About Us
Community members in support of a socially just education in our schools
Our group came together in June 2020, as more than 300 Fullerton parents, teachers, and community members came together to co-author an open letter to the Fullerton School District Board calling for anti-racist education and ethnic studies in our local K-8 schools. We see these as critically important to the health, academic growth, and social/emotional well-being of our children and our school district.
We have three goals:
1. To hold the district accountable to its Resolution to “improve the understanding of biases and anti-Black racism and to proclaim the lives of Black students matter” and to “acknowledge and address …instances of racism and anti-Blackness” in the nation and in our communities. We want to see the district explicitly address structural and institutional racism that may exist in the classroom, FSD policies, and society as a whole.
2. To see an Equity & Inclusion Task Force formally established in Fullerton School District including experts in Ethnic Studies and anti-racist/multicultural curriculum and policy, to ensure strong implementation plans and accountability for success regarding equity, diversity, access, and inclusion. Common charges would include:
- analyzing site- and district-wide equity data;
- selecting and prioritizing equity-oriented curriculum and policy; and
- developing and implementing professional learning and parent education.
3. To see the 2016 California Social Science Framework fully implemented at all FSD sites, as well as increased implementation of Ethnic Studies curriculum throughout the district. The state framework details how these topics should be integrated each year (with 2nd grade lessons about diverse families and 4th grade discussions of historical and contemporary civil rights struggles within and beyond California, etc.) However, FSD has yet to widely implement Ethnic Studies curriculum: a decision that leaves our children at a profound disadvantage. California has long been a leader in preparing children to interact effectively across racial, cultural, and linguistic differences, and we want the children in FSD to be part of carrying on that leadership role.
Currently, our collective includes parents and educators from each of FSD’s elementary and middle schools, and we meet monthly to deepen our own fluency in equity-oriented elementary education and policy. To learn more about our work, or join our mailing list, please click here. For info about our next meeting, email us at fsdcollective@gmail.com
