The Poway Unified School District Board voted unanimously Thursday on a resolution that would introduce a more diverse curriculum and anti-bias training for faculty and students, and hire a more racially diverse staff.
Resolution No. 116-2020 aims to combat racism and inequity in the district by providing “racially and culturally diverse curriculum resources.” The district said it was already in talks of a resolution before the discovery of an Instagram account that details racism students have faced in school accelerated that discussion.
“There’s a lot of outrage and we owe it to our students and our community to be outraged as well and to work on it,” Board President Michelle O'Connor-Ratcliff told NBC 7.
The "Black in PUSD" Instagram account serves as a space where North County students of color can share their experiences with racism within the district. After learning about the account, the district reached out to its creators to discuss how to remedy the issue.
“This is going to be a collaboration between students, teachers, administrators, parents and the community as a whole,” one of the account creators told NBC 7.
Calls to make school curriculums more diverse have circulated nationwide amid civil unrest due to racial inequity. Such discussions have sparked recently following the killing of George Floyd, whose murder inspired a wave of protests and increased demands for justice and racial equality.
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Already California State University announced its students will be required to take an "Ethnic Studies" course in order to graduate. Supporters say the new requirement will ensure students learn more about marginalized groups.
Students hope the decision isn't just a charade. The district said its board is going to meet with the students behind the Instagram account for further discussion.
