To Pewaukee School District Alumni,

Representing a group of Pewaukee High School graduates, we would like to call attention to Pewaukee Schools’ lack of response to the current injustices that face marginalized students and families in our community, as well as the District’s curricula that fails to include perspectives and voices of Black, Indiginous, and People of Color. We profoundly appreciate our education from Pewaukee Schools, but we also agree that the prevailing Eurocentric curriculum does not sufficiently cover the breadth of topics that would allow students to have a fully well-rounded education. It is widely known that our district is predominantly white; however, this does not excuse an omission of such topics, especially since it is now more important than ever to learn and understand them. 

Educating young people about the unique experiences of underprivileged and victimized populations is vital for them in becoming informed citizens. Given the terrible violence against Black community members, both in the past week and across history, it is critical that Pewaukee Schools are proactive in combating white supremacy and centering marginalized voices. It is vital that graduates of the Pewaukee School District leave with the knowledge, empathy, and skills to understand the realities of racial and social injustice in this country. Therefore, we demand that PSD immediately respond and take action by: 

1) Including racial equity, diversity, and inclusion as part of the District’s mission and belief statements
2)Releasing a detailed plan to recruit, hire, onboard, and retain educators of color
3) Developing and implementing profession training for educators on implicit bias, inclusive curricula, and classroom practices, including mindfulness and self-awareness in the classroom and after-school sports and clubs
4) Shifting the focus of curriculum to include literature and scholarship by Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and anti-racist authors in History and English and incorporate these knowledges into STEM classes; these works include, but are not limited to:
a) Works by authors Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Shashi Tharoor

Looking at the Curriculum Renewal and Design Process Calendar, it is apparent that the coming years are focused on English Language Arts as well as Social Studies, which is where we believe change can begin. For many, high school years are a transformative experience; it could be made even better by engaging with antiracist scholarship and thought. 

We must come together to understand and promote racial equity in order to challenge the biases that have been set in place by a racist system. It is necessary to enact change in order to not become complicit within said system. We would be grateful for the opportunity to work with you to implement the action steps noted above, as well as any additional steps.

Sincerely,

Kavitha Babu, PHS ‘17, Erika Ziolkowski, PHS ‘17,  Anusha Talwalkar, PHS ‘17, Natalie Worcester, PHS ‘16, Rebecca Chadwick, PHS ‘17

We would like to thank those involved in creating a letter to Elmbrook Schools and their words in facilitating and guiding this call to action for Pewaukee Schools.