Are Fresno Unified schools in a ‘state of emergency’ after fallout from racist photos?
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Good morning! It’s Monday, May 9. This is Rob, the Education Lab editor for The Fresno Bee.
From the chaos and pain that erupted last week around the racist “dehumanizing social media posts and pages” at Fresno high schools, many student voices emerged as community leaders.
“We don’t want to hear talk,” said Rain Carter, a vice president of Edison High School’s Black Student Union. “We want to see action. We need to help our fellow Bullard High students that are going through this traumatic time of anti-Blackness and racism.”
Talented students frequently are described as “the leaders of tomorrow,” but the young people at the front of Fresno Unified Black Student Union groups, particularly at Edison High, demonstrated they’re already community leaders — and they have been for some time.
“We just wanted to be heard, and I thought we were heard today,” said Myles Lee, a co-president of Edison’s BSU.
So what happens now?
Trustee Keshia Thomas, who represents the Edison High-area, said “there is a sense that we’re in a state of emergency.”
FUSD Superintendent Bob Nelson promised discipline and cultural sensitivity training for the students involved in the KKK photo. And he also pledged to expand the district’s Race and Social Justice Advisory Board to include a student governing board at each high school to monitor and assess the enforcement of anti-racist policies across the district.
Read more about the promises FUSD just made to its students of color.
Thomas said it’s time for Fresno Unified to make good on those promises.
“That’s my goal: It’s to deliver,” Thomas told The Bee. “And to make sure my babies feel safe. Many of them don’t feel safe at school. So now it’s just our turn to make them feel good and feel safe and give them a safe haven.”
But it’s unclear whether everyone at Fresno Unified is on the same page as Thomas and Nelson.
Terry Slatic, the Bullard-area trustee, appeared to take a softer approach, saying he would have “no opinion” of the racist photograph until the investigation concluded.
Speaking with the Ed Lab on Friday, Slatic said he’d spoken with about 40 Bullard-area residents, many of whom, he said, described the racist incident as kids “doing stupid stuff and being stupid with what they film.”
That stance isn’t likely to sit well with students and community organizers who have long criticized the district’s responses to racism. Read more about that here.
Since his election nearly four years ago, Slatic has been accused repeatedly of racism, claims he has denied each time.
You can read more about that here.
Slatic said he expected the latest investigation to wrap up today.
However, the questions about the KKK photo that remain unanswered include at least one that was on the mind of nearly everyone in Fresno — where were the adults who were supposed to be supervising the three students as well as dozens of others in the weight room?
Here’s the latest from The Bee’s Education Lab
Fresno State academic senate supports removing racist name from library. The academic senate at Fresno State on Monday quickly introduced, advanced and passed a resolution in support of taking the name of Henry Madden off the university library, following a presentation from a task force charged with reviewing the naming of the building.
Fresno Unified’s new school board trustee takes oath of office. With one hand on a book by his late father, Andy Levine was sworn in by his mother Wednesday afternoon as the new Fresno High-area trustee for the Fresno Unified school board.
Fresno City College appoints new president. Robert Pimentel was appointed Tuesday by State Center Community College District trustees as the new president of Fresno City College.
Fresno Pacific University names new president. A Biola University graduate and administrator with 30 years of experience in higher education was selected as the president of Fresno Pacific University, the only accredited Christian university founded in California’s central San Joaquin Valley.
UC Merced wins one of the largest cash rewards in school history. UC Merced won $6.5 million from the James Irvine Foundation to fund a Worker Resource Center to improve public education of workers’ rights.
UC Merced helps launch California volunteer program to give students $10k for college. California Volunteers officials made a stop at UC Merced on Monday to launch the start of their Californians For All College Corps program, which will give 6,500 students throughout the state $10,000 toward their education.
Fresno-area education news and notes
Fresno’s University High School captured its 14th national academic decathlon championship. The Fresno charter school collected 42 medals on its way to another Small School National Championship two weekends ago, Coach Sean Canfield said in a news release.
“Team Captain Olivia Lin was the highest individual scorer in the nation, Mia Uller posted the (third) highest individual score and the Varsity students finished as the top three scorers in their division.”
Located on the Fresno State campus, University High School has long been one of Fresno Unified’s flagship schools, consistently landing among the highest performing schools in the nation.
Last year, U.S. News and World Report said the school was one of the top 10 best in California and in the top 100 nationwide. Read more about that here!
Enrollment in the small, music-focused charter school remains competitive. Find out more about how to enroll students in the program in this Ed Lab story from last year.
Fresno State once again will host the California State University’s Summer Arts program.
“For over 30 years, CSU Summer Arts has assembled some of the world’s best creative artists to teach and inspire students through intensive master classes across all art genres,” university officials said in a statement.
The 2022 Summer Arts program runs from June 27 to July 24, with 15 courses at Fresno State and four courses in Ireland, Spain and Germany.
Costs to attend range from $1,685 to $4,478, but scholarships are available.
Registration remains open until May 27. For more information or to register, click here.
Central Unified announces Janessa Ramirez Scholarship winners. Ten recipients of the $2,500 scholarship were announced at a ceremony April 30 out of nearly 100 that applied. The scholarship is named after a 4th grade student at Steinbeck Elementary who was killed in 2015 by a stray bullet in a dispute between gangs. Learn more about the scholarship here.
Want more education news?
California legislators request audit into sex harassment claims at Fresno State. Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, questioned the transparency and effectiveness of an on-going California State University investigation into the handling of sexual harassment allegations at Fresno State. | The Fresno Bee
Clovis student says alleged locker room assault left him traumatized. The Clovis Unified School District is being sued by a student who alleges he was bullied, harassed and physically assaulted last year while on the campus of Clovis West High. | The Fresno Bee
Fresno State aims to ‘go above and beyond’ with AB 367 policy. Fresno State is working toward being in accordance with AB 367, which will require the university to supply menstrual products free of charge for students. | The Collegian
Student loan debt canceled for 113,000 — and more may qualify. But time is running out. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program promises debt relief after 10 years of public service — or 120 payments — for teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public service employees with student loans. | The Sacramento Bee
Why Teachers Leave—or Don’t: A Look at the Numbers. Before the pandemic, national statistics said 8% of educators were leaving the profession annually. Because of the pandemic’s effects, even more are projected to leave, whether that be for more stress under the same conditions or for pay. Many will stay despite the stress and pay either because they can’t afford to leave or because of their love for their students. | Ed Week
California expanding community college baccalaureate programs. Some say offering more bachelor’s degrees at the colleges that typically offer associate degrees could be key to training California’s workforce. | EdSource
Peninsula school district opens affordable apartments for teachers and staff. 705 Serramonte opened this weekend by the first public school district in California to pass a bond to build teacher housing, and complete it. | San Francisco Chronicle
This proposal could solve health insurance problem for part-time community college faculty. A state fund for part-time faculty health insurance hasn’t been increased for decades. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed adding $200 million. New data suggests that might solve the problem of part-time faculty having to go without health insurance in some cases. | CalMatters
Should a small town library be turned into a police station? A small town in the Central Valley could convert its community library into a police station. The proposal has upset many residents who say that the library is vital for reading, homework, and community. | Education Beat podcast, EdSource
This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 9:37 AM.