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Raising awareness and funds for local programs to educate against hate and take a stand against bullying, a sold-out group of more than 200 guests gathered for DiversiTea, the annual Santa Barbara Anti-Defamation League luncheon held May 10 at the Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club.
Supporters of the organization dressed in Moroccan-themed attire, filling the beachside patio with a flowing array of colorful skirts, dresses and loose-fitting djellabas. They strolled along the silent auction displays and booths overflowing with fine jewelry, handmade purses and arts and crafts in a Shuk-style market during the welcome reception.
“The ADL is a big partner with the Santa Barbara Unified School District,” said David Cash, who is retiring as district superintendent this summer. “They help us focus on ensuring that no kid is ever treated poorly in our schools, and they partner with us in a number of essential programs.
“This is one of the best events of the year.”
The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 to stop the defamation of Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all people. Now recognized as one of the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agencies, ADL strives to stop all forms of bias, defend democratic ideals and protect civil rights for all people, no matter their race, religion or sexual orientation.
ADL paid tribute to three local educators — from three different schools _ who have worked tirelessly to address achievement and opportunity gaps in their schools. Additionally, the women were honored for making a significant, lasting impact on students’ lives.
Dan Meisel, co-chairman of the ADL’s local Civil Rights Committee, asked the honorees to join him on stage as he shared their accomplishments with the crowd of fellow educators, friends, facility members and supporters.
Shawn Carey, principal of Dos Pueblos High School, was praised for her contributions in improving student cultural proficiency, inclusion and community within a student population that is 43 percent Latino and 42 percent non-Latino.
Using the power of communication as a key to acceptance and understanding between cultures, Carey established a committee of parents, educators and students, encouraging them to talk openly in both English and Spanish in real-time translations about diversity, race, bullying and building relationships on campus.
She also initiated a recruiting program that identifies and helps underrepresented students capable of enrollment in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate curriculum — doubling the number of low-income and Latino students enrolled in one or more AP or IB courses by 20 percent.
“This is a striking example of the Santa Barbara district’s laudable mantra in action — every child, every chance, every day,” Meisel said. “Dos Pueblos is doing wonderful things with students who have experienced opportunity gaps their entire educational lives.”
Jamie Persoon, principal of Canalino School in the Carpinteria Unified School District, worked closely with facility and staff members designing an academic and social intervention program for students in kindergarten to sixth grade that consists of individual or group study sessions between teacher and peer, ranging from 15 minutes to an hour — resulting in narrowing the 35 percent to 40 percent gap in reading fluency and comprehension to just 10 percent.
“Canalino’s student population is 70 percent Latino, 64 percent English language learner and 84 percent free and reduced lunch,” said Meisel, who also chairs the ADL National Task Force on Education and Equity. “Three years ago, many of these students were testing 35 to 40 percent lower than their higher-income and English-only peers.
“Last year, one of their four kindergarten classes arrived with only 9 percent readiness as measured by the KSEP. By the end of the year, that class led all four K classes with 81 percent proficiency in letters, 89 percent on sounds and 90 percent on number recognition. I can’t wait to see how these kids will do by fifth grade.”
Liz Barnitz, principal of El Camino School in the Goleta Union School District, who oversees a campus with an 80 percent Latino enrollment rate, has made incredible strides in enhancing and improving the student achievement in writing, reading and English comprehension by joining the No Excuses University network of schools.
Embracing the core values that every child has a right to be educated and prepped for college, Barnitz and her team of educators instilled student leadership by involving students in goal setting, and established various PTA meetings for parents in multiple languages to promote unity and encourage leadership.
Meisel added that the early intervention programs at Canalino and El Camino are compelling not just in the way they meet the needs of all students, but for their potential impact in preventing future bias and disparate experiences both at school and in the larger community, where the earlier communities can narrow achievement and opportunity gaps, while children grow up valuing and learning from each other.
“All of our honorees are wonderfully engaged in that effort and will be the first to tell you that they have not done it alone,” he said. “These achievements are team efforts and we celebrate those teams today.”
In closing, Meisel presented the honorees with a $1,000 check from ADL’s Ruth and Herman Hausman Education Endowment to assist and support their ongoing work.
“We have chosen these honorees as the team’s representatives to highlight the importance of the leaders’ role in making change a priority, and tirelessly championing both it and those team members engaged in making it happen,” he said.
The Santa Barbara Tri-Counties Office, which includes the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, opened in 2001 and is one of 28 regional ADL offices nationally.
Click here for more information about the Anti-Defamation League of Santa Barbara. Click here to make an online donation.
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
