(NAME-MCE) FW: A Ltr from Karen Salazar: The LA Latina Teacher fired for being "Too afro-centric" and teaching students "how to protest"

Fri Jun 13 14:16:26 EDT 2008

From: African-Americans in Higher Education
[mailto:AFAMHED at LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU] On Behalf Of S. E. Anderson
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 10:39 AM
To: AFAMHED at LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: [AFAMHED] A Ltr from Karen Salazar: The LA Latina Teacher fired for
being "Too afro-centric" and teaching students "how to protest"

LA Latina Teacher fired for being "Too afro-centric" and teaching students
"how to protest"

 link to a video of her students speaking on it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yxwUFPokuQ

>From Ms. Karen Salazar:

Peace fam,

i'm writing to ask for your support. As most of you know, i have been
teaching English at Jordan High School (Watts) for the past two years. In my
two years here, i have had several "run-ins" with administration, and now
the latest - i was informed last month by the principal that he will not
renew my contract for the next school year. In LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified
School District) terms, a non-renewal of contract equals i've been fired.
i'm not being transferred, i'm simply no longer able to work in LAUSD. The
good news, though, is that i have only been given verbal notification, but
have not yet received anything in writing. i have until June 30th to
pressure the principal into reversing this decision.

i'm asking for your support not because i'm facing losing my job, but
because it sets a dangerous precedent for progressive / critical educators.
i am not being fired because i have failed to teach the state standards
(none of my evaluations negate the fact am teaching to the standards). i am
being fired because i am trying to ensure that my curriculum is relevant to
my students' daily lived experiences, and in the process, create a space for
them to be critical of Eurocentric society and curricula that only serve to
reinforce their dehumynization, subjugation, and oppression. Many of you
have been forwarding messages about the Arizona bill that seeks to end Raza
Studies and MEChA, and while my situation is not as large scale, it is still
an attack on the quality, culturally-relevant education Students of Color
deserve.

i have been harassed by administration since last school year for my alleged
encouragement of "militancy" among students. Last year there was a group of
students, called the Watts Student Union, who began organizing themselves
and created a list of demands they presented to the school and district. The
administration did not think students were capable (smart enough?) of
organizing themselves and articulating their demands on their own, so
another colleague and i were accused of being the real "masterminds" behind
their work.

This year, administration has continued their vendetta against me. i have
been observed in the classroom and evaluated by administration over a dozen
times (almost twice a month) this school year, whereas in comparison, most
teachers are observed and evaluated 1-3 times per school year. The
evaluations claim that i am creating "militancy" within students, promoting
my personal political beliefs, and presenting a biased view of the
curriculum. It has also been implied that i have been teaching students "how
to protest."

Three weeks ago, things began escalating when i was again observed, and in
his evaluation, the administrator accused me of "brainwashing" my students
and "forcing extremist views" on them. The class had been reading a 3-page
excerpt of the Autobiography of Malcolm X (an LAUSD-approved text, of which
we have several class sets in our school bookroom), in which Malcolm
describes the first time he conked his hair.

Since then, i have been observed and evaluated two additional times (which
makes a total of three times in as many weeks), and during one of those
observations, an administrator sat in my class for 45 minutes and proceeded
to interrogate me about the lesson. When i showed him the textbook from
which the lesson was directly taken, he remained unsatisfied and continued
to question me about it. Both students and an aide who was present told me
afterwards that they felt extremely uncomfortable with his behavior.

It is important for me to point all of this out because while there has been
much talk of teachers being laid off due to the impending budget cuts, my
dismissal has nothing to do with budget cuts. My contract is being
terminated because according to the principal, i am "indoctrinating students
with anti-Semitism and Afrocentrism." The anti-Semitism accusation comes
solely from the fact that i have an Intifada poster hanging in my classroom
(a symbol of support for a free Palestine), and the Afrocentrism accusation
comes from the fact my culturally-relevant curriculum reflects the
demographics of my students, though i am surprised i am not being accused of
Raza-centrism as well.

My students have already begun to organize themselves and their parents.
Several other teachers have also expressed their support and are now
collecting signatures for a petition to renew my contract. The Association
of Raza Educators (ARE) is also in full solidarity and is supporting
students and parents in their efforts. i am hoping that you will support me
as well.

Right now, we're hoping that simple community pressure will be enough to
send a clear message that our communities support culturally-relevant
curricula and will not stand for teachers being reprimanded, particularly to
this degree, because of their implementation of such a curriculum. The
contact information for key school and district players is provided below.
If you're able to, please come through to the protest students are
organizing for this Thursday, June 5th at 3:30pm in front of the school.

While i recognize that i am still a new teacher, and i have much more growth
and development ahead of me, i love my students with my entire being. i
teach because i have no alternative but to struggle against the
dehumynization of people i love, and i refuse to be complicit in the
teaching of values and ideas that contribute to that dehumynization. i am
ready and willing to fight this until the end, no matter the outcome, and i
am hoping you will have my back and my students' backs in this fight, even
if it means taking it out of the boardroom and into the streets.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Justicia!

Karen Salazar-Reyes
Teacher, Jordan High School
Association of Raza Educators
Stephen Strachan, Principal
Jordan High School
(323) 568-4100

---------------------------------------
s. e. anderson is author of "The Black Holocaust for Beginners"
Social Activism is not a hobby: it's a Lifestyle lasting a Lifetime
http://blackeducator.blogspot.com
---------------------------------------

-- 

See Exclusive Videos:
<http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1403465002?bclid=1527697154
&bctid=1531204364> 10th Annual Young Hollywood Awards