South Bay Education Alliance (SBEA) is a nonpartisan organization created to ensure Excellence in Education remains a top priority in our schools.

We do support diversity of thought in the classroom and high standards for students of all ethnicities. We do support teaching students how to think but not what to think. We do not support the new educational ideology that prioritizes equal outcomes (equity) ahead of excellence and seeks to divide us on the basis of race.

Attention Redondo Beach Parents!

While parents have been busy keeping their heads above water dealing with COVID related issues – be it work, daycare, helping kids with homework or dealing with emotionally distraught children,

Our school district has been busily integrating Critical Race Theory into our classrooms.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a doctrine that seeks to divide people on the basis of race, relegating certain groups to the category of “oppressed” and others as “oppressors”.

Supporters of CRT believe America is a fundamentally racist country, with institutions that are systemically racist. The only solution is to dismantle and rebuild. Some of the ways to accomplish this: create a generation of student activists, and ensure those who disagree are intimidated into silence.

See here for further discussion by Chris Rufo, who has researched and written extensively on this movement that has swept through our K-12 programs:

The Battle over Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory Would Not Solve Racial Inequality: It would deepen it

School districts implementing Critical Race Theory seek to indoctrinate the youngest of children, creating lesson plans in which young children discover their “identity”, so the teacher may then categorize them accordingly, leading to thought segregation in the classroom, with a continual focus on race. Equity is the pathway towards lowering educational standards, to ensure the brightest children are left behind.

To give people an idea of the end result watch this video:

Student explaining Critical Race Theory in his school

The Redondo Beach school district has already begun the process of incorporating Critical Race Theory into the curriculum, with a focus on student activism.

Following the playbook that no child is too young to be exposed to this doctrine, 6th graders at Parras Middle School have been presented with an elective social justice/activism class which is clearly drawn from Critical Race Theory and is not a leadership class. Notice the references to bias, privilege and stereotypes.

It is disturbing to categorize an activism class as “leadership”. The Parras middle school course catalog may be found here. This class is on page 13, text is below:

Leadership

Prerequisite: Grade 6

Length: Yearlong, application required

The course is intended for students who are interested in school leadership, while also working through current issues around social justice. Students will help organize school activities and programs, and engage in a curriculum rich in topics of social justice.

This new elective at Parras is designed to help you do just that—learning how to confidently respond to issues of social injustice by respectfully making your voice heard. This class will be organized into 3 distinct parts:

1. Understanding our personal identities as they relate to bias and privilege

2. Explore the concept of justice by learning to recognize stereotypes and biases while learning to relate to people as individuals in order to recognize which voices are being heard on campus and which voices are not being heard.

3. Finally developing a project to take action. Students interested in this class will: be passionate about creating change, be willing to discuss hard topics and ultimately be confident to use their voices to create meaningful change.

This is nearly the same course description used at Adams Middle School with the title: Social Justice for 7th/8th graders. See AMS course catalog here with this course on page 12.

According to the school, this class is oversubscribed. However, from speaking with students, this was presented as a class about Student Body Leadership and planning parties and events.

Why would the school district change the name of this class?

How many other classes have misleading titles? Parents need to be attentive to the curriculum.

Every parent should insist that a class entitled Leadership be an actual leadership class as described to the students. There are many options, and an example of one can be found: Here.

Formation of the REC (Race and Equity Committee) behind closed doors.

The REC committee has been meeting since last year with no visibility to the community. Neighboring cities have made their committee meetings public and have allowed for public input.

The Superintendent set up this committee without a board vote and has shielded their discussions from the community. Some of the committee members have posted numerous disturbing comments on social media, many of which are offensive and radical:

If someone flies the American flag, they are racist
Disparaging people who are white (#white people doing bad things)
Disparaging the police
Have made numerous comments about “white supremacy”

….and more.

Is this truly a balanced approach to providing input to the School Board? Or was it purposely set up in this manner to push an agenda set by the Superintendent?

Due to pressure from concerned parents, the school finally put some information from the REC online – however, it is only a basic outline and does not contain details.

Every parent is entitled to see the final work product of this committee, with the opportunity to provide input before their recommendations have been implemented. This will influence what will happen in our schools.

It appears the school district is already moving forward with the integration of changes into the district with no community input.

Every discussion should be within full public view, with the ability of people to comment on the agenda. Most importantly, this group should represent more than just the most radical members of the Redondo Beach community.

Redondo Beach school district is incorporating

Black Lives Matter into the curriculum.

BLM is a partisan, political group with an agenda. They have no place in the classroom. Many of their political positions are in direct conflict with how parents have been raising their children. For example, BLM is opposed to the nuclear family (since scrubbed from their website once it received too much negative attention).

In particular, their comments in support of communism and marxism conflict with California Education code. See link HERE.

Disturbingly, this video was shown to 9 and 10 year olds and continues the theme of Critical Race Theory to persuade children to become activists. See video here: HERE.

What can concerned parents and community members do to push back?

1. Attend or comment at the July 27 school board meeting and request that this Leadership/Social Justice class is put on hold until there is a publicly noticed discussion with the exact curriculum available to the community with advance notice so there is time to review. Parents whose children signed up for this class under false pretenses should be notified.

2. Meet with school board members and share your concerns that Critical Race Theory is sweeping through the Redondo Unified school district. Ask them to state their position on CRT, and ask them to bring forth a publicly noticed discussion at a school board meeting so parents may provide input. They are elected officials and their job includes meeting with the people who voted them into office. Do not be shy!

3. Write your School Board and insist that the REC recommendations and work product in its entirety is immediately published on the school website. Any future committees should be set up properly, with a balance of perspectives, not just the most extreme. School Board Members’ information can be found here.

4. Write your School Board and insist that all material from Black Lives Matter is completely removed from all school curriculum. School Board Members’ information can be found here.

5. We need volunteers! Please offer to help by sending an email HERE!

6. Strength comes in numbers! Even if you do not plan to comment at the board meeting, please attend the July 27th 4pm board meeting in person or watch online. Plan to arrive early to find parking, go through a health screening and stand for a possible wait time.

If you are unable to attend in-person, please view the live screen here.

These newsletters will provide alerts about upcoming school board meetings and provide information about discussions and decisions made by the school board and school administrators.

Stay Tuned and Speak Up!

Do Not Remain Silent!

We need ALL Stakeholders in the South Bay to Make Their Voice Heard.

We have STRENGTH in numbers, and TOGETHER we can be a force that pushes back against these changes and instead pushes for EXCELLENCE and an APOLITICAL educational environment that allows students to develop critical thinking skills, the ability to debate varying points of view and above all, continue to strive for excellence in education.