June 16, 2020

An Open Letter to the East Meadow School District Administration and Board of Education

It has been over three weeks since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Since then, there have been protests in all fifty states and countries around the world. Organizers have rallied a spectacularly diverse set of protestors who demand justice for Black Lives. Other school districts have begun establishing committees to make reforms within their districts and issued a list of new changes. We, the East Meadow community, demand change.

East Meadow School District is one that often speaks proudly of its diverse community of students and families. And while diversity should be a point of pride for any community or organization, it’s important that resources and energy are put into fostering a safe and protected environment for said community. Long Island remains one of the most segregated places in the United States and racism flourishes in our communities. We each have the ability to dismantle this, and we request that the School District does its part too. Many teachers and faculty have independently worked to have conversations on race, incorporate it into their curriculum, and made strong strides towards making these changes themselves. And oftentimes if educators want to make more changes within their classroom and within their curriculums, they are severely limited by the district. But it's unfair for teachers to be individually responsible for doing this, and the Administration and Board of Education can and must support them.

We request that both the EMSD Administration and Board of Education recognize the scale and importance of the current moment, and approach it with the knowledge that education plays a fundamental role in either dismantling or reinforcing the very institutions that create inequality. We therefore request the following actions be taken by the East Meadow School District and Board of Education to create a supportive, equitable, and protected environment:

• We request the immediate creation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee to combat racial injustice in our schools. This committee must include Black and Brown voices from within our community. Racial and implicit bias training must be made mandatory for all faculty, and it should be part of frequent discourse as well.
• We request immediate curriculum reforms that refocus our education on racial justice and the achievements of non-white Americans. East Meadow School District must make immediate reforms to the education curriculum. Racial justice and equality, police brutality, civil rights, and related issues must be taught more effectively in our schools. Our history curriculum vilifies Malcolm X while sanitizing the rhetoric of Dr. Martin Luther King. Students only get a glimpse of the role of marginalized peoples in building this nation's wealth as slaves, unpaid and abused railroad workers, and agricultural workers. Worse, our students never learn about the widespread influence of systemic racism in this country today. For far too long, this district uplifted European history with only a tangential fulfillment of the world history requirement for its advanced placement students. A fundamental part of dismantling the culture is by educating on these issues. We cannot maintain a “color-blind” approach and culture that ignores the societal oppression of Black students; instead, the district must be race-conscious and acknowledge societal inequities, providing training for faculty to foster a supportive environment for all students.
• East Meadow must institute new disciplinary policies regarding racially motivated statements and actions. Historically, East Meadow has been incredibly lax about racial or other hate crimes within the community. From swastikas drawn in books to the wanton use of the n-word by non-Black students and educators, East Meadow has often been the site of hate with no consequences for the perpetrators. The few occasions where these incidents have been addressed came following pressure from the community. This is unacceptable. There must be an immediate revision of disciplinary policy to address instances of hate crimes adequately. East Meadow must protect Brown and Black students in the school, on the field, and in the community.
• East Meadow has a startling lack of diversity amongst educators. Our community deserves a truly diverse educational staff that better reflects the country and provides different perspectives and voices. Hiring new teachers from diverse backgrounds takes time and financial resources. Therefore, we request that the EMUFSD and Board of Education commit in writing to diversifying its new hires going forward.

This will end up being, perhaps, the largest and most important civil rights movement of our era. Our actions and our decisions in this moment will define us. We have the ability, and the responsibility, to make changes that will affect generations. So often, we have listened to quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. echoed in graduation speeches or at award ceremonies, and now we are met with a moment unlike any other. We can embrace it, channeling Dr. King’s spirit and legacy to make concrete changes within our community, or we can let those words ring hollow, and allow things to continue the way they always have, so that inequality will divide the way it has always done. This is an opportunity for East Meadow School District to truly meet the moment with real change. We hope that you will.

In Solidarity,
The East Meadow Community