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Getting schools open again may truly be a down payment on the education debt owed to communities of color.

The pandemic has thrown a wrench into my field, widening the disparities between affluent and low-income communities even more. To provide healing from historical trauma and systemic oppression, I believe a new deal needs to be made.

In my work as the Superintendent of the Sausalito Marin School District, I see first hand the need for equitable and inclusive education structures. Since September 14, 2020, my district has safely remained open six hours a day, seven days a week. My district has had zero in-school transmissions of the virus even as we serve a high density, low income, predominantly Black, brown and immigrant community. In my 21 years as an educator, I’ve never seen students more excited to be at school and more engaged with learning than ever before. Below, I share a few lessons and examples from our district that can inform how we open schools nationwide.

Dr. Itoco Garcia

Writing since February 2022 · 1 story contributed