Teaching to Change LA: An online journal of IDEA, UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, & Access: Equal Terms in LA: The Struggle for Educational Justice, 1954: Vol.4, No. 1-5, 2003-2004
Equal Terms: A Los Angeles Dialogue
Educators, Advocates, Students, Parents, Policymakers Talking

icon: dialogue boxes

Does your school value diversity?

TCLA invites your classroom or community group to join the dialogue about the meaning of education on equal terms. Respond to our big question: How does your school value diversity? Or, answer some of the questions below.
Photo: Rosalba Adame-LeonRosalba Adame-Leon, Parent Community Facilitator with Local District I
At Roosevelt, when I was there, the best of the classes and the best of everything was reserved for the Japanese American kids and only the top Black and Latino students. The Black and Latino students were mostly forgotten. We were just somebody they wanted to get out of there. We were not engaged. We were in the school but not a part of the school. (Read more)

"In American society, it’s so incorrect to be honest about racist feelings."- Jennifer Obidah

"Racism is there but what is scary is that we may not see it." - Rosalba Adame-Leon

Obidah and Adame-Leon argue that one important purpose of education is to expose and examine racism. Do you agree? Have you had the opportunity to study racism in your school? If so, what did you do and what do you feel like you learned?

"...through teaching our children and giving them a good foundation of culture they will be able to understand other people’s cultures and other people’s points of view."- Marcos Aguilar

What does it mean for young people to gain a ‘good foundation of culture?’ Does understanding your own community’s culture help you to better understand other communities? How?

"After the walkouts things did change a lot; we had our ballet folklorico group and we didn’t have that before." - Daniel Lopez

What would you look for as evidence that a school respects all the cultures and languages of all its students? What student actions might lead schools today to demonstrate greater respect for student diversity?

Participate in our dialogue!

If you would like to submit a statement to Teaching to Change LA’s Equal Terms Dialogue, please fill out the electronic submission form.

Equal Terms Dialogue Box (Last updated )

Dolores Huerta, Community Leader and Activist
We need to support the whole “education not incarceration” movement, so that the money goes to schools, not to jails. Students must get involved , send letters to the legislature and the governor. And parents need to get involved and see what’s happening in their children’s schools. They need to support them and make them understand. (Read more)
Photo: Oscar de la TorreOscar de la Torre, SMMUSD School Board Member
If 30% of the population is Latino, than they should make up only 30% of the drop-outs or 30% of expulsions and suspensions. There should be proportional representation in the good and in the bad. So 30% of advanced placement students would be Latino. That’s just being reasonable. (Read more)
Photo: Sheila KuehlSheila Kuehl, Democrat, Los Angeles Senate District 23
I know it’s really scary, but standing up for your rights turns out to be very satisfying, even when it’s very hard. It’s the only thing that makes the law work in America.
(Read more)
Photo: Jennifer ObidahJennifer Obidah, UCLA Professor
You have to start where the student is. It’s creating an environment where there’s honest dialogue about the hardest issues and, yet, life can go on.
(Read more)
Marcos Aguilar, Principal of La Academia Semillas del Pueblo
We basically have a situation where outsiders are teaching a community’s children, with no regard to the community itself, with no regard for the ultimate outcome of their actions with the children, with no regard for anything past that one year that they are with them. (Read more)

Daniel Lopez,
High School Teacher
A lot of our students don’t even go to the doctor because they don’t have medical insurance. So we have programs now, we have clinics; we have a health person at school to provide that assistance for students, and we didn’t have that six years ago.(Read more)