San Mateo-Foster Schools support social justice including ‘Restorative Practices’

On June 1, 2020, San Mateo-Foster City School District Superintendent Joan Rosas sent parents a letter, “Reflecting on the death of George Floyd, Social Justice Resources,” that linked to a page on their website titled Supporting Social Justice.”

The resources included “resources addressing issues of race and social justice,” from Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance), the Zinn Ed Project, the Smithsonian’s African-American History Museum Talking About Race.

The superintendent’s letter mentioned an “Equity Task Force,” “Sanctuary Task Force” and “Restorative Practices.” The school system has also provided 20-page online booklet called “Supporting Social Justice.” Included in the booklet is a section, “Are your kids too young to talk about race? A visual and brief description of what children are able to understand about race starting from birth.” The entry includes “0-1 year of age” up through “5-7 years of age.” On page 18, the booklet shows a picture from a recommended graphic novel about race called “March.” The illustration reads, “To those who have said ‘Be patient and wait’ we have long said that we cannot be patient. We do not want our freedom gradually, we want to be FREE NOW!”