EQUITY RESOURCES
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WATCH
COVID-19 and Race: Educational Equity in a New Era​​
This panel discussion featuring our Superintendent, Dr. Sharonica Hardin-Bartley, as well as other inspiring local leaders, was organized and facilitated by Washington University's Brown School. It is a powerful call to action. ​
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#saysomething is a weekly online learning experience that prepares ALL students to thrive. It is designed for those who are committed to creating equitable, just and anti-racist educational institutions.
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More than 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, the education system in St. Louis is still separate and still unequal. Still Separate, Still Unequal is a community accountability and advocacy tool from Forward Through Ferguson that examines these inequities and serves as a call to level the education playing field in St. Louis. Explore this site to learn more about our current education landscape, and to understand why if we want to change our education outcomes, we have to go upstream.
LISTEN
School Colors is a narrative podcast from Brooklyn Deep about how race, class, and power shape American cities and schools. It follows generations of parents and educators fighting for their children and their community in a rapidly changing Black neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.
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Schools and Democracy: Education for Character
Dr. Kashina Bell, Assistant Superintendent at SDUC on this thought-provoking episode of the Teacher Stories podcast.
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We know American public schools do not guarantee each child an equal education. Two decades of school reform initiatives have not changed that. From Serial and The New York Times “Nice White Parents” is a five-part podcast looking at the 60-year relationship between white parents and the public school down the block.
READ
Segregation in St. Louis: Dismantling the Divide
This report was written by the For the Sake of All team in partnership with multiple individuals and organizations who shared their time and knowledge.
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At the direction of community feedback collected in 2019 and 2020, the third installment in Forward through Ferguson's State of St. Louis (SOSTL) series looks at the education system.
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How Marginalized Families are Pushed Out of PTAs
Parents with socioeconomic resources are more likely to exert influence on school officials. We are committed to leveling the playing field for the good of ALL children in UCity. Read this to understand about the inequities so we can better address them.
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Thanks to parents’ donations, some public schools can afford shiny extras like coding classes, camping trips, and classroom iPads. Other PTAs can’t afford things like that, which can give different schools, even those close to one another, vastly different resources.
FOR EDUCATORS
A resource dedicated to creating equitable and caring classrooms for children.
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Black Lives Matter at School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education. We encourage all educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations to join their annual week of action during the first week of February each year.​
TALKING TO KIDS
Racism In Media
Helping kids become critical thinkers and consumers of media is especially important parenting practice in this age of relentless bombardment of media into kids’ lives via their electronic devices. We have to be agile in our parenting practice and be very proactive about this topic.
Tip Sheet: Talking to Kids about Racial Stereotypes
Video: Talking to Kids about Racism in the Media by Raising Equity
Article: Nine things parents should consider when searching for anti-racist media
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Talking about Protest
Article: Talking With Kids about Protest (Ages 6 and Under)
Article: Talking to Kids about Protest: Five Things I Want My Kids to Know
Article: Parenting in a Time of Protest
Video: Having the Talk: What to Say to Kids About Protests, Racism and Violence
Article: How to Talk About Race and Protests with Your Kids, Explained by a Child Psychologist
RE: HOLIDAYS
The following content is courtesy of many hearts, hands, and minds – all organized by the local nonprofit We Stories. Click each heading to access a PDF with more reading and resources.
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Nationally, there is a movement to shift focus from Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day. The atrocities Columbus foisted on indigenous populations are well documented, and it’s time to stop romanticizing this explorer, and others like him.
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Includes a number of resources for talking with kids, fellow caregivers, and educators about racially stereotyped costumes and invites us to use this holiday to dismantle those stereotypes as a step toward dismantling white supremacy.
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The promise of loving nostalgia and stories of beautiful, peaceful cooperation lulls us into a complacency of perpetuating this fiction. It’s time for us to get clear on the reasons we can no longer continue to market the false narratives surrounding Thanksgiving. Instead, teachers and families can de-romanticize this holiday, by engaging Native perspectives that recognize the diversity of Indigenous peoples and their contemporary presence in 21st-century America.
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The ubiquitous "holiday" party can seem like harmless, vaguely winter-themed entertainment, masking the dominance of Christian traditions and practices within institutions – even including public schools. For the winter season particularly, creating a broadened context for how these darkest days of the season have been recognized and celebrated in cultures all around the world could help students grow in their understanding of the various cultural norms that American immigrants have also brought with them to this nation.
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NATIONAL READING MONTH & DR. SEUSS DAY
In the years since the inception of National Reading Month, parents and educators across the nation have been learning to talk about race and racism in literature. As those conversations were occurring, racist details of author Theodore Geisel’s (Dr. Seuss) work in other arenas became known. Additionally, some began to spot some disturbing themes in previously beloved books. Let's continue to shape our children's love of reading by being intersectional about the books and authors we uplift and celebrate.
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This week originated at an elementary school in Seattle in 2016 and has since spread to more than 20 cities nationwide. As caregivers, and community members, we can support and encourage our school communities to join this nationwide movement.
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Our task as caregivers is to not only advocate for heftier lessons of Black history during February, but also to encourage and support the teaching of Black history in every subject throughout the year. We must also ask educators to remember that Black history does not start with slavery in America, but begins in Africa.
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Community Resources
COVID-19 Resources for UCity​​ School District
All UCSD students and family members qualify for FREE COVID-19 saliva testing at convenient drive-through sites. Testing is done in partnership with Washington University physicians. Call (314) 454-4269 to set your appointment.
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SDUC's list of community resources
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Tutoring
Access St. Louis Public Library's tutoring hub HERE. Students can access academic tutoring, homework help and test prep assistance. Live tutoring is available from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day of the week. Students may also upload a document 24/7 to receive tutor feedback. Anyone with a valid St. Louis County Library card can access this resource.
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Vision Screening & Glasses
Kids Vision For Life provides no cost vision screenings, eye exams, and prescription eyewear to St. Louis area students.