West Cook News

Revolutionary Oak Park Youth Action League (ROYAL) faculty advisor Cynthia Brito wants to see teachers pass all students of color regardless of performance during the COVID year.

“It is disappointing and exhausting to see the administration continually dismiss the lived realities of students of color,” Brito said. “The tired use of hollow equity and excellence promises and bureaucratic jargon further harms students collectively advocating for the school to validate their lived experience of the double pandemic of racism and COVID19. Students are failing, and if they fail, you all are failing.”

Brito argues the overwhelming majority of students now struggling with remote learning are students of color, and to continue on the same course would amount to upholding a system that leads to deep racial disparity.

“The high school is choosing to uphold white supremacy while claiming to be equitable,” she added. “You all know that Latinx and Black families are the hardest hit. Yet, the high school continuously and knowingly perpetuates harm. This high school refuses to see the humanity of young people of color, they do not center on mental health, they center on rigorous white supremacist structures of hollow schooling that they claim are necessary to succeed in society.”

Brito argues she doesn’t see the point of any of it.

“It is shocking to hear the administration worry about mastering skills that are largely based on white supremacist school structures, when in reality we should be mastering empathy, mental health and healing,” she said.

At Oak Park and River Forest High School, black and Latinx students recently held a press conference at the school demanding that school board officials convene an emergency board meeting to implement a no-fail policy for all students.

ROYAL organizers previously met with officials from District Board 200 and top school officials to address what they see as a “lack of equity and empathy” regarding this semester’s grades.

 Citing a recent survey that found nearly three out of every four students said that e-learning policies have added more stress/pressure on their education, ROYAL members are hoping to have a new grading system put in place at least over the short term

In addition to a no-fail policy, ROYAL is seeking a commitment from the school board that all students receive credit for their current classes, all seniors graduate with 'Bridge Cash Scholarship Pandemic Assistance,' students be given credit for taking part in mental health and healing activities, and a vow that the school will work with ROYAL "as a student community partner where ROYAL shall be given the power to implement recommendations and hold OPRFHS accountable for learning through the COVID19 pandemic and the US racial violence pandemic.”