With a unanimous vote, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District on February 28 affirmed by resolution “A commitment to safe schools, honoring the civil rights and dignity for all.”
Superintendent Louann Carlomagno said the special meeting was called after reviewing comments from community members on the proposed resolution, and speaking with Board President Dan Gustafson.
“Staff decided that a more expansive version of the proposed resolution should be under consideration by the board,” Carlomagno said.
The resolution included provisions for including high school students in the Know Your Rights outreach, and expanded such trainings to all staff and volunteers who work with district students at “every site or material property” of the district. It directs there be trainings for district staff about how to respond to ICE requests, and notification to families whose information has been solicited.
It also has a provision for the superintendent to “develop a plan for protecting students whose parents are unavailable due to suspected immigration action.” She is also charged with promoting tolerance and support in the schools for everyone whose civil rights are threatened, and developing collaborations with community partners to accomplish all this.
Carlomagno opened the discussion by outlining the steps the district had taken “as early as last fall” in the face of the “fear, anxiety and insecurity” that our students face.” These included creation of an Equity Task Force. She reaffirmed her pledge to provide “a safe and productive educational environment for all children.”
The day before the revised resolution was sent out, Gustafson and trustee Sal Chavez attended a workshop in Santa Rosa for school board members from all over the county. Sponsored by North Bay Organizing Project, the forum was, according to Gustasfon, “a discussion of the seriousness of the issues, the threat to civil rights, and a celebration of solidarity.”
At the SVUSD board meeting, Trustee Chavez spoke in Spanish, then translated for himself, mentioning how difficult it would be for him if his parents, who arrived here undocumented, had not been able to become legal.
Claudia Robbins applauded the board for presenting the new resolution. She called it a “testimony to your commitment and responsiveness to the community.”
Many of the 75 community members who gathered for the meeting spoke eloquently and movingly about how the situation is affecting the community. Notable was police chief Brett Sackett’s appearance, out of uniform, to speak about a topic which he said is “so near and dear to us” and the need to provide a sense of trust toward the police.
Gustafson later described the resolution as “an expression of support and a call to action. The real impact will be in our implementation, in working in partnership with community and legal service organizations.”UPDAE
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