RACE-BASED NARRATIVES DIVIDE THE COMMUNITY
The San Dieguito Union High School District board voted 3-1 on April 20 to place Superintendent Dr. Cheryl James-Ward on administrative leave following a parent-led protest that opposed comments she had made on April 11 about Asian American achievement at a district diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training session.
Dr. James-Ward made an observation on the phenomenon of more immigrants settling down in the school district: “a large influx of Chinese families move in, sight unseen, into our homes, our community.”
I represent a watchdog group that monitors curricula changes and extracurricular programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion and other contested concepts. My group Californians for Equal Rights Foundation worked with San Dieguito Union High School District parents and concerned citizens by alerting them to Dr. James-Ward’s questionable remarks and providing information on how to participate at school board meetings. Equipped with knowledge, courageous parents have effectively organized themselves to demand accountability and good leadership. Ironically, Dr. James-Ward’s supporters even shamelessly spread disinformation in a flier accusing Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, a grassroots group without any big foundation support, of being a part of a national “white supremacist network.”
Unfortunately, when faced with public exposure and scrutiny, Dr. James-Ward has chosen to blame the messenger, pandered to victimhood and absolved herself of any wrongdoing for inaccurately attributing the academic achievement gap to rich Chinese immigrants. She even doubled down to advocate for more diversity and equity programming and retracted an apology she had sent in a district email on April 13. What is more problematic than her divisive comments is Dr. James-Ward’s utter unwillingness to take responsibility, signaling a dearth of integrity, ethics and accountability expected of any capable leader. Her conduct demonstrates that she is not a good role model to promote these good values.
More importantly, events surrounding this particular incident demonstrate bigger challenges within our public education system in the San Dieguito Union High School District and beyond. According to data from the World Population Review, California has the lowest literacy rate of any state: nearly 1 in 4 people over the age of 15 lack the skills to decipher the words in this sentence. In another San Diego County school district, the San Diego Unified School District, significantly fewer students have been identified for its Gifted and Talented Education program since 2015 so that the district can prioritize a partisan sense of equity. The San Dieguito Union High School District ranks among the top 5 percent among all public school districts in California, but still 28 percent of its students couldn’t do math proficiently and 21 percent couldn’t read proficiently at their respective grade levels.
Dr. James-Ward has a primary responsibility to champion education-related policy reforms to improve student performance in key subject areas. At a minimum, she should have encouraged balancing perspectives when introducing social programs with highly debatable concepts such as diversity and equity, anti-racism, ethnic studies and so on. To which extent must a diversity initiative be popularized without acknowledging the vital role of dissent? Can ethnic studies be taught through a constructive lens without politicization and racial tribalism, without presuming the omnipotence of “systemic inequities”? Dr. James-Ward’s second “apology,” emailed to parents on April 15, seized on the opportunity to push for “continued staff equity and inclusion training,” rather than initiating conversations that critically analyze the “equity” paradigm.
Additionally, Dr. James-Ward’s racially insensitive remarks exposed the inherent flaws of a corrosive dogma that filters all perceived outcomes through the prism of race. Race-based thinking guides the race-based policymaking behind Dr. James-Ward’s notion that some kids in her district outperform others because they come from rich immigrant backgrounds. Race-based narratives inevitably divide the community, creating confusion and counterproductive infighting.
My group’s work is rooted in our firm beliefs in equality and merit. The first value is a key component of civil rights that translates into equal access, equal protection and equal opportunity on a fundamentally individual basis. Race-based thinking is antithetical to this core value. The second value is the cornerstone of our modern liberal democracy that rewards personal agency, initiative, empowerment and perseverance. When concerned San Dieguito parents gave public comments regarding Dr. James-Ward’s remarks at several board meetings, they were speaking first and foremost as Americans who embrace the merits of the American Dream and question the capabilities of a school district leader. As ordinary, apolitical Americans, these parents simply want accountability.
Everyone has a unique and inspiring story to tell; accounts of overcoming great obstacles have nothing to do with their “Asian-ness.” I am not working for narrow group representation or divisive ethnic self-interest. Instead, I advocate for core American values that can unite all of us.
The core missions of public education are to sufficiently prepare our kids for a globally competitive world and to help them build character through an emphasis on virtuous values. A competent education leader must be primarily concerned with accomplishing these goals and uniting different voices within the community. Such a leader must also profess and model values conducive to improve educational outcomes for all students.