Teacher fired for being "Too Afro-Centric"

They won't stop us!







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 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