Stop, Drop and Roll

07 December 2009 | AUSD, Alameda, Alameda Community, Recall | John Knox White

A few months ago, our community was called to action to support tolerance and respect for all people. Thanks to you and many others, there is no doubt about where our community stands on issues of compassion and tolerance! However, work remains to be done.

The Good News (below the fold):

• Close to 2,000 Alamedans signed the Statement against the Recall Petition on line on on paper.
• Last week, the courts denied the Lawsuit filed against Lesson 9.

Our community has shown itself to be one of compassion and caring, just as we always knew it was!

The Bad News: the goals of Lesson 9 are in danger.

Your help is needed. Can you take 3 minutes and email the school board now! AlamedaSchoolBoard@gmail.com.

On Tuesday (Dec. 8), the AUSD school board will be looking at possibly replacing its anti-bullying curriculum with a new one. In response to the discussions around Lesson 9, members of the School Board requested additional resources to make sure that all classes of traditionally targeted people are explicitly addressed by the curriculum. But staff has been recommending curriculum that doesn’t explicitly address any of them, because of a small group of people who are trying to keep the district from “homo[ing] up the schools.”

A lot of solid work was done to identify the additional/new materials for this curriculum, but consensus on the issue was blocked by a few members of the citizens committee who are concerned about “elevating homosexuality to the level of and rectitude with heterosexuality.” These dissenters have actually written that: “It is all over AUSD schools and curricula today.  Words like “tolerance”, “anti-bullying”, “safe school”, “ally”, “diversity” and especially “feelings”.  This is all by design, and is all pro-homosexual.”

Please take 3 minutes to send an email to the school board and ask them to:

• Retain Lesson 9: The courts and the community have affirmed their support for this important tool
• Direct the Superintendent to continue identifying additional curriculum components necessary to ensure safe schools where all students in our school community see themselves and their families positively reflected.
• Reaffirm the board’s support for curriculum that nurtures an environment where all students feel safe, included and important.

You can read a more detailed explanation of this recommendation on the CARE website.

Please take 2 minutes and tell the school board not to put anti-bullying education back in the closet.

You can read more about this issue on CARE’s website: www.AlamedaCARE.org.

Note: AlamedaSchoolBoard@gmail.com is an email address I created for ease of use and it forwards to all five boardmembers, Superintendent Vital and Interim Asst. Superintendent Zepeda. You can also email the board directly at: mmcmahon@alameda.k12.ca.us, rmooney@alameda.k12.ca.us, tjensen@alameda.k12.ca.us, tspencer@alameda.k12.ca.us, ntam@alameda.k12.ca.us

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