothing to do with their children falling behind in their childhood education with inadequate distance zoom learning no matter what race you happen to be.
White privilege is only one form/type of privilege. Our multiple identifies might confer privilege or even “layers” of privilege in a given context but not in another. I could provide examples. Privilege confers power—the ability to influence outcomes or define standards of what is right or wrong.
Privilege can be linked to being part of a dominant language group, to gender, to wealth, etc. and enhanced by combinations of these.
I see the writer pointing out that people of privilege do not necessarily step back and analyze what their privilege confers on them (or not) and, as a result they do not consider people who are not so privileged. (In this case the writer is pointing out how privilege may not provide the protection that people think is theirs by right).
I think it behooves all of us to consider how our identities confer privilege and power and how others may not have that same power. Being self-aware about these things can lead to compassion and a consideration of the needs of others whose privilege does not match my own.
I can’t speak for David, but in this discussion, I see “privilege,” in part, as being able to continue working from home, over Zoom if necessary, or in a relatively safe work environment, and still maintain normal salary and benefits (including health insurance and sick leave). Others with much less privilege may be hourly wage workers without health benefits or leave, who have to be on site, often in contact with other people, or they’re not bringing home money to pay rent, food, and utilities. They would have less access to loans and credit. You may be looking at denser family situations sometimes with extended and multi-generational (grandparents) living in the same home. I think it changes the kinds of choices a family makes on this issue.
Sometimes you’re looking at language and cultural barriers. Parents who are English limited are still trying to catch up with the discussion and have their legitimate questions addressed. Meanwhile the English language conversation has moved on and decisions are being made without full input from everyone, especially from families with potentially complicated issues.
Is it okay with you to raise these kinds of issues? Or does that make me a racist for writing what I did?
Comment like these lead me to believe that the letter-writer was focused on skin color, and was making assumptions about others based upon that. If that’s not an example of racism, I’m not sure what would be.
If this was based upon economic “privilege”, I would think that those who disproportionately occupy lower-wage jobs would need a “babysitter” (as described by the letter-writer) more than those at higher income levels.
Again, what about dealing with a lack of suitable health insurance and potential loss of family income if your asymptomatic infected kid brings home the disease and spreads it to the adults? What would you tell such a family?
Perhaps you can explain how that relates to the letter-writer’s concerns.
And for that matter, wouldn’t those who are non-infected (e.g., “privileged”) normally be more concerned about exposing themselves to others who (already) have a higher chance of being infected (as noted by David’s statistics, as well)?
And yet, the letter-writer is stating that the opposite is occurring, in that the “privileged” folks are pushing for school openings.
So on the face of it (beyond the racist implications attributing motivations of others based upon perceived “privilege”), it’s not making logical sense.
By the way, is attendance even “mandatory” under the planned re-opening? If so, I would think that this would be a concern for anyone with at-risk populations at home. Then again, most at-risk populations qualify for vaccinatations.
My final allowed comment.
Again, it’s about resources — having more money and better health insurance, being able to take time off if someone gets sick, having more space at home, being able to keep up with the latest news and health reports that sometimes come out in technical language that isn’t as easy to digest.
“Privileged” folks are mostly the ones who are engaged in the conversation on how to reopen schools. They’ve got more reliable devices and higher speed wi-fi connections that don’t kick them out of Zoom meetings. The meetings happen at times that are convenient for more privileged people. The district isn’t necessarily taking the time make sure that many (lesser-privileged) families who are struggling with this are having their concerns addressed.
It is more time-consuming and not so efficient to connect with such families. But for something as personal as deciding whether to send your kid to school, you have to respect the anxieties that parents may have. As best I see it, you have to “meet them where they are.” That means for each (lesser-privileged) family, district staff (hopefully prepared to speak fluent, conversational Spanish) have to be prepared to call at whatever time of the day, take the time in each phone conversation to explain what options the district is considering, solicit feedback, wash, rinse, repeat. And then allow for that feedback to inform the higher level administrative discussion.
Maybe you see better ways of doing it? I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Hiram Jackson: My thoughts (beyond this point) are not allowed due to the comment policy, as already noted.
Stepping back . . . . . self analyzing . . . . . stepping back forward . . . . . . . Nope, still the same arsehole I was yesterday 😐
People simply want to get their children back to learning in school. When they advocate for that I don’t think they need to step back and consider am I being racist? Am I using my privilege? Is it fair that I speak English and others don’t?
Advocating for what I want is appropriate. “Stepping back”—asking how others might be impacted differently if I get what I want—is also appropriate and builds empathy and understanding. It is enshrined in religious teaching: “love your neighbor as yourself”. It is foundational to functioning as a healthy society. It is not hard.
I think that’s actually part of the point Lupita is making – they are thinking about one thing, not another. She’s trying to bring consideration in for the bigger picture or the disparate impact on people of color.
So when you got up this morning and had a cup of coffee did you consider where those beans came from, was child or slave labor used in the harvesting of those beans? What kind of health care they had? When you turned on your computer or used your smart phone did you consider that some of the rare materials to make them may have come from slave mining camps in Africa or China? Did you step back and think about your privilege in doing so and think that maybe you shouldn’t be using those things until the disparate impacts on those people are resolved?
I think there is a point that you are missing here – (A) I have yet to have coffee this morning and (B) the reality is that I benefit immensely from white privilege. I recognize that. I understand it. The question isn’t whether you benefit from inequities, it is what you are going to do in order to help remedy that.
You’ve used your computer this morning. What are you doing to remedy the inequities of your privilege in doing so when child, slave labor or downtrodden miners in poor countries were likely taken advantage of in order for you to do so?
You see, this is one giant never ending loop.
You’re actually making my point about systemic racism. The question what you are going to do about it? I’m not a monk. I haven’t taken a vow of poverty. I think there are other ways to proceed and make an impact in the world.
I did! I get fair-trade organic beans delivered and unless their website is lying to me they treat the workers well and check it all out. Tastiest beans ever! [Cafe Mam if you care to try ’em] I proceeded in other ways, I made an impact on the world, I am morally superior to all y’all – #dance# #dance# #dance# Whoooooooo!
Everyone seems obsessed with race yet nobody believes they are racist. LOL!
Seems to me that the letter itself contains some racist sentiments. Such as this one (in addition to the one previously noted):
It is almost written in a manner that’s intended as satire, or just straight-out trolling.
But, if the letter-writer actually has these sentiments, it’s actually kind of sad. She may indeed be a “party of one” as was alleged (or few, at least).
That appears to be true of a whole lot of “people of color”, who were ABLE to work from home, or a ‘safe’ environment, and maintain normal salary and benefits… and very many ‘whites’ had exactly the same problems/issues… UNABLE to work from home, etc. … socio-economic, not inherently racial/ethnic… an inconvenient truth…
Equating “privilege” to all whites, and ‘lack of privilege’ to all others, is at least “profiling”… if not something ‘darker’… an ‘inconvenient truth’…
I could agree with that observation taken broadly in the U.S., California, and maybe in other parts of Yolo County. However if the topic is “unduplicated” (mainly meaning English-limited parents, generally low income) families in Davis, then I see (both anecdotally and in statistics) that a very high percentage of them are Latino and people of color. Do you see something different in Davis?
Our last child ‘graduated’ from DJUSD 17 years ago… not meaning to be argumentative, but as someone who doesn’t follow all the educational ‘jargon’ (as am fairly sure you aren’t as to engineering or surveying terms/’jargon’)… I had no clue as what “unduplicated” was meant to mean… at first blush, looked like a child who was not a twin, not a ‘clone’, or maybe an ‘only child’…
A Google search, and your assistance, was helpful to learning the new ‘jargon’, but the derivation is still obscure… as the sources I found were limited to county-by-county, no, I have no ‘statistics’ for Davis other than those fed solely by DJUSD (which I have also not seen, nor their methodology in coming up with them… so, will for the sake of the discussion, will stipulate they exist, and were honestly derived)…
Still, the article implies a one-to-one correlation between, “mainly meaning English-limited parents, generally low income”, and “… a very high percentage of them are Latino and people of color”, and definitely no evidence of causation…
“low income” according to the source I found, means qualifying for free lunches, set at 185% of ‘poverty’ level for a given locale… I suspect there are a bunch of ‘white folk’ who live in Davis, with school aged kids that meet that criteria… and, there are a lot of “POC’s” in Davis, who do not meet ANY of the criteria…
This ‘problem’ is ‘socio-economic’, not inherently ethnic/racial, but it seems like some like to equate the two, for whatever purposes they may have… we DO NEED to deal with the socio-economic issues, but those definitely cross ethnic/racial lines… tying everything to race/ethnicity is not necessarily helpful to the discussion, much less successfully solving/mitigating the underlying problems… which is, I believe, where the focus and efforts should be…
More of us in Davis need to consider the reality of being English-limited and of lower-low income. There are a lot of privileges that families fight for to create a 95% college accepted graduating class from DHS public school. The Davis district has not done enough along racial/ethnic engagement and the author is addressing those deficiencies head on. If this makes some of us uncomfortable or seems to be too much to expect, then keep learning and keep trying – in the mean time appreciate those BBIPOC persons willing to show us how to change what hurts us all.
As for the School Board the published article is a good reminder of how much risk our society has placed on students and families who don’t fit the upper income mold of Davis society. There is something missing from the School Board/Administrations outreach – and there is a lot of pressure from many sectors to get schools started. All the more reason to take action to close this well described gap.
Help everyone excel seems to be a DJUSD axiom – our schools are the cornerstone of that precept. The author does us a service to give those of us not “unduplicated” a sense of the challenge faced by those made most vulnerable in our community.
Those are soci0-economic, and I fully agree… those are hugely important factors, to be sure…
Equating those to ethnicity/race is where folk lose me… many ‘whites’ have much less of those resources than POC’s… there can be shown a ‘correlation’ between socio-economic and ethnic/race, but NOT a ‘causality’… a lot has to do with family and personal values, and how folk act on them…
But we should not dismiss/ignore socio-economic factors (which should be ‘mitigated’, as best we can), which are real, nor should we equate those with race/ethnicity…
FYI (in direct relation to the article), no comment attached:
https://www.djusd.net/cms/one.aspx?pageId=850833
I could be wrong, but I understand at the last school board meeting that the April 15 meeting was actually postponed to April 22.
Just a reminder: there is a limitation on comments per article—five comments per article per commenter.