To the Fontana Unified School District Board of Education:

In response to the most recent crises and racial conflict in neighboring schools, Black Parent Alliance (BPA) has compiled a list of demands to support Black students and families for justice, equity, and access in public schools. These demands were developed by a broader community of engaged and committed Black parents living, working, and raising their families in Fontana and the Inland Empire Region.

On behalf of Black students and families throughout the Fontana Unified School District, we ask that you immediately address our seven demands:

1. Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Districts should invest and prioritize training educators in culturally responsive instruction, classroom management, and restorative justice practices. Before teaching any controversial novels addressing race, teachers should be trained and coached on handling the topic appropriately and sensitive to the history of racism in America.

2. Trauma-informed Approaches and Practices: Implementing trauma-informed approaches and practices should be prioritized when dealing with racism and social-emotional learning. Past methods of disproportionality of our Black/ African American students in Special Education and disparate and antiquated discipline policies only perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline. Administrators should rethink current policies and systems that have historically encouraged a "pushout" model for students faced with trauma and having difficulty managing their emotions. In addition, the school community should provide learning spaces for all staff to acquire trauma-informed practices, restorative practices, and adult Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills. With the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis and the current climate of racial injustices across the nation, there is a need for critical conversations around the social-emotional health of the students served in public education. Several students and educators have returned to school and experienced trauma from these two events. Therefore, site and district administrators must urgently act to establish Social Emotional Learning (SEL) support.

3. Black/ African American Parent Engagement and Support: Allocate policy and resources for Black/ African American parent engagement training that includes understanding educational systems and various types of accountability and policies that support Black/ African American student achievement and success. School districts should make authentic and intentional outreach to parents regarding the Local Control Accountability Plan funding and any decisions made on behalf of Black students.

4. Academic Achievement: Encourage and facilitate high academic success through culturally responsive programs with multiple proficiency measures, tutoring, and intervention. Also, districts should be dedicating and earmarking specific budgets to support Black/ African American students for academic success. School districts will develop a comprehensive Black/ African American action plan with this effort.

5. College and Career Pathways: Provide multiple opportunities for Black/ African American students to make informed decisions about post-secondary options. Make Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion, A-G completion, college tours, career pathway exploration, internships, and Career and Technical Education options available as a high school graduation requirement. Hire and train culturally competent college and career counselors and staff. Create articulation agreements between high schools and post-enrollment institutions to include dual- and concurrent enrollment programs.

6. African American/ Black History Studies: School districts should prioritize the full inclusion and African American/ Black perspectives in our history and all the curriculum for K-12 public schools. And mandate Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement and establish campus Black Student Unions to celebrate Black culture, lifestyle, and history. In addition, content and curriculum must be vetted with a critical antiracist and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) approach.

7. Recruit, Hire, and Retain More Black/ African American Educators: School district Human Resources and Recruitment departments should develop comprehensive and long-term strategies to recruit, hire, and retain more Black educators.
These seven demands are paramount to Black/ African American students to have equitable access and support their achievement in public schools.

Thank you in advance for prioritizing Black student safety and success. To discuss our concerns, please get in touch with us at blackparentalliance@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Black Parent Alliance