LETTER TO THE EDITOR FROM VICTORIA MAKRIDES: Response to One Westwood Opinion Piece

Letter to the editor: Support for diversity, equity and inclusion goals enhances academic excellence for all children in Westwood schools

You recently published an opinion piece from a few people representing One Westwood. They oppose efforts to improve the inclusiveness and equity of our public schools. However, recently more than 1000 Westwood residents signed a statement supporting diversity, equity and inclusion goals in our public schools. Moreover, the opinion piece from One Westwood had a number of disturbing statements like setting up a false narrative that schools must choose between promoting academic excellence and encouraging emotional and social intelligence especially when it comes to recognizing and addressing ingrained societal prejudices. Speaking from my own experience as a child growing up in the segregated south, even at 5years old and even though it was not discussed in school, I saw the injustices and thankfully my parents weren’t afraid to talk honestly with me about it.Our schools can either reinforce societal injustices or expose and contextual them so that our children may grow up to be adults able to successfully navigate a multicultural society and possibly advocate for an equitable one too. By the way, “equitable” means, for example, that although a staircase may be freely available to use - not everyone can take advantage of it. To be equitable means to accommodate the needs of individual people. One size absolutely does not fit all. And all of our school community deserve to feel safe and represented in our publicly funded schools.

Victoria Makrides