What I care about:
Why am I running for the school board?
LSD Central Administration hasn’t done enough to address equity in our children’s learning environments.
The district hasn't done enough to cultivate equitable environments where Black and brown students can thrive:
An Equity Advisory Committee was created in reaction to the 2021 Equity Report which showed racial disparities in the district. Where is the data on what progress iterations of that group made? Where is that committee work now? It’s time for an update.
The district is hemorrhaging Black leadership through forced retirements and building closures, but Black and brown students are best served by teachers who come from their community.
Family engagement is not equitably accessible:
The push for Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) has been top-down, and aimed only at middle class families who have the privilege and flexibility in their weekdays to attend meetings.
LSD should be partnering meaningfully with organizations like Lansing Empowerment Network’s Cradle 2 Career initiative.
Athletics and enrichment opportunities are not equitably accessible:
Opportunities are announced with too little time for families to prepare (e.g., get required physical exams done for athletes). Many opportunities do not include transportation, and require students to miss instructional time in order to participate.
Special Education is not equitably accessible:
Students don’t get what they need when policies and procedures are obscure and family participation in evaluations is undervalued. Administrative burdens stand in the way of equity.
LSD Central Administration isn’t prioritizing trust.
Trust is built and respect is forged over time, by consistent acts that reflect fairness, justice, and accountability.
Respect.
Many families don't feel cared for by Central Administration. Under previous leadership, community outcry about inequity was met with gaslighting and tone-policing.
Teachers are undervalued! Teachers are sounding the alarm about children and screen time (certain types / frequency), and Central Administration is shutting them down because doing tasks on Chromebooks instead of workbooks can provide the district with instant data.
Fairness.
Some policies are inherently unfair (e.g., a focus on administrative and logistical barriers instead of academic standards, which disadvantages marginalized students in particular).
Some policies aren’t followed with fidelity (e.g., schools posting children’s photos on social media, even when an opt-out form has been filed).
Transparency.
Often, Central Administration doesn’t ask for community feedback at all. When they do, they don’t ask for input early enough in the process for community members to feel valued.
When data is collected, it is shared too rarely. Every year families are asked to participate in an annual survey, and every year we await shared results.
Communication.
Phone calls and messages are not returned. If the district wants more family engagement, it’s important to recognize what families need to feel listened to.
Too much information lives behind barriers: a website with too scant information, a communication platform that requires a separate login to access messages and flyers.