(Headline USA) Parents are in an uproar after one Florida school has released an “equity statement’ that targets “white advantage.”
Palm Beach County School Board said they are considering striking the language after a flood of complaints from parents, the Palm Beach Post reports.
One paragraph in particular has more than irked the local parents.
“Achieving racial equity requires proactive and continuous investment in historically marginalized groups who have endured centuries of systemic oppression,” the statement reads. “The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to dismantling structures rooted in white advantage and transforming our system by hearing and elevating under-represented voices, sharing power, recognizing and eliminating bias, and redistributing resources to provide equitable outcomes.”
Parents have continued to pressure the school board for a change, saying the statement incites racism.
“Your statement is dividing us, and it incites racism,” Jessica Martinez, who has two children in school, reportedly told board members at a meeting Wednesday. “Being a parent of both a Hispanic and a Caucasian student, this equity statement leads me to believe you’re viewing my children’s academics by the color of their skin or their ethnic background.”
Whether the school board will listen to parents and change the statement remains to be seen.
Below is the full equity statement:
The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to dismantling racism and other systems of oppression and inequity. We will create equitable and inclusive schools that ensure students have what they need to be successful in school and life.
Achieving racial equity requires proactive and continuous investment in historically marginalized groups who have endured centuries of systemic oppression. The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to dismantling structures rooted in white advantage and transforming our system by hearing and elevating under-represented voices, sharing power, recognizing and eliminating bias, and redistributing resources to provide equitable outcomes.
The School District of Palm Beach County will take ownership for students’ academic mastery, emotional intelligence, and social-emotional needs by creating environments where students, families, staff, and communities will develop agency and voice.
The School District of Palm Beach County acknowledges the existence of—and will eliminate—systems, processes, and mindsets that perpetuate race, ethnicity, poverty, disability, language status, undocumented status, religious affiliation, gender identity, and sexual orientation as predictors of achievement.
The School District of Palm Beach County will embrace, celebrate, and honor our students, families, staff, and community members and their unique cultural histories, while ensuring each student achieves personal and academic success.
