Barrera Minute #1
What’s Keeping Me Up At Night
I’M ANGRY AND HORRIFIED. BUT I AM ALSO INSPIRED
Worrying about how to protect our kids from the terror being unleashed on our communities keeps me awake at night. In my seventeen years as a member of the Board of Education at San Diego Unified, I thought I’d seen it all – draconian budget cuts, COVID, lead in the drinking water. But the specter of armed, masked soldiers, meant to protect our communities and our country, barging into schools and classrooms and snatching people off the streets makes those challenges pale in comparison.
With more than 100,000 students at San Diego Unified (more than half from immigrant families) we’ve taken steps to protect our kids. (Details below) Thus far, we haven’t had a single confrontation with ICE on any of our campuses. But it’s still keeping me up at night.
THIS NIGHTMARE CAN BECOME A REALITY AT ANY TIME
Right in my own neighborhood, parents picking up their kids from after school activities recently had to scramble to protect them as masked agents in riot gear descended on a beloved local restaurant, handcuffing every employee and demanding to see their papers. And in Oceanside, less than forty miles north of here, a dad dropped his daughter off at elementary school and then was forced into an SUV with tinted windows by ICE agents lying in wait just half a mile away. As Senior Policy Advisor at the California Department of Education, I hear chilling stories like these from every corner of the state.
BUT WE CAN FIGHT BACK
Thousands of people are taking to the streets in peaceful protest. We can fight back. And no one has to do it alone.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
That’s why I’m launching The Barrera Minute, an occasional – and quick – read about ways every student, every teacher, and every community can protect themselves. And more than that, I want to highlight the inspiring work happening here in San Diego and throughout the state to ensure our public schools are welcoming environments dedicated to student success. Here’s one example from San Diego:
“PROTECTING OUR STUDENTS”
At San Diego Unified, we are proud that we have not had a single confirmed intrusion from ICE since we launched our “Protecting Our Students” campaign last December. But we’re not taking anything for granted. We have given our students and educators the tools to fight back if armed federal agents do show up. Here’s what I said about that recently. [1]
Protecting Our Students is a wide ranging compilation of resources for educators and families – from “Know Your Rights” wallet cards [2] to a Family Preparedness Toolkit. Today, I am sharing these resources with folks in other parts of the state who are also on the front lines of this battle for the soul of our democracy and the future of our educational system. You can find out more here.[3]
I am proud to be in this with you. Want to know more about me? Find that at my Website.
Forward together,
Richard
