Recent events have made us reflect on our education and how it has prepared us to deal with social justice and oppression in America. We realized, during primary education, kids are not taught about diversity. Children aren't taught in-depth about topics such as oppression, privilege, intersectionality, or multiculturalism. In schools, children are only taught half the truth about these topics. We need reform in the curriculum to better teach children about these topics.

We are alumni of Aurora High School, in Aurora, Ohio. To try to combat this issue, we wrote a letter to the Aurora City School District. In the letter, we included many accounts of racism and prejudice within the schools. The Aurora City Schools administration avoided conversing with us much, and assured us that they are acting to combat systemic racism in our schools. As alumni, we do not agree. They did not at all specifically address what they are doing at the K-8 levels to talk to children about the topics listed above. We feel their response to this issue is negligent, given what is happening today in society. I have attached a link to read the full letter we sent, along with the accounts of prejudice that we used as support. Before submitting the letter, we garnered support and signatures from over 150 alumni of Aurora High School. 

Link to read the letter to ACSD

Accounts of prejudice in ACSD

We now ask the Ohio Department of Education to take action. All students in Ohio must take a complete course in diversity by the eighth grade. As stated in our letter to ACSD, the student learning outcomes should be as follows: 

1. Students will have knowledge of the culture, history, and issues relating to diverse populations in the U.S.
2. Students will explore in depth at least one diverse population in the U.S, from historical, cultural, ethical, political, and policy perspectives. 
3. Students will learn skills to effectively listen and communicate with others regarding issues of privilege, prejudice, diversity, and discrimination. 
4. Students will understand the personal, social, and cultural causes of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression. 

Teachers of such a course should be well educated on course material, participate in ally or co-conspirator training, and have a holistic understanding of what it means to teach the course, given the intersections of their own identity.

Furthermore, we strongly believe the conversation must go beyond a single class. Diversity is more than a club. We would like the state to require the formation of a "diversity board" of educators and students, particularly students of color. The purpose of such a board would be to formulate ways for the discussion of identity, privilege, prejudice and diversity to be meaningfully incorporated throughout 13 years of primary education.

Thank you for your time. Please help us start to teach our children to be activists, by giving us your signature.