****Due to the district closure impacted by COVID 19, the Equity and Family Engagement Department will be working remotely offsite. Please send an email to Kim Darcy or  Dr. Tanisha Brandon-Felder , Rebekah Gardea or call 206-393-4217 and you will receive a response within the day. Thank you.

 Shoreline Equity and Family Engagement Department

The Purpose: To create urgency and immediate impact on students of color, and culturally and linguistically diverse students using culturally responsive practices and policies, while building racial equity awareness and skills with Shoreline staff. The work of the equity department expands throughout all district departments and programs. The goal is to lead and develop with equity in mind while examining and shifting  the inequities in our procedures, polices and practices. This work attends to hearts and minds so that we can make changes in structures and systems. The students are our non-negotiable WHY. 

SUPERINTENDENT OPEN FORUMS: Please make sure your voice is included.

Dear Shoreline Families and Staff,

After an extensive nationwide search, the Shoreline School Board is excited to announce three finalist candidates to be our next Superintendent! Please see the message below from School Board President Meghan Jernigan and find details on public opportunities for you to hear from and ask questions of the finalists. You can also find more information on the superintendent search process here.

“We are incredibly excited to bring forward three outstanding candidates for Shoreline Superintendent, each of whom are student-centered leaders committed to equity and academic excellence. We look forward to the upcoming candidate forums, and want to thank the community for participating in this process.”
- Meghan Jernigan, Board President

The three finalists are:

• Dr. Kristina Bellamy
  Director of K-12 Teaching and Learning
  Anchorage School District
  Anchorage, AK
   
• Dr. Concie Pedroza
  Chief of Support Services
  Seattle Public Schools
  Seattle, WA
   
• Dr. Susana Reyes
  Assistant Superintendent of Operations
  Pasco School District
  Pasco, WA

Learn more about each finalist here.

The three finalists will be interviewed by the School Board on April 27-28. Each finalist will also hold an open community forum via Zoom webinar. They will also hold several smaller group meetings with employee and student groups. Staff and student groups will receive a separate email with details on their opportunities to hear from and ask questions of the finalists.

The open community forums are limited to 500 attendees each and will be recorded and posted to our website the day following each forum. Below is the schedule of open community forum webinars, log-in information and a link to submit questions.

You can submit questions for the finalists’ community forums here. Questions must be submitted by Monday, April 26 at 5:00 pm.

Open Community Forums

Dr. Kristina Bellamy
Tuesday, April 27 – 8:00-9:00 pm
Log-in information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84209497964?pwd=dzdrZUVOUzVpWWRUU0MyWG1KL2VPdz09
Webinar ID: 842 0949 7964
Passcode: 348357

Dr. Susana Reyes
Wednesday, April 28 – 5:45-6:45 pm
Log-in information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82630697118?pwd=RU5scTBHTUpXSU56N2xrb09xN09tdz09
Webinar ID: 826 3069 7118
Passcode: 780241

Dr. Concie Pedroza
Wednesday, April 28 – 6:45-7:45 pm
Log-in information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87959753654?pwd=TWhpTllHZURvbVRKcjM2SEhhT1J4Zz09
Webinar ID: 879 5975 3654

Passcode: 447667

SAVE THE DATE! Register now!

We have seen this message shared in newspapers, websites, social media, stickers, posters, and everywhere and it true, we do need to stop Asian hate, RIGHT NOW, and I would also add we need to increase Asian affirmation of identity and culture. For those of you that are Asian, please know we stand in solidarity with you. Shoreline aims to be an environment that is inclusive and welcoming, and we will stand and support our Asian students, families, and staff.

For non- Asian folk,  how many Asian friends do you have in your life?  What has being an ally to the Asian community looked like for you? I am asking you the same questions I ask myself anytime I think about the attacks on a marginalized group. But shouldn’t I be asking these questions all of the time? Ibram X. Kendi says that is not enough to not be racist, we must be anti-racist. That means actively working toward checking my biases, my assumptions, questioning the stereotypes that enter my mind and ACTIVELY working towards being a person that is more than performative, but instead an actualized conscious conspirator.

The history of Anti-Asian Racism in this country is not new. It is a resurrection of the hate we have seen in history over and over again. We can be led to believe that what is happening, not just in the horrific murders in Atlanta, but also here in Seattle, on Capitol Hill, at Costco on 4^th Ave, in the ID, is not about race. Please do not be distracted. It is always about race. It pains me to see the elders of the Asian community be attacked and then worry about the attention that it causes. We should be outraged that they are carrying the burden for others ignorance and hate. It is time for us as allies to step up. Let’s remember and affirm the beauty of the people, community and culture we all surrounded by daily.

Dr. Tanisha Brandon-Felder

Director of Equity and Family Engagement

Not sure what to do? Here is a list of resources:

Books- Colorful Pages

Articles:

It's Time to Fight Anti-Asian Hate

What It’s Like When Racism Comes for You

Museum/History

https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/asian-art-museum

https://www.wingluke.org/

More Resources:

https://www.facebook.com/SeattleJACL/

https://densho.org/

http://todinhvietnam.com/

Want to learn more? Want to take supportive action? Check out the resources below.

BLM Resources

BLM Website

BLM in Schools Year of Purpose

Black Books Reading Room

More Books to Read (curated by Shorecrest Librarian,Andy Berkbigler)

 

How to be an antiracist / Kendi, Ibram X., Call Number: 305.8 KEN ISBN: 9780525509288 Pub. Info: New York : One World, [2019] Ibram X. Kendi describes a method of deconstructing the path by which people combat racism by becoming antiracist, which implies being an active participant in combating racism rather than attempting to become "not racist" which Kendi argues is nothing more than being tacitly complicit in racism. Also examines other marginalized groups and how his antiracist message can be transferred to any bias.

Stamped : racism, antiracism, and you / Reynolds, Jason, Call Number: 305.8 REY ISBN: 9780316453691 Pub. Info: New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2020. "A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning.” This adaptation of Ibram X. Kendi's "Stamped From the Beginning" explores the history of racist ideas in America by examining the lives of notable historical figures, from Cotton Mather and Thomas Jefferson to W.E.B. Du Bois and Angela Davis. Discusses how racist ideas spread and how they are also discredited.

 

Stamped from the beginning : the definitive history of racist ideas in America / Kendi, Ibram X., Call Number: 305.8 KEN ISBN: 9781568585987 Pub. Info: New York : Nation Books, 2017. Presents the argument that contrary to popular belief, racism in America is alive and well, having become more sophisticated and insidious in the culture and economic structure. Examines the lives and thoughts of five major American intellectuals, such as Cotton Mather and W.E.B. Du Bois, both proslavery and pro-civil rights figures, and argues that even pro-civil rights thinkers have contributed to socially entrenched racism.

 

Between the world and me / Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Call Number: B 305.800 COA ISBN: 9780679645986 (ebook) Pub. Info: New York : Spiegel & Grau, [2015] "For Ta-Nehisi Coates, history has always been personal. At every stage of his life, he's sought in his explorations of history answers to the mysteries that surrounded him -- most urgently, why he, and other black people he knew, seemed to live in fear. What were they afraid of? In Tremble for My Country, Coates takes readers along on his journey through America's history of race and its contemporary resonances through a series of awakenings -- moments when he discovered some new truth about our long, tangled history of race, whether through his myth-busting professors at Howard University, a trip to a Civil War battlefield with a rogue historian, a journey to Chicago's South Side to visit aging survivors of 20th century America's 'long war on black people,' or a visit with the mother of a beloved friend who was shot down by the police. In his trademark style -- a mix of lyrical personal narrative, reimagined history, essayistic argument, and reportage -- Coates provides readers a thrillingly illuminating new framework for understanding race: its history, our contemporary dilemma, and where we go from here"--

So you want to talk about race / Oluo, Ijeoma, Call Number: P 305.8 OLU ISBN: 9781580058827 Pub. Info: New York, NY : Seal Press, 2019. Target Audience: 10-Adult. Attempts to open an honest dialogue about race relations in America, bridging the gap between white people and people of color to explore the complexities of discussing race. Provides a frank understanding of basic questions about race some people are too afraid to ask.

White fragility : why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism / DiAngelo, Robin J., Call Number: 305.8 DIA ISBN: 9780807047415 Pub. Info: Boston : Beacon Press, [2018] Examines the concept of white fragility, including discussion of how it forms, how it protects racial inequality, and how that fragility often prevents meaningful dialogue about race and racism. Goes on to discuss solutions in dealing with white fragility and how we can all engage more constructively.

 

Culturally responsive teaching and the brain : promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students / Hammond, Zaretta, Call Number: P 370 HAM ISBN: 1483308014 (pbk.) Pub. Info: Thousand Oaks, California : Corwin, a SAGE company, [2015

 

Inseparable : how family and sacrifice forged a path to the NFL / Griffin, Shaquem, Call Number: B 796.332 GRI ISBN: 9780785230816 Pub. Info: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2019] Twin brothers Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin share their personal journey to playing in the NFL. Highlights the hardships faced by them as they worked through difficulties in their youth, including Shaquem's struggles with having only one hand. Includes a discussion guide and color photographs.

Things that make white people uncomfortable / Bennett, Michael, Call Number: 305.800 BEN ISBN: 1608468933 Pub. Info: 2018 "Michael Bennett is a Super Bowl Champion, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, a fearless activist, a feminist, a grassroots philanthropist, an organizer, and a change maker. He's also one of the most scathingly humorous athletes on the planet, and he wants to make you uncomfortable. Bennett adds his unmistakable voice to discussions of racism and police violence, Black athletes and their relationship to powerful institutions like the NCAA and the NFL, the role of protest in history, and the responsibilities of athletes as role models to speak out against injustice. Following in the footsteps of activist-athletes from Muhammad Ali to Colin Kaepernick, Bennett demonstrates his outspoken leadership both on and off the field. Written with award-winning sportswriter and author Dave Zirin, Things that Make White People Uncomfortable is a sports book for our turbulent times, a memoir, and a manifesto as hilarious and engaging as it is illuminating." --

 

The hustle : one team and ten lives in black and white / Merlino, Doug. Call Number: 796.32 MER ISBN: 9781608192595 Pub. Info: New York : Bloomsbury, 2012, c2011. Examines what became of the boys who participated in a 1986 social experiment to combine white players from a Seattle private school with black teens from the inner city on one basketball season. Outlines the success this team had and questions whether these players followed the same trend in their personal lives.

The hate u give / Thomas, Angie, Call Number: F THO ISBN: 9780062871350 Pub. Info: New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, 2018. Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is trying to balance her suburban prep school life with the poor, black neighborhood where she lives when she witnesses her childhood best friend Khalil get shot and killed by a police officer. As tensions mount and her city erupts in protests, the only person who knows the truth of that night is Starr, and what she does or doesn't say can change everyone's lives forever.

All American boys / Reynolds, Jason, Call Number: F REY ISBN: 9781481463348 Pub. Info: New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2015. When sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend. Told through Rashad and Quinn's alternating viewpoints.

 

 

Our time is now : power, purpose, and the fight for a fair America / Abrams, Stacey, Call Number: 324.6 ABR ISBN: 9781250257703 Pub. Info: New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2020. Author Stacey Abrams describes how her 2018 campaign to be the first African American woman governor of Georgia ended in defeat due to voter suppression. Details her plan to end voter suppression in the United States and protect its democracy, focusing on voter registration, access to ballots, and ballot counting. Also discusses the importance of the census, identity politics, and international leadership.

 

We value all diversity in our students and families and staff. 

Our hearts are with every group that has ever been targeted, been historically marginalized, been harassed, been abused, been publicly mocked and any other hurtful action. Shoreline students, familes and staff should thrive and flourish. Please hold us accountable to that.