The recent racist attacks on RRISD Trustee Jun Xiao, a dedicated and trusted public servant, were reprehensible and did not reflect the values of the RRISD community. We support Dr. Xiao, the Trustees who condemned these attacks, and our RRISD AAPI community. We are also frustrated by the polarizing focus on changing mask policy for a few short weeks before the school year ends, which is preventing focus on longer term priorities critical to our children’s education. If you feel the same way, then please consider signing the following petition.

Many AAPI families have expressed concerns about the environment their children will walk into if they return to RRISD campuses next fall. Incidents of hate against Asian youth are rising in Texas (Statesman article).  Now, the only Asian in a RRISD leadership position visible to the public has been publicly harassed and threatened (KVUE coverage).  Masks at schools are increasingly politicized, and there are real concerns about how to remain safe from COVID and harassment at the same time when children return to RRISD campuses this fall. 

We want all families, including Asian families, to feel comfortable sending their kids back to RRISD schools in the fall. We know that RRISD wants as many families back in their classes as possible, and AAPI families represent ~18% of the RRISD population. Creating a forum for dialogue directly between AAPI families and district leadership is critical, and it needs to occur before families make decisions about where and how their children will attend school next year.

Therefore, we call on RRISD to schedule a virtual Town Hall or other community input session for its AAPI community as soon as possible.  We are gathering signatures to demonstrate the level of support for the district using 1-2 hours of time to engage in dialogue directly with its AAPI community. 

We intend to present this petition during the Public Comment portion of the next RRISD Regular Board meeting.  

By signing this petition, you can express your support without writing a letter or signing up for a public speaking slot at the next Board meeting, thus preserving the Board’s time to focus on their highest priority: ensuring that as many children as possible return to RRISD classes in the fall, comfortable and ready to learn, with a solid plan in place to recover learning losses that have occurred during the pandemic.

If you would like us to update you about the response we receive from the district, please feel free to leave your name and email in this google form.

Sincerely,

RRISD Parents

Semonti Basu, Nabanita Basu, Xiaoqin Elaine Li, Krista Laine, Manish Mehta, Sridevi Thambi, & Sien Zhang