Advocacy
 

Letters to the Board of Education Needed Now! 12-4-09

Please send a message supporting the Alameda Unified School District ’s continued strengthening of its anti-bullying curriculum.  It is important for the Board to hear directly from community members about what they want and what they think the Board should do.  Below is a position statement by CARE.  If you can send a message supporting the CARE position, that will be very important.  But if you can take a few extra minutes to send a personal email that articulates your own views, that will be even more powerful.  Your message should be sent by Monday, December 7th to ensure that Board members receive it in advance of the Tuesday Board meeting at which they will vote on retaining, discarding, or modifying the Caring Schools Curriculum and Lesson 9.  

    Thanks again, so much!



Parent Letter


C.A.R.E. congratulates the Alameda Unified School District’s

Commitment to safety by approving Lesson 9.

Now we need to show our support.

What exactly is the curriculum?

Lesson 9 is the 9th lesson in the Caring Schools Curriculum (CSC.)  CSC is a series of lessons aimed at creating safer schools by decreasing bullying and increasing sympathy and empathy. The 9th lesson includes vocabulary, stories and videos related to LGBT people and families.  There is one 45-minute lesson per grade for the elementary level. The complete lessons may be viewed on the AUSD website: www.alameda.k12.ca.us  

 



Why is it necessary to show support for the curriculum when the School Board has already approved it?

 The more the Alameda community supports the curriculum the greater the impact.

 

 In addition, some parents have expressed concern about these lessons. Our teachers and administrators need to know that many AUSD families continue to feel these lessons are an essential part of their child’s education and safety.

 What can parents do to support the curriculum?

 Ask Questions

üAsk your child’s teacher how you can support the goals of Lesson 9 at home.

üAsk the principal what on-going support and training the teachers will receive.

üAsk the principal and teacher if there is anything you can do to help.

üAsk how the LGBT community is going to be visible within the school.   Contact organizations below for posters, booklists, videos and other resources.

Share Experiences 

üWhether you are gay, lesbian, bi, trans or a straight ally, tell your personal story to other parents, educators and administrators including why you believe it is important that these lessons are taught and why all slurs, including homophobic slurs, must not be tolerated.

üShare your observations with the principal and your child’s teacher if you, or your child, experience homophobia within the school community.

üEncourage your child to speak out if he or she hears homophobic slurs or feels threatened or unsafe. 

 

Show Gratitude

üThank your principal and teacher for welcoming LGBT families.

üThank the AUSD Board members who voted to approve the curriculum.  

·Ron Mooney, Board President                              rmooney@alameda.k12.ca.us

·Tracy Jensen, Trustee                                    tjensen@alameda.k12.ca.us

·Niel Tam, Trustee                                                             ntam@alameda.k12.ca.us

Get Involved

üSign up to be on the Alameda Community Alliance Resource for Education (C.A.R.E.) Yahoo listserve to receive up to date information and community support. You can sign up for the listserve by going to www.AlamedaCARE.org.

üBecome an active member of your child’s Parent-Teacher Association.

Who may I contact if I have other questions or additional concerns?

üYour child’s teacher can answer questions about the curriculum & classroom safety.

üYour principal can answer questions about overall school safety and administrative support.

üQuestions about community support may be addressed to C.A.R.E. at Yes_on_care@yahoogroups.comand by going to the website at www.AlamedaCARE.org.

üAUSD has compiled a FAQ Sheet that may be viewed on their website.

üLGBT community organizations that can provide resources such as booklists, teacher trainings, parent support, posters, and videos:

Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere www.colage.org   (415) 861-5437

Equality California, 
www.eqca.org Phone: 415.581.0005

Our Family Coalition: www.ourfamily.org    (510) 332-0496

Local Groups Supporting Lesson 9:  Reconciling Committee of Buena Vista United Methodist Church    l     Developmental Studies Center, Caring Schools Community  ( DSC) (CSC) l    Alameda HS School Site Council    l    Alameda Education Association  l First Congregational Church of Alameda United Church of Christ   l   Social Services Human Relations Board (SSHRB)   l Alameda Family Services Board of Directors  Girls Inc. of the Island City   l  Temple Israel of Alameda   

 This information sheet was created by the community grassroots organization Alameda Community Alliance Resource for Education (C.A.R.E.)                                                        www.AlamedaCARE.org

The mission of C.A.R.E. is to foster a safe and welcoming environment for all students in Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) by supporting children of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families and students who identify as – or are perceived by others to be – lesbian, gay bisexual transgender or gender non-conforming.                                                                                   Fall 2009



Teaching Tolerance!!!!

www.TeachingTolerance @newsletter.tolerance.org

Use This Summer for Social Justice!

Tolerance Beyond the School Year


Year-End Lesson Plans
An ABCs Farewell (PreK-3)

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! (Gr. 4-6)

Plant a Seed (Gr. 6-8)

Make a Toast (Gr. 9-12)
Also Available From Teaching Tolerance
Zero Tolerance, Zero Justice?

Bigotry Spreads with New Flu

Stereotype Threat May Deny Graduation to Thousands
Nov. 10 Is National Mix It Up At Lunch Day
Don't forget to plan for National Mix It Up at Lunch Day next year.

 Mail:
Teaching Tolerance
c/o Southern Poverty Law Center
400 Washington Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36104

 

 

Letters To the Board of Education
Mike McMahon, Board Vice President                    mmcmahon@alameda.k12.ca.us
Ron Mooney, Board President                rmooney@alameda.k12.ca.us
Tracy Jensen, Trustee                                       tjensen@alameda.k12.ca.us
Trish Spencer, Trustee                                      tspenser@alameda.k12.ca.us
Neil Tam, Trustee                                               ntam@alameda.k12.ca.us

Letters to the Editor~
Alameda Journal
200 Words
ajletter@bayareanewsgroup.com

Alameda Sun
250 Words
editor@alamedasun.com