PORTLAND, Ore. — School districts all over are responding in different ways to the protests and outcry for change.
We heard this week that schools in Portland will no longer have school resource officers on campus.
Portland Public Schools is planning to dedicate more resources to promote social justice and racial equity.
But other districts have also started making changes to tackle the issue of systemic racism.
Salem-Keizer School District
Conversations on race and systemic racism are being spearheaded by leadership in the Salem-Keizer School District.
“Our nation is consumed by a racist fire. It hurts to see the cities lit ablaze as I scroll through my phone. It hurts to see that my son is oblivious unto the world he is born, the world that we must prepare him for. It hurts because our most precious members, our children, don't deserve a world like this,” said Ricardo Larios, as he read his heartfelt poem during a video conference call with Salem-Keizer School District Staff. Larios is McKay High School’s Assistant Principal.
Hard conversations are being had everywhere.
On that same video chat Thursday, Superintendent Christy Perry made it a point to have a conversation about race. She’s made it clear that she won't stay silent about racism.
“It's a moral imperative that I speak up because then I give permission to our 4000 educators across the district to take action and I give them permission for that,” said Perry.
She addressed the issue in a couple of the district's last meetings before summer break.
“There is no neutrality in the racism of struggle. One either allows racial inequities to persevere as a racist or confronts racial inequities as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space as not racist. The claim of not racist neutrality is a mask for racism,” said Perry as she read a quote to her district staff.
A week prior to Thursday, she had put out a call to action to the roughly 3000 people throughout the district who tuned into her video chat.
“This week the question was what action will you take to be an anti-racist,” she said.
Perry got many responses from staff members in the district. Some of them said, resist, speak up be heard, and stop, look and listen.
Beaverton School District
Leadership within the Beaverton School District said ti is committing to hiring a more diverse stadd.
“It's a complex and difficult situation but I think it's the time and we really need to step up to the plate,” said Superintendent Don Grotting.
He said he hears his families of color. Grotting is superintendent of a district where 52% of students are minorities. But that diversity isn't reflected in district staff and Grotting knows it.
“In no ways do we have representation of staff of color in any categories, whether it's our classified, our certified, or our administrative ranks,” Grotting said.
He's made a commitment to change that in hiring practices moving forward. He said the district will also work on figuring out ways to remove barriers for students of color and support them.
“I just hope we don't miss this opportunity. This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity and we can't afford to miss it for the future of our children,” said Grotting.
What are other districts doing?
Meantime smaller districts all over are also contemplating how to respond. In the David Douglas School District, School Board Chair Andrea Valderrama is planning to introduce a plan to remove police from school-related events like football or basketball games.
Valderrama said she thinks action to remove school resource officers from campuses in Portland, has been long overdue.