On a regular basis, we will be publishing letters from residents to residents in the edition we call “MB Residents Speak…” If you have information or an opinion on an issue pertaining to MB that you would like to share, please email your letter to MBStrong2021@gmail.com.
Dear MB Residents:
In the real world, we do not reward failed leadership in the school district with more money for fewer students and lower academic ratings.
My name is Dr. Pamela Davidson, a 25-year resident of MB, I have been a university educator, researcher, and evaluation methodologist for more than two decades.
I reviewed the CLEAR Equity Audit Report in 2021 and publicly commented on the weaknesses and limitations in the Report. Without cause, the Board hired the company, CLEAR to perform an audit of the district, looking for evidence of systemic racism.
The Report itself concluded that racial discrimination and racism were not problems in the MB School District. Buried on page-36 of the voluminous report was a true statement:
“There was a lack of evidence of UCP filings regarding discrimination within the District which suggests either there are no issues in the District or that the process may not be considered as a viable way to address those types of incidents.” [UCP: Uniform Complaint Filings in the California Department of Education]
Yet the School District disregarded the evidence and went on to impose a Critical Race Theory (CRT) Framework that was prefabricated and essentially dropped in as the Equity, Diversity, Social Justice, and Inclusion (EDSJI) roadmap.
Now, here we are 6 months later with the EDSJI multiyear “Action Plan” to reform our alleged racist children and racist community… Within this context, I make 3 points:
First, the District’s EDSJI Committee is anything but Diverse and Inclusive…
Unlike the MB City Council which routinely makes “public notice” to recruit residents to City Council advisory committees, the School District leaders were devious in recruiting the EDSJI Committee members.
The EDSJI was stacked with like-minded people who all agreed with the Equity Agenda. They see everything through a gender and race lens.
In fact, many of the same members were part of the Bruce’s Beach Task Force that tried to push the Equity Agenda onto our City Government. Fortunately, in a vote of 4-1, the MB City Council rejected the Equity Agenda.
The EDSJI is not diverse or inclusive, nor is its plan. In 2021 and 2022, I know of at least 3 MB residents including myself, who tried to apply for membership on the EDSJI committee – we were all blocked from application and membership.
Second, the School District budget dedicated to this agenda and multiyear Action Plan is not transparent…
In the Next Steps section of the EDSJI agenda, it states the committee will present its Action Plan to the MB School Board of Trustees on April 20, 2022, at 5pm. The meeting is held at 325 Peck Ave and is open to the public. Please attend.
1. The EDSJI Committee and the Board need to publicly disclose the cost to implement and operate the Action Plan to ensure transparency and accountability to the taxpayers.
2. The Board needs to inform residents about these costs before asking residents to vote on an added real estate tax burden representing a $12mil annual increase in funding for schools, plus an annual increase for inflation through a special May/June ballot in advance of the November elections.
Third, in the pursuit of Academic Excellence, the EDSJI will not contribute to a higher ranking of the MBUSD...
Our enrollments in the School District and academic performance have dropped. At last count, we lost 739 students in the past couple of years, worth $12,000 per student for almost $9,000,000.
In the real world, we do not reward failed leadership in the school district with more money for fewer students and lower academic ratings.
The parents and residents need to carefully monitor the School District's academic performance rankings (e.g., math, reading comprehension). These indicators should be the most important evidence for the Supervisor and the Board of Trustees to allocate resources.
The work of the EDSJI Committee does not contribute to academic performance and should be re-prioritized accordingly.
In conclusion, parents and voters of MB should reject the EDSJI Action Plan and reject the Parcel Tax initiative to support it.
Vote “NO, not for now”. We need to vote for new School District leadership in November to restore sanity and academic excellence.
Sincerely,
Pamela Davidson, PhD
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