District 3 missed chance to talk about equity, comm. group says

The group that proposed eliminating zone lines to combat segregation in District 3 elementary schools isn’t happy with a parent council’s resolution about rezoning the district.

The Community Education Council for District 3 decided last week to take a simple approach to rezoning, recommending that two schools move to new buildings and that zone lines around two others be tweaked. Some in the community had opposed the plan on the grounds that the changes would make school buildings more segregated. But the CEC said it wasn’t permitted to consider diversity in the rezoning discussion.

In a public letter, the Center for Immigrant Families, which has long pushed for more integrated schools in the district, says it is “beyond comprehension” that the CEC’s resolution lacks “even a mention of what is equitable or fair.” From the letter:

Though we understand the CEC has limited powers, we believe you could have played a very important role in our district by insisting that basic principles of equity and concern for all our district’s children were at the center of any conversation of this nature.

As I reported before, CEC 3 member Jennifer Freeman told me that CEC members are in fact interested in talking about diversity. But she said that the rezoning process, which had to follow strict protocols dictated by CEC bylaws and by the Department of Education, was not the right time.

The Center for Immigrant Families will take part in a rally to support diversity outside CEC 3’s final vote tomorrow evening.

The group’s full letter:

Dear Members of the CEC, We read your resolution about rezoning and overcrowding in District 3. We have already presented our proposal to you, which we hope you will consider and respond to, but wanted to make one observation about your resolution. Not once in the resolution did the words “equity” or “fairness” appear. We find it beyond comprehension that an issue could be discussed with such profound impact on our community without even a mention of what is equitable or fair. Though we understand the CEC has limited powers, we believe you could have played a very important role in our district by insisting that basic principles of equity and concern for all our district’s children were at the center of any conversation of this nature. We will continue to make our voices heard and fight for all our children in District 3. Sadly, your resolution doesn’t seem to have been based on that commitment. Sincerely, Center for Immigrant Families collective