Seattle Race Conference

Several FASC members attended the 2007 Seattle Race Conference, accompanied by a group of students. We were pleased to see some representation from the district as well, with one of our assistant superintendents, and the district Multicultural & Family Outreach Coordinator.

The theme of this year's conference was The Legacy of Racism in Our Neighborhoods. Here are some of the highlights*:

• Excerpts from the film, Banished: American Ethnic Cleansings, and discussion with filmmaker Marco Williams.
  
  
• Remembering Segregated Seattle and the Civil Rights Movements that Changed Our City -- Presentation by James N. Gregory, director of the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, and UW history professor.
  


• The Road to Racial Justice - An intergenerational panel of community organizers talk about learning from our history, taking action today and imagining the future.
  


• Undoing Racism & Uniting Our Communities - A skills-building session led by Dustin Washington, John Paige, and Martin Friedman, from the People's Institute Northwest.
  


• "Hip Hop Hope Youth: Liftin' Up, Speakin' Out" - Youth from Power of Hope step up to the mic! Through rap, rhyme and poetry, the performers will address the issues of the conference with authenticity, vitality, and hope!

The sessions were powerful, informative, and inspiring. There were also breakout sessions enabling smaller groups to work and connect with others in various communities. It was very interesting to learn the history around race relations particular to the Seattle area, via Dr. Gregory's presentation. The website has extensive information and resources -- check it out!

We are looking forward to next year's conference already!

* courtesy of Seattle Race Conference website.

The Work Begins

The presentation to the district went well, followed by a very constructive meeting. The response from the district was positive, and we're pleased to report we are now officially working with the district. Since that time, we have met several times, and as a result, have formed 3 subgroups, in order to address each area most effectively. The subgroups meet to work on their particular issues, and report back to the larger group. The 3 work groups are:

1. Personnel
2. Discipline
3. Expectations & Programs

Each work group includes an assistant superintendent from the district, parent members, and community members from organizations such as the Lynnwood Diversity Commission and C3 (Communities of Color Coalition). The Expectations and Programs work group includes a student representative, and some groups have recently added other representatives from the district. We are working to increase student, parent, and community involvement.

Each of the work groups has met now independently. The first order of business was to discuss statistics provided by the district, showing trends in each of the 3 areas. The groups are now working to clarify and interpret the data.

We also went, in teams of 2, to various high schools and middle schools in the district. Each team had a parent and an assistant superintendent. We met with the principal at each school to discuss adding staff representatives to the work groups, and to brainstorm about student and staff involvement. At one high school, the team will return to meet with counselors and involve them in the work. We're especially interested in counselors' input, given the nature of their connection to students.

We're very encouraged and excited about the progress made so far, and are looking forward to continuing the work.

Upcoming Meeting With the District

Eureka! We have a meeting date. After reviewing our document, the district has agreed to meet with us, which is very positive news.

For those of you just tuning in, the group has been working very hard toward the goal of meeting with the Edmonds School District to present our concerns. Here is the basic timeline up to this point:

1. Share our stories
2. Identify the issues
3. Prioritize pinpoint the three most critical issues
4. Determine the root causes behind those three issues
5. Create a document outlining our concerns to the district
6. Ask for a meeting with the district

That's where we are now. The next steps are:

1. Create a presentation
2. Meet with the district

According to the Lynnwood Diversity Commission, the district is very much looking forward to meeting with our group, and is very interested in hearing our concerns.

Meeting Info:

Date: August 23, 2007
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Edmonds School District building, 68th Ave., between Edmonds Community College and the courthouse.

Getting to the Root of the Issues

We did it -- we'd like to share the document we've created which outlines our concerns for the school district. This document lists the issues within the three critical areas (Personnel, Discipline, Expections/Programs), and also identifies what we believe are the root causes behind these issues.

Click here to take a look: Issues & Root Causes.

Prioritizing the Issues

At the previous meeting, the group had worked to identify issues affecting students of color. At the June 23rd meeting, we took the next step, prioritizing those issues to pinpoint the three that we believe to be the most critical.

As before, this was no easy process, as all the issues affecting our students are very important.

We are very grateful for the students' input in this process, as their prioritized list was a bit different than the adults' list. Combining those lists, we were able to see the following three areas as the top issues:

1. Personnel (administration, faculty and staff)
2. Discipline
3. Expectations and Programs
   

The next step was getting to the bottom of these issues to determine the root causes behind them; again, an emotionally challenging but necessary task.

We believe we have identified the root causes that are behind many of the things our students are experiencing at school. This would not have been possible without the input of the students and families, and the support of various community members.

From there, the plan is to create a document to share our concerns with the district. I hope to be able to link to the document here, so that we can also share it with all of you.

Sharing Our Stories

The group meeting on June 2nd was a great opportunity for families to share their stories. It was not always easy, but the knowledge that we are not alone and that we share a desire to address these issues was very empowering.

In addition to the families and students, representatives from the following organizations were present to offer their support:

• Lynnwood Diversity Commission
• Communities of Color Coalition (C3)
• Washington Community Action Network (Washington CAN!)
• Washington Human Rights Commission
  

Sharing our stories was at times emotional, but the process showed that there are many similar experiences thoughout our communities. Our hope is to communicate that these are not isolated incidents, but are systemic issues affecting our students in many different ways.

We worked to identify some of these issues that our students are dealing with in school. Thanks to the Lynnwood Diversity Commission for helping to keep us on track and see past our emotions to the common issues at the core of our stories.

We used a "fishbone" structure to map out our ideas: a fish "skeleton" was drawn on the whiteboard, with each bone representing an idea or issue, such as confidentiality, low expectations, teachers, classes, cultural understanding, respect, dress & appearance, communication, accountability, security officers, training, parental involvement, discipline, and programs.

As you can see, there were a lot of ideas; it was one long fish.

The group plans to meet again on June 23rd to begin the process of prioritizing these issues and identifying the root causes behind them. We will dialogue about possible ways of working with the district to address the issues.

We thank the families, students and community members who were able to make the time to attend, and we're looking forward to the next meeting.

More news to follow!

The info for the next meeting is as follows:

Date: Saturday, June 23rd
Time: 1:00pm
Location: Lynnwood Main Fire Department, 44th Ave. & 188th St., conference room

Please Join Us! June 2nd Forum

Parents and Guardians of
Students of Color
In the Edmonds School District

If you have a child of color in an Edmonds school district high school or middle school, we are interested in hearing about your child's school experience.

We invite you and your child to attend a forum. Please join us!

When: Saturday, June 2nd at 1:30pm
Where: Lynnwood Fire Station, 18800 44th Ave. W.

For more information: edmondsfasc@yahoo.com

or call 425-273-1157 or 206-335-9319

The forum is presented by: Families Advocating for Students Of Color

Questions About the Forum

Where Can I Read the Agenda?
The forum is an informal gathering of students of color and their families to dialogue about their school experiences. There is no formal agenda.

Who Will Speak at the Forum?
The emphasis will be on hearing the students themselves speak about their experiences and perceptions. Family members may offer their comments as well. We will have a facilitator to moderate the discussion.

Is the Forum Just for Parents?
No! The forum is open to students and all family members. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, and guardians are all welcome.

I Am Not a Person of Color, but My Student Is. Should I Attend?
Absolutely! All family members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

How Long Will the Forum Be?
The forum is scheduled for 2 hours -- 1:30 to 3:30 pm. We will be available after this time for anyone who would like to exchange contact information.

What About Elementary School Students?
We are currently focusing on high school and middle school students. This may change in the future, depending on interest level and resources.