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Above: Nearly 300 residents turned out for the #SchoolsNotPrisons event in downtown Merced earlier this month. Families enjoyed food, music and important community discussion on ending the school-to-prison pipeline. (Photo by Kody Stoebig) By Maria Dominguez MERCED, Calif.– On July 8th, the Multi-Cultural Arts Center in downtown Merced saw around 300 people attend in support of the statewide “Schools Not Prisons” campaign. Read More
#SchoolsnotPrisons building healthy communities merced merced county schools spotlight we'ced youth mediaStatewide social justice campaign #SchoolsNotPrisons held its first event in Merced, Calif. on July 8, bringing nearly 300 people out in support of dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline.
#SchoolsnotPrisons arts BHC Merced merced merced county prison pipeline schools spotlight we'ced youth mediaAbove: Local parent Carla Gonzalez addressed the Merced City School District board of trustees during the June 13 public hearing on school funding. Language access and translation services were among the most frequent concerns presented to the board, which is scheduled to vote on the district’s 2017-2018 equity-funding plan June 27. Read More
community Hmong language Local Control Accountability Plan Local Control Funding Formula merced Merced City School District parents public hearing schools spanish spotlight translationThe event was a joint effort by BHC and partner groups like Cultiva La Salud, Healthy Equity Project and the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) that provided dozens of MCSD parents with a chance to air concerns over the district’s spending. In total, more than two-dozen families were in attendance, speaking four different languages and representing a wide swath of the community concerned over the lack of transparency in the district’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCAP is a statewide requirement for school districts that must show how each agency plans to spend money provided through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Like many districts, MCSD relies on LCFF dollars for a majority of its budget and the state funds accounted for 75 percent of the district’s $134 million 2016-2017 budget. About $21 million of those LCFF funds are considered equity-based and intended specifically for high-need populations like foster youth, low-income students and English Learners.
LCAP LCFF SAT school spotlight students youthWhat are we doing and why are we doing it? Those seem to be the questions that keep coming up as I try to differentiate my thoughts from a once thoughtless category of opinion. What opinions you ask? Well let’s start with the obvious narrative of politics and all its rich participants, oh sorry, I meant rich discussions.
Democrat immigration Politics Republican spotlight uc merced undocumentedUnfortunately, there are many situations in schools throughout the country where students are discriminated against because of what they wear, who they love, and who they are. These students are bullied and they are humiliated, resulting in both physical and emotional scars that will haunt them for a long while. It’s very upsetting to see schools turn away from the kind of progress made in recent years when it comes to things like LGBTQ+ rights and gender stereotypes. More and more, students are again becoming afraid, keeping their identities and their views in the shadows.
LGBT issues LGBT Students Muerced Union High School district school spotlight students