Board of Education FROM
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Board of Education FROM
BOARD OF EDUCATION Attachment: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Date: TO: Board of Education FROM: Glenn “Max” McGee, Ph.D., Superintendent SUBJECT: Process for Renaming Facilities Discussion 9 01.12.16 STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE Governance and Communication RECOMMENDATION The Board of Education will hear a presentation requesting that the Board appoint an advisory committee as described in BP 7310 to consider the renaming of Jordan Middle School. The Board will discuss the process for naming facilities and return this item for action at its January 26 meeting. BACKGROUND On November 13 Mr. Lars Johnsson sent an email requesting that the Board place an item to consider renaming Jordan School on the agenda of a regular Board meeting. In accordance with BB 9322, Mr. Johnsson provided the necessary “supporting documents and information,” and in the following agenda setting meeting, the Board President, Vice-President, and Superintendent agreed that the item should be placed on the agenda for discussion of the renaming process. While the Board ultimately approves the name of a district facility, BP 7310 Naming of Facility (attachment A) describes a process that the Superintendent recommends using for consideration of renaming Jordan and perhaps other schools who were named after individuals that were associated with eugenics (attachment C). The relevant wording from the policy is: “The Board of Education may name district schools and other district-owned or leased buildings, grounds, and facilities in recognition of: 1. Individuals, living or deceased, and entities that have made outstanding contributions, including financial contributions, to the school community 2. Individuals, living or deceased, who have made contributions of statewide, national, or worldwide significance 3. The geographic area in which the school or building is located The Board encourages community participation in the process of selecting names. A citizen advisory committee may be appointed to review name suggestions and submit recommendations for the Board's consideration. . . Before adopting any proposed name, the Board shall hold a public hearing at which members of the public will be given an opportunity to provide input.” At the meeting Mr. Johnsson will make a 10 to 15 minute presentation (attachment D) following which the Board will discuss the process for naming facilities and determine whether to have an action item at a future meeting that would establish a citizen advisory committee to consider renaming Jordan or other facilities. The Board will also discuss the pros and cons of whether a future committee would be a Board committee or Superintendent’s Advisory Committee as described in BP and AR 1220. (attachment B). In addition to Mr. Johnsson’s presentation, I asked the Social Justice Pathway teachers at Paly to see if there students were interested in researching school names and providing information and their thinking on the consideration for renaming the school. While they have only had minimal preparation time, if they are ready to provide the Board with this information, we will hear from them. In addition, we expect that several community members will want to make public comments. Given that we have allotted sixty minutes for this item and one Board member needs to leave at approximately 9:30 pm to catch a flight to the East Coast we may want to assure that we have time for Board discussion prior to hearing all of the comments. That said, everyone who wants to make a comment will have the opportunity at the meeting in accordance with our established practices. The following supporting documents are enclosed: Attachment A BP 7310 Attachment B BP and AR 1220 Attachment C Ms. Antik’s background information on school names Attachment D Mr. Johnsson’s presentation Attachment E Jordan Renaming Petition Attachment F CAC and PASS signed letters of endorsement Attachment G Emails and letters of support Facilities BP 7310 NAMING OF FACILITY The Board of Education may name district schools and other district-owned or leased buildings, grounds, and facilities in recognition of: 1. Individuals, living or deceased, and entities that have made outstanding contributions, including financial contributions, to the school community 2. Individuals, living or deceased, who have made contributions of statewide, national, or worldwide significance 3. The geographic area in which the school or building is located The Board encourages community participation in the process of selecting names. A citizen advisory committee may be appointed to review name suggestions and submit recommendations for the Board's consideration. (cf. 1220 - Citizen Advisory Committees) Any name adopted for any new school shall not be so similar to the name of any existing district school as to result in confusion to members of the community. Before adopting any proposed name, the Board shall hold a public hearing at which members of the public will be given an opportunity to provide input. (cf. 9320 - Meetings and Notices) When naming or renaming a district school, building, or facility, the Board may specify the duration for which the name shall be in effect. Memorials Upon request, the Board shall consider planting commemorative trees, erecting monuments, or dedicating buildings, parts of buildings, athletic fields, gardens, or other district facilities, in memory of deceased students, staff members, community members, and benefactors of the district. 1 BP 7310 NAMING OF FACILITY (continued) Legal Reference: EDUCATION CODE 35160 Authority of governing boards Policy adopted: 01.12.10 and 01.31.12 PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Palo Alto, California 2 BOARD POLICY Community Relations BP 1220 CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES The Board of Education recognizes that citizen advisory committees enable the Board to better understand the interests and concerns of the community. The Board shall establish citizen advisory committees when required by law, to strengthen the effectiveness of district and school operations, or to enhance student learning. The purpose of any such committees shall be clearly defined and aligned to the district's vision, mission, and goals. The Board may dissolve any advisory committee not required by law when the committee has fulfilled its duties or at any time the Board deems it necessary. (cf. 0000 - Vision) (cf. 0200 - Goals for the School District) (cf. 0420 - School Plans/Site Councils) (cf. 0420.1 - School-Based Program Coordination) (cf. 0430 - Comprehensive Local Plan for Special Education) (cf. 2230 - Representative and Deliberative Groups) (cf. 3280 - Sale, Lease, Rental of District-Owned Real Property) (cf. 5030 - Student Wellness) (cf. 6020 - Parent Involvement) (cf. 6174 - Education for English Language Learners) (cf. 6175 - Migrant Education Program) (cf. 6178 - Career Technical Education) (cf. 9130 - Board Committees) The Superintendent or designee may establish advisory committees which shall report to him/her in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation. Citizen advisory committees shall serve in an advisory capacity; they may make recommendations, but their actions shall not be binding on the Board or Superintendent. The membership of citizen advisory committees should reflect the diversity of the community and represent a diversity of viewpoints. The Superintendent or designee shall provide training and information, as necessary, to enable committee members to understand the goals of the committee and to fulfill their role as committee members. Within budget allocations, the Superintendent or designee may approve requests for committee travel and may reimburse committee members for expenses at the same rates and under the same conditions as those provided for district employees. (cf. 3350 - Travel Expenses) Legal reference next page 1 CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES BP 1220 Legal Reference: EDUCATION CODE 8070 Career technical education advisory committee 11503 Parent involvement program 15278-15282 Citizens' oversight committee 15359.3 School facilities improvement districts 17387-17391 Advisory committees for use of excess school facilities 35147 School site councils and advisory committees 41505-41508 Pupil Retention Block Grant 41570-41573 School and Library Improvement Block Grant 44032 Travel expense payment 52176 Advisory committees, limited-English proficient students program 52852 Site council, school-based program coordination 54425 Advisory committees, compensatory education 54444.1-54444.2 Parent advisory councils, services to migrant children 56190-56194 Community advisory committee, special education 62002.5 Continuing parent advisory committees REPEALED EDUCATION CODE FOR CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS 52012 School site council GOVERNMENT CODE 810.2 Tort claims act, definition employee 810.4 Tort claims act, definition employment 815.2 Injuries by employees within scope of employment 820.9 Members of local public boards not vicariously liable 6250-6270 California Public Records Act 54950-54963 Brown Act UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42 1751 Note Local wellness policy COURT DECISIONS Frazer v. Dixon Unified School District, (1993) 18 Cal.App.4th 781 Management Resources: CSBA PUBLICATIONS Maximizing School Board Leadership: Community Leadership, 1996 WEB SITES CSBA: http://www.csba.org California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov Policy adopted: 01.12.10 and 11.18.14 PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Palo Alto, California 2 Community Relations AR 1220 CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES Committee Charge When committees are appointed, committee members shall receive information including, but not limited to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. The committee members' names The procedure to be used in the selection of the committee chairperson and other committee officers The name(s) and contact information of staff member(s) assigned to support the work of the committee The goals and specific charge(s) of the committee, including its topic(s) for study The specific period of time that the committee is expected to serve Legal requirements regarding meeting conduct and public notifications Resources available to help the committee perform its tasks Timelines for progress reports and/or final report Relevant Board policies and administrative regulations Members of advisory committees are not vicariously liable for injuries caused by the act or omission of the district or a committee and are not liable for injuries caused by an act or omission of a committee member acting within the scope of his/her role as a member of the committee. However, a member may be liable for injury caused by his/her own wrongful conduct. (Government Code 815.2, 820.9) (cf. 3530 - Risk Management/Insurance) Committees Subject to Brown Act Requirements The following committees shall comply with Brown Act requirements pertaining to open meetings, notices, and public participation, pursuant to Government Code 54950-54963: 1. Advisory committees established pursuant to Education Code 56190-56194 related to special education (cf. 0430 - Comprehensive Local Plan for Special Education) 2. Other committees created by formal Board of Education action (cf. 9130 - Board Committees) (cf. 9320 - Meetings and Notices) (cf. 9321 - Closed Session Purposes and Agendas) (cf. 9321.1 - Closed Session Actions and Reports) (cf. 9323 - Meeting Conduct) 1 AR 1220 CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES (continued) Committees Not Subject to Brown Act Requirements The following committees are exempt from the Brown Act but must conform with procedural meeting requirements established in Education Code 35147: 1. School site councils established pursuant to Education Code 41507, 41572, or 52852 related to student retention, school or library improvement, or school-based program coordination (cf. 0420 - School Plans/Site Councils) (cf. 0420.1 - School-Based Program Coordination) 2. District or school advisory committees established pursuant to Education Code 52176 related to programs for students of limited English proficiency (cf. 6174 - Education for English Language Learners) 3. School advisory committees established pursuant to Education Code 54425(b) related to compensatory education (cf. 6171 - Title I Programs) 4. Any district advisory committee established pursuant to Education Code 54444.2 related to migrant education programs (cf. 6175 - Migrant Education Program) 5. 6. School site councils established pursuant to Education Code 62002.5 related to economic impact aid and bilingual education School committees established pursuant to Education Code 11503 related to parent involvement (cf. 6020 - Parent Involvement) Meetings of the above councils or committees shall be open to the public. Any member of the public shall have the opportunity to address the council or committee during the meeting on any item within its jurisdiction. Notice of the meeting shall be posted at the school site or other appropriate accessible location at least 72 hours before the meeting, specifying the date, time, and location of the meeting and containing an agenda that describes each item of business to be discussed or acted upon. (Education Code 35147) 2 AR 1220 CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES (continued) The above councils or committees shall not take action on any item not listed on the agenda unless all members present unanimously find that there is a need to take immediate action and that this need came to the council's or committee's attention after the agenda was posted. In addition to addressing items on the agenda, members of the council, committee, or public may ask questions or make brief statements that do not have a significant effect on district students or employees or that can be resolved solely by providing information. (Education Code 35147) Councils or committees violating the above procedural requirements must, at the demand of any person, reconsider the item at the next meeting, first allowing for public input on the item. (Education Code 35147) Any materials provided to a school site council shall be made available to any member of the public upon request pursuant to the California Public Records Act. (Education Code 35147; Government Code 6250-6270) (cf. 1340 - Access to District Records) Committees created by the Superintendent or designee to advise the administration and which do not report to the Board are not subject to the requirements of the Brown Act or Education Code 35147. (cf. 2230 - Representative and Deliberative Groups) Regulation Staff approved: 08.31.10 and 07.18.11 PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Palo Alto, California 3 To: The Members of the Palo Alto Unified School District’s Board of Education Melissa Baten Caswell, Barbara Klausner, Barbara Mitchell, Dana Tom, Camille Townsend, and Kevin Skelly, Superintendent From: Suz Antink, Paly Math Teacher, BTSA Coach and Fielding University Doctoral Student RE: The Naming of Schools Date: September 3, 2008 Cc: Dr. Kitty Kelly Epstein, Fielding University Dear Colleagues, As one of the older teachers working in our district, my teacher preparation program (over thirty years ago) neglected to fill me in on the history of our country’s educational plan. Since beginning a doctoral program, that oversight has been corrected, especially from the mid-1800s to the present day. As I have learned more and more about our country’s dreams and plans to educate its populace, some of our schools’ names honor those early designers, many of them by Stanford educational leaders. Unfortunately, because people are people and the times were what they were, some of those individuals have controversial reputations in educational history. Society has changed its opinion about some of the philosophies held by these educational leaders and I would like us, as a district, to consider our current philosophy in conjunction with the naming of our schools. After all, over the last few years our district has proudly embraced the notion of educating all students and to close the so-called achievement gap. In the twenty-five years that I’ve been at Paly, we have removed obstacles, increased our support, opened vistas, and we continue to do our best to give our students freedom to build the life of their dreams. Now that I’m confronted with the reputations of some of these educational leaders, I am concerned that as some students find out more about the history of education they may be conflicted about our school district’s intent to educate all. I do believe that the names of our schools should reflect our ideals and should encourage and support student aspirations. It is difficult to imagine how a student may feel attending a middle school that is named for a person who believed that, generally, different races tended to have different levels of intelligence. The name of a school is as basic as a mission statement or vision. So, I hope that you might consider my request to change the names of at least two of our schools, and possibly a third. In your consideration, I hope you will recognize that these individuals did their work with the best of intentions. They were very serious about the needs of our nation and worked hard to meet those needs. Two of the leaders in our nation’s goal to educate its populace were Lewis M. Terman and Ellwood P. Cubberley. Their assumptions, perhaps based on the philosophies of the times, are troubling in this time frame. Terman was a pioneer in cognitive psychology and his reputation is linked with the StanfordBinet IQ test. Binet designed and intended to use his test individually to help diagnose learning difficulties or to label the intelligence of suspected learning disabled children. Terman redesigned the test to be given in large groups for the ultimate use of sorting students for tracked education. (His test is still used, along with other measures, but in an individual setting once again as a diagnosing tool.) These tests are considered biased today but seemed to be “proof” that racial discrimination of educational opportunities was appropriate in his time. His “findings” fueled segregation and even eugenics. “Children of this group should be segregated into separate classes… They cannot master abstractions but they can often be made into efficient workers… from a eugenic point of view they constitute a grave problem because of their unusually prolific breeding.” (Terman, The Measurement of Intelligence, 1916, Pp. 91-92) His tracking of students placed nearly all African-American, Hispanic and Italian students in workforce tracks whereas the Nordic Caucasians tended to be placed in college bound tracks. Cubberley worked at Stanford with Terman and was exceedingly supportive of Terman’s ideas about education. He considered public education as a tool with which to shape society and society’s workers. Cubberley expected that with training appropriate to the intelligence of the student that society would be filled with happier people, comfortable in their niches. One of his quotes, which I’ve seen in a number of texts, is particularly supportive of a class system. “We should give up the exceedingly democratic idea that all are equal and that our society is devoid of classes. The employee tends to remain an employee; the wage earner tends to remain a wage earner.” He expected a growing economic and educational chasm between the elite and working class. He also expected some groups, generally identified by race, to comprise the illiterate and poor class, fit only for menial labor. The third name change consideration is David Starr Jordan. Also from Stanford University, he is well known as an ichthyologist, an educator, a peace activist and a eugenicist. He based his arguments against war on eugenics, citing that it removed the strongest people from the gene pool. I’m sure that he considered it socially responsible, wanting to make society healthy and vital, but the fallout from these ideas included forced sterilization and discrimination aimed at people identified as defective. (At the time, some defects were considered racially based.) Since WWII, long after his initial work, eugenics is associated with Nazi abuses and ethnic cleansing. I recognize that changing school names is an emotional issue, but I hope that you might consider it. In this place in time, the connections of these people’s mixed reputations with our mission and our philosophy seems contradictory. I recognize that they were doing what they believed was best for society at the time; their detractors, who challenged their assumptions were in the minority of the power base at the time so that other perspectives created little competition with their views and the execution of their ideas. Still, I believe that our current struggle, to encourage and support students successfully reaching their ambitions is somewhat hampered by the legacy left by their national design and its implementation. I recognize that I ran into this conundrum as I studied structured inequality, so, in all fairness, I researched the remainder of the schools’ names. I’ve included a listing about them, as much as I was able to find out. I have also included some suggestions about new names, should you consider changes. Thank you, Suz Our Schools: My heartfelt thanks to the schools that cite the person for whom they are named. Much of this information is from school websites, Google sites, Wikipedia and personal remembrances of local historians. Addison Elementary School I was unable to find solid evidence, but I believe that it was named for Joseph Addison, an English essayist and poet. (1672-1719) Juana Briones Elementary School Juana Briones (1804-1889) was a businesswoman, Curandero (a healer) and Landowner. She was an activist in that she fought to keep her land when discriminatory laws attempted to remove lands from all Spanish landowners. She is of mixed European, African and Native American ancestry. Duveneck Elementary This is unverified, but I did find some information about a very popular American figure and portrait painter named Frank Duveneck (1848-1919). The love of his life, his wife, Elizabeth Boott Duveneck (1846-1888) was also an American painter and died very young. The timing is right for the naming of the school after one of them. El Carmelo Elementary School I know that “el carmelo” means caramel in Spanish, but I don’t know if that is connected to name of this school. It may be named after a neighborhood. Escondido Elementary School Escondido means “hidden” in Spanish, such as in Hidden Valley or Hidden Heart. I don’t know if this has a connection to the school. It may be named after a neighborhood. Fairmeadow Elementary School This elementary school is named after one of two Eichler Home neighborhoods built in the 1950s. The neighborhoods have national acclaim as one of the loopiest curvilinear neighborhoods ever designed. Walter Hays Elementary School Walter Hays was a Presbyterian minister who was much loved and respected in Palo Alto although he was only here for 15 years (1905-1920). During that time he was president of the Board of Education which opened Palo Alto High School. The school opening was contentious and he was known for keeping the students’ needs at the center of his work and helping people work through their differences. Herbert C. Hoover Elementary School Hoover Elementary is named for President Herbert Hoover (1874-1964), a mining engineer and author. Hoover was US Secretary of Commerce under both Harding and Coolidge and was an economic modernist. He did believe in technical solutions for social and economic problems, which is reminiscent of the ideas of Terman, Cubberley and Jordan. Lucille M. Nixon Elementary School Lucille (“Luchi”) Nixon served the PAUSD from 1948 to 1963. She was an elementary teacher who served as a consultant for curriculum and instruction in her later years. In 1956, she gained international attention when her poetry won her an audience with Japan’s Emperor Hirohito. When the school opened in 1970, PAUSD named the new elementary school after her. Ohlone Elementary School Ohlone is named after the Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan and Muwekma indigenous people of Northern California who lived from the San Francisco area to Monterey and south to the Salina Valley. They were hunters, fishermen and gatherers. The Ohones were a large group of people (50 distinct groups), speaking a variety of dialects of the Penutian (Utian) language. They didn’t consider themselves a nation until the arrival of the Spaniards forced them to join forces. Palo Verde Elementary School As far as I can ascertain, Palo Verde means Green Tree in Spanish. It could be named after a neighborhood. David Starr Jordan Middle School Jordan Middle School is named after David Starr Jordan, Ph.D., L.L.D. (1851-1931) a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Stanford University. Lewis M. Terman Middle School Terman is named after Lewis Madison Terman (1877-1956), a pioneer in cognitive psychology at Stanford University. He is best known for his work with the StanfordBinet IQ Test used with soldiers and students. He was a prominent eugenicist and was a member of the Human Betterment Foundation. Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School Jane Stanford (1828-1905), was married to Leland Stanford the founder of Stanford University, ancestor to American presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. At her direction, Stanford began and maintained a focus on the arts. She advocated women admissions. Her work to fire one of the Stanford professions helped to found a professors’ union in which academic freedom was a cornerstone. (She is also the center of one of America’s legendary mysteries having died of unexplained strychnine poisoning in Hawaii.) Henry M. Gunn High School Gunn High School was named as a tribute to Henry M. Gunn (1898-1988) who was PAUSD’s superintendent from 1950 to 1961. Palo Alto High School As the first high school of the town (1919), it was named after the town. The name means Tall Tree in Spanish. Cubberley High School or Cubberley Community Center The high school was named after Ellwood P. Cubberley, an influential authority in the development of institutionalized education. He viewed public education as an instrument of social engineering and designed the schools to maintain the current social order of his time. Besse Bolton Child Development Center Besse Bolton was a well known pioneer in early childhood education in Palo Alto. Her designs of child development centers, after school child care, and her family life education are utilized throughout the state. School Name Suggestions: As I consider the task of choosing inspirational people who might be chosen as worthy of the tribute of a school’s name, I am struck by the challenges represented. When Wilbur Middle School was reconstituted as Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, what considerations did the community use to guide their choice? Still and all, I admit that to have asked you to contemplate a name change for our schools leaves me with the responsibility for making some suggestions. I offer the following as a beginning. Linda Darling-Hammond—is an influential educator at Stanford. She graduated Yale (1973) and Temple University (Ed.D. in Urban Education, 1978). Her work on school restructuring, teacher education and equity informs public policy. Her views seem congruent with our vision. bell hook—is the pseudonym of Gloria Jean Watkins, a controversial figure to suggest. She is a Stanford grad (English BA, 1973), University of Wisconsin-Madison (English MA, 1976) and UC Santa Cruz (Doctorate in Literature, 1983). She has taught in at a variety of colleges, including USC, UCSC, SF State, Yale, Oberlin and City College of NY. She is an American author, a feminist and social activist. In her writing, she addresses race, class and gender in education, art and history. Henry Page—was a much loved principal of Adult Education for PAUSD. He had a genuine concern for each student. He tried to make our schools accessible to every student so that he or she could fulfill his or her goals. He was well known for his support of music and brought jazz appreciation classes to the community. He led the district movement to support LGBTQ legitimacy in the district as a workplace and an educational community. George Polya—was born in Hungary, and a Stanford math professor from 1940 to 1953. He is well known in math education circles as wanting to put the student inside the problem to hone problem-solving skills well beyond mathematics. His “How to Solve It” book uses heuristics to sort through a problem (of any type that life may pose), identify what type it may be and bring in the problem solving skills of a variety of individuals to solve it. He was clear that math education was about teaching thinking that could be applied to any discipline. David Tyack—an educational historian at Stanford since 1969, he has researched urban schools, leadership, voc ed, school economics and educational reform. He is well respected as a teacher as well as a researcher. Additionally, he is a curriculum developer and teacher coach. He has worked with public schools to improve and reconstitute policy because he has researched how public education has affected diversity: race, class religion, ethnicity and gender. I’m sure that there are a variety of people or ideas that would serve to inspire our students and support our mission. Thank you for your consideration. Suz PAUSD – stop honoring the legacy of Eugenics & Discrimination with the name of Jordan Middle School? Lars Johnsson, PAUSD Parent and proponent of the renaming of David Starr Jordan Middle School November 1, 2015 + David Starr Jordan was a RACIST and leading advocate of EUGENICS, the early 20 century movement in America to create a MASTER RACE through desirable breeding, forced sterilization, deportation and immigration control, as envisioned in his 1902 Eugenics Bible: “The Blood of the Nation: A Study of the Decay of Races through the Survival of the Unfit”. David Starr Jordan was convinced that intelligence is passed on through the blood, and Dr. Jordan summarily dismissed the argument that differences in intellectual capacity are the result of opportunity and education: “To say that one race is superior to another is merely to confirm the common observation of every intelligent citizen.” David Starr Jordan does NOT represent the values of 21st Century Palo Alto and the mission of its Unified School District where: “every student has the opportunity and access to programs, practices, and personnel that will empower every child to attain his or her highest intellectual, creative, and social potential .” PAUSD Superintendent Dr. Max McGee Please support this petition to ask the PAUSD Board of Education to appoint a “citizen advisory committee” in accordance with Board Policy 71 to review if David Starr Jordan is the right role model Palo Alto should honor through the name one of one of its Middle Schools + David Starr Jordan: good and bad “David Starr Jordan was the most influential of all American ichthyologists (Ichthyology: the Study of Fish), and it has been said that all ichthyologists today can trace their professional ancestry back to Jordan.” David Starr Jordan was the First President of Stanford, where he “created a complicated history”, being “applauded for his guidance and vision, vilified for his pacifism and support of eugenics” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Division of Fishes Meet President Jordan, Stanford Alumni Magazine 2010 David Starr Jordan was an early and leading advocate of Eugenics As Chair of the Eugenics Section of the American Breeders Association, the first formal US Eugenics organization established in1906 As incorporating member of the Human Betterment Foundation As Advisory Council member of the Eugenics Committee of the American Eugenics Society + David Starr Jordan: wrong on Eugenics “Hitler and his henchmen victimized an entire continent and exterminated millions in his quest for a so-called Master Race. But the concept of a white, blond-haired, blue-eyed master Nordic race didn't originate with Hitler. The idea was created in the United States, and cultivated in California, decades before Hitler came to power. California eugenicists [like David Starr Jordan] played an important, although little-known, role in the American eugenics movement's campaign for ethnic cleansing.” Eugencis and the Nazis and the California Connection, Edwin Black, San Francisco Chronicle, November 9 2003 Jordan had a vision how Eugenics would stem the ‘Decay of Races’: “One of the great books of our new century will be some day written on the selection of men and the screening of human life through the actions of man.” ‘The Blood of the Nation: A Study of the Decay of Races through the Survival of the Unfit’ by David Starr Jordan, 1902 – page 79 + David Starr Jordan: wrong on Education In the words of Dr. Jordan “To say that one race is superior to another is merely to confirm the common observation of every intelligent citizen.” And Dr. Jordan summarily dismissed the argument that differences in intellectual capacity are the result of opportunity and education. According to the American Psychological Association, a body of research from Steele, Aronson and Spencer shows that “negative stereotypes raise inhibiting doubts and high pressure anxieties in a test takers mind, which can wreak havoc with test performance” “David Starr Jordan: Prophet of Freedom”, Edward McNall Burns, Stanford University Press 1953, Chapter 3, page 63” “Stereotype Threat Widens Achievement Gap”, American Psychology Association In the words of PAUSD Superintendent Dr. McGee “every student has the opportunity and access to programs, practices, and personnel that will empower every child to attain his or her highest intellectual, creative, and social potential”. + Jordan Middle School needs a new name Palo Alto Unified School District Board Policy 7310 outlines that the Board of Education may name schools in recognition of: Individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the school community or who have made contributions of statewide, national or worldwide significance We can find a role model that has made outstanding contributions that also represent 21st Century Palo Alto Values and Educational Policies Palo Alto Unified School District Board Policy 7310 encourages community participation in the process of selecting names. A citizen advisory committee may be appointed to review name suggestions and submit recommendations for the Board’s consideration. This petition requests the PAUSD Board of Education to appoint a “citizen advisory committee” to review if David Starr Jordan is still the right role model after whom to name one of our Middle Schools + PAUSD: you’re not alone Robert E Lee Elementary in LA: July 2015 Nathan Bedford Forrest High becomes Westside High Nov 2014 LBUSD Board decided to form a committee to review “all school names”, based on the Frederick Douglass Liberty Act that banishes confederate names and symbols in California state buildings. Following a petition drive that garnered more than 160,000 signatures to change the name of a Florida school honoring a Confederate general and first “grand wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest. James O. Johnson High School in Huntsville Alabama, 2013. Renamed in honor of Alabama born astronaut, and first African American in space Mae Carol Jemison. New Jemison High combines students from two failing schools being closed due to falling enrollment. + Jordan Middle School Renaming Petition The petition to rename David Starr Jordan Middle School was inspired by my son’s 7th grade book project titled “David Starr Jordan – the ugliness behind the makeup” Lars Johnsson Palo Alto Resident and PAUSD Parent of 3 Jan 12 2016 + Jordan Middle School Renaming Petition - Outline Objective and background David Starr Jordan Eugenics, Timeline, Leadership Racism & Education Reasons for Renaming Support for the petition Frequently asked questions Renaming precedents Summary & Request + Jordan Renaming Petition – Background & Objective David Starr Jordan was the First President of Stanford University and a renown ichthyologist, and in 1937 the new Jordan Junior High School was named after him, 6 years after his death David Starr Jordan was also a firm believer that only the Nordic race is capable and worthy, which drove his early and lifelong leadership and devotion to the US Eugenics movement PAUSD Board Policy 7310 outlines that the Board of Education may name schools at its discretion in recognition of Individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the school community, or who have made contributions of statewide, national or worldwide significance In an almost entirely white Palo Alto in 1937 David Starr Jordan was considered to be such an individual, but in 2016 his outstanding Eugenics leadership and unrepentant racism are so offensive and contrary to the evolved values of our diverse community and the mission of the Palo Alto Unified School District, that the supporters of this petition are calling on the Board of Education to use its discretion and appoint a “citizen advisory committee” to review if David Starr Jordan is still the right role model after whom to name one of our Middle Schools + David Starr Jordan: the good and the bad David Starr Jordan was the First President of Stanford, where he “created a complicated history”, being “applauded for his guidance and vision, vilified for his pacifism and support of eugenics” David Starr Jordan was “the most influential of all American ichthyologists (Ichthyology: the Study of Fish), and it has been said that all ichthyologists today can trace their professional ancestry back to Jordan.” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Division of Fishes David Starr Jordan was a Peace Activist, serving as chief director, 1909-11, of the World Peace foundation and dean of the American section of the World Peace Congress at The Hague, 1913. Meet President Jordan, Stanford Alumni Magazine 2010 Jordan's pacifist convictions were in part based on the pseudo-science of eugenics. He believed that war destroyed the best of humanity, leaving the weaker members of society to produce the next generation. David Starr Jordan was an early, leading and life-long advocate of Eugenics As publisher of early influential Books devoted to Eugenics, especially “The Blood of the Nation” in 1902 and “The Human Harvest” in 1907, both studies of the decay of races through the survival of the unfit As Chair of the Eugenics Section of the American Breeders Association, the first formal US Eugenics organization established in1906 As incorporating member of the Human Betterment Foundation in 1928 + Eugenics: what it was and how it evolved 1859: Darwin publishes the Origin of Species, a General Theory of Evolution by natural selection (survival of the fittest, often referred to as Darwinism) 1883: Francis Galton, Darwin's cousin, coins the word "eugenics". His early aim was to selectively marry off the population so that poor heredity would be eliminated 1889: Francis Galton publishes his book on “Natural Inheritance” proposing that offspring receive half their inherited traits from each parent, laying the foundation for the claim of ‘inherited intelligence’ 1902: David Starr Jordan publishes one of the first books in American devoted to Eugenics: “The Blood of the Nation: a study of the decay of races through the survival of the unfit”. Jordan’s Eugenics aimed at preventing dilution of the master through reproduction of inferior stock 1906: David Starr Jordan becomes Chair of the Eugenics Section of the American Breeders Association, the first organization in the US devoted entirely to Eugenics 1907: Francis Galton is Founding president of the Eugenics Education Society, the first formal British Eugenics organization, David Starr Jordan later joins and becomes Vice President in 1916 1907: Indiana becomes the first US state to pass a eugenics/sterilization law, driven by the late 19th century writings of Reverend Oscar McCulloch and Indiana University President David Starr Jordan + Eugenics: what it was and how it devolved 1909: California becomes the third US state to pass eugenics/sterilization law, and by 1921 California accounted or 80% of all forced sterilizations in the US 1910: The Eugenics Record Office opens in Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as part of the private Carnegie Institution, NY, founded by Charles Davenport and led by Harry Laughlin, it focused on the study of human heredity and a repository for genetic data on human traits 1910: Davenport publishes his first eugenics Book, "The science of human improvement by better breeding” 1928: David Starr Jordan is a founding member of the Human Betterment Foundation (HBF) in Pasadena, with the sole goal to investigate and promote the possibilities of race betterment by eugenic sterilization. The work of the HBF was led by its secretary Paul Popenoe, a former Jordan student 1931: David Starr Jordan dies at his home in Palo Alto 1935: HBF board member Charles Goethe wrote to HBF founder Ezra Gosney: “You will be interested to know that (the) work (of the Human Betterment Foundation) has played a powerful part in shaping the opinions of the group of intellectuals who are behind Hitler in this epoch-making program. … I want you, my dear friend, to carry this thought with you for the rest of your life, that you have really jolted into action a great government of 60,000,000 people” (excerpt from the original letter) + David Starr Jordan: Eugenics Leadership & Legacy In 1902 in the ‘Blood of the Nation’ book Jordan described his vision how “the selection of men and the screening of human life through the actions of man” (p 79) would one day stem the ‘Decay of Races’. In 1906 he chaired the first US Eugenics organization, a chapter of the American Breeders Association The 1907 the first US forced sterilization law enacted in Indiana was heavily influenced by his scientific arguments and authority as Professor of Zoology and President of the University of Indiana 1884-91 In 1928 he was a founding member of the Human Betterment Foundation HBF, which was devoted entirely to the promotion of forced sterilization legislation and managed by a former student of his In 1935 the HBF credits its inspirational work with the Eugenics programs instituted in Nazi Germany, under which more than 400,000 people were forceably sterilized In the end in the US, which did not come until 1981, over 65,000 individuals were sterilized in 33 states under state compulsory sterilization programs It is his early vision and undisputed leadership that has created a Eugenics Legacy that sets David Starr Jordan apart from so many other Eugenics activist. The consequences of his actions are undeniable + David Starr Jordan’s everyday racism “It is easy to recognize that the Irish, the Greeks, the South Italians and the Polish Jews contain largely elements permanently deficient in the best traits we hope for in America, but the trait which is least desirable of all is the one we never hear spoken of, that is, these people as a whole are temperamental. They are controlled by emotions, animal instincts, subliminal tendencies and the like, instead of brains and will. There is in fact no substitute for intelligence” – page 74 Even lower in scale, perhaps, were the Mexicans, “ignorant, superstitious, ill-nurtured, with little self-control and no conception of industry or thrift, - lacking, indeed, most of our Anglo-Saxon virtues” –page 62 Jordan also disliked Chinese and Korean Asians but held the Japanese in high regards as a "branch of the Aryan race, belonging to the Turanian and remotely allied to the tribes of the Caucasus“ – page 65 David Starr Jordan was convinced that intelligence is passed on through the blood, and Dr. Jordan summarily dismissed the argument that differences in intellectual capacity are the result of opportunity and education: “To say that one race is superior to another is merely to confirm the common observation of every intelligent citizen.” – page 63 Source for all quotes: ‘David Starr Jordan: Prophet of Freedom, Chapter 3.1 Superior and Inferior Races’ by Historian and Rutgers’ History Professor Edward McNall Burns, 1953 + The ‘Jordan name’ is sending the wrong message In the words of David Starr Jordan “To say that one race is superior to another is merely to confirm the common observation of every intelligent citizen.” And the mind of David Starr Jordan summarily dismissed the argument that differences in intellectual capacity are the result of opportunity and education This mix of racism and disproven educational beliefs contradicts everything PAUSD is striving to stand for as it is working to close the achievement gap and provide a welcoming, unbiased, nurturing learning environment for all students from every background according to the: PAUSD Vision: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world … PAUSD Mission: … to deliver on our collective vision by offering a rich and challenging academic experience to all students within a supportive community … Words of PAUSD Superintendent Dr. McGee where “every student has the opportunity and access to programs, practices, and personnel that will empower every child to attain his or her highest intellectual, creative, and social potential”. + PAUSD – it’s time to rename Jordan Middle School “David Starr Jordan was an accomplished biologist, pacifist, teacher, and educational institutional leader. He is considered one of the major promoters of the eugenics movement in the United States and applied its logic to other social policies such as education, immigration, and pacifism. Jordan was both the product of his historical context as well as the leader of the eugenics legacy in the US. As a leader of a wide range of prominent influential institutions from Stanford University to the American Breeder's Association, Jordan's ideas reached extensive groups of individuals.” Source: The Life, Works and Eugenics Outlook of David Starr Jordan David Starr Jordan’s Eugenics leadership, Nordic racism and stifling educational views make him a highly inappropriate role model/namesake to reflect the values and spirit of our 21st century Palo Alto community PAUSD and the Jordan community of students, teachers and parents deserves a better role model to inspire our students and instill in them the growth mindset that will allow them to accomplish anything + CAC and PASS Support the Renaming Petition + PTAC & Jordan PTA Support the Petition and the Jordan Social Studies Department chimes in PTAC Petition Support Jordan Social Studies Dept. Message from the Social Studies Department to the Jordan PTA regarding the renaming petition: Jordan PTA Petition Support “Apparently, at Site Council there was a proposal (from a parent?) to consider changing the name of our school, considering David Starr Jordan's views on race and his Eugenist activity. It was also brought up by a social studies teacher that the SS Department has begun this discussion as well. There is a lot of interest in our department to address this in some manner -- lesson, unit, proposal to the Board to officially change the name? This is not a current hot topic in our department, but it has been discussed and there is a lot of interest. ” +I N D I V I D U A L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Lars Johnsson Titi Liu Al Yuen Sophia Chiang Mary Vincent Tony Loeser Sara Woodham Tim Chau Bridget Li Keri Wagner Tomas Mier Shannon Yang Pam Boland Ezra Zand Neilson Buchanan Julia Nelson-Gal Josh Lehrer Gina Dalma Ling Liu Gabriel Manjarrez Marion Odell Rebecca Geraldi Sandra Adams Teresa Gadda Eric Rosenblum Dianne E Jenett Lauren Burton Sally-Ann Rudd Chris Baker elizabeth fraze Andrew Sharpe Lani Avocet Anushka Joshi Samir Kapoor Michele Dauber Christine Min Wotipka LaToya Baldwin Clark Ellen Ford amy kohrman Ashley Zhang Sylvia Star-Lack Colleen Nielsen Sheina curtis Yi-Fan Hsu Omar Leung Henriette Cons Ponte Yotam Ponte Christina Chen 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 Sarah Littke Myrna Hayes Diana Fong Mukund Sivaraman Celeste Wooten Beatrice Kiratli Kristen Hughes Daisy Guardado Robert Hundt Toiya Black Hannah Abbott Eswar Subramanian Jeremy Shaw Leena Gill Karin Kissane Regina Möwes Sakols Tom Dittmar Amy Adams Ryan Coons John Woodfill Joel Davidson Adriana Suvaiala stacey ashlund Hilary Somers Brian Chancellor Vita Gorbunova Maya Heron Melissa Hopkins Claire Hallahan Julia Yu Cheryl Brown Joan Goldner-Lasofsky Lisa Collings Jenny Hobbs Gretchen Harding Paul Feng Tara Ford Stefania Pomponi Steven Chanin Mary Nemerov Simon Firth James Landay Davild Beaudry Lara Williams Adele Faure Julie Dubrouillet Tremaine Kirkman Sonrisa Mayden 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 Avery Pearson 145 Mariam Jamil 146 Nicholas Chapman 147 Sarah Sundermeyer 148 dena seki 149 Nana Chancellor 150 Nechama Almigy 151 Soleil Harrison 152 Jessica Jordan 153 Trina Whiteley 154 Charlie Kelsey 155 Dan Plankenhorn 156 Alan Chiu 157 Olatunde Sobomehin 158 Stephen Wong 159 A Aziz Yessoufou 160 Priscilla Mayden 161 Kristine Usbay 162 Joel Rodriguez 163 Rachel Hearn 164 165 Albert mayden 166 Sally Pierce 167 Marcine Seid Angela Evans 168 169 Mercedes Canjura 170 Aaron Tang 171 Barbara Slone 172 John Romano 173 Nick O'Connor 174 Solon Finkelstein 175 Allan Seid 176 Natalie Bivas 177 Frankie Pisco 178 BRIAN DAVIS 179 Raphael Bivas 180 Jaime Jenett 181 Arielle Bivas 182 Albert Bivas 183 Kim Bomar 184 JAIMEL GAUDA 185 Damian Rouson Jennifer Landesmann 186 187 Edgar Hsieh 188 Anna Fajardo 189 Tan Toh fatma helmy 190 Catherine Crystal Foster191 192 Marvina White Susan Bomar 193 Penelope Moseley 194 Bisi Akinola 195 Neeraja Kambham 196 Audrey Gold 197 Katie Talbot 198 Salette Maidana 199 Charlotte Dame 200 Cynthea Kingsley 201 Peter Drekmeier 202 Rhonda Hamilton 203 marlene kawahata 204 Emma Abed 205 Kevin Bowers 206 Gideon Kortenhoven 207 Jackson Dahl 208 Grace Kim 209 Brandon Fu 210 Rebecca Sunneras Jonsson 211 Ana Sofia Amieva 212 Laura Jacobson 213 Austin Hallahan 214 Veronica Santo 215 Jonathan Lee 216 Allyna Melville 217 Janice JonesMitchell 218 Carolina Albers 219 Heidi Kling 220 Liza Hausman 221 Colleen Gormley 222 Tasha Castaneda 223 Kristin Chandler 224 Jennifer Zilliac 225 Carl Wolfgramm 226 Milliardaire Syverain 227 Deborah Goldeen 228 Yves-Renee Syverain 229 Mariemr Amoa 230 Ethan Dennis 231 Kelley Harrison 232 Nancy Krop 233 Chloe Zilliac 234 Helen Chung 235 Rondy Isaac 236 Zachary Chandler 237 Mary Randolph 238 Maria Theresa Metz 239 Millie Balsam 240 Angelica Martin Casey Cheng Grace H Yu Akhil Subbarao Ayeola Alexander Stacy Müller Frederick Chancellor Gregory Bailey Armanda Raymond patty mundera Ursula Hawkins Heba Badran Marcie Keever Susan Ciprian Sandi Spires elizabeth may Amado Padilla Lester Ezrati Josue Castellon John Black Suzanne Andrews Scott Elwood Carole Langston Sue Mccomas Ron Wolf Vibha Akkara Kathi Rawnsley Vini Jain Robin Parker Meredith Anita Patel Sharon Ullman Elizabeth Beattie Li Nicolette Nasr Heather Bentley KRIS YENNEY Betsy Lane Jon Kinyon Jennalee Stevens Becky Peters Kim Yost Amy Agigian Theresa Carey Chloe Hong JJ Tso Phillip Steck Gopika Prabhu Rebecca Stillwell Nathan Krantz-Fire 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 Robin Bougeja Steven Hanawalt Diana McInnis Drew Harwell Maya Homan Laura Michele Agigian Michael Cagley Michael Smith Jeffrey Sid mya casella Sheldon Kay Jon Yenney Kent Seki Linda Rose Roy Kornbluh Jessica Sun Karen Willemsen Yoanna Federici Julie Lynn Rona Yang Maria Behrens Myra Finkelstein Thomas Rota Shannon Barg Kirsha Quigley Steve Frankel Rebeca Lopez Ronjon Nag Aracely Island Patti Hanlon Kenneth Downs Donna hayes Cheryl Berman Sally Stiles Nicholas Sousa Peter Brandt Jeannette Smith Andrew Marinkovich Paul Kreutz Abdul Nabi Sherrie Suyeyasu Rachel Cooley Katie Bramlett Kim Sinclair Sarah Longstreth Shannon Asaria Clara Lanyi Carey Johnson 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 Baldwin Cheng Juliana Walrod Matthew Kohrman Rob Babcock Joanna Gardias Jake Ashton Forest Peterson Dana Bloomberg Anya Trubelja Chris Makler Jafi Lipson Barbara Rieder Jennifer Kleckner Brendan Rankin MK Rohit Singal Jill Kyte Janet Clanton Inna Potashnik Gerald Underdal Monica Lacayo Julius Bishop Barbara Sih Klausner Sungho Kim Sara Armstrong Colleen Crangle Sarah Keehan Nathan Sanchez Liqa Moin Eric Tatum Krista Lawlor Darren Neuman Ayse Aba Alexandra Lee Gabrielle Sharaga Noam schwab Gautam Srivastava erika retana Samson Tu Cynthia Adwere-Boamah Kwame Adwere-Boamah Tracy Ferrell Anne Woodham Mary Seid Steve Sabbag Amanda Leinhas Piyosh Shah S U P P O R T E R S + Jordan Renaming: Frequently Heard Comments Comment: Jefferson, Washington and many others owned slaves and have places named after them, are we going to change all of them, where does it end Comment: We need to be careful when viewing historic events from today’s perspective, at the beginning of the 20th Century Eugenics was very popular Response: Yes, Eugenics was a very popular movement in the early 20th century, but Jordan’s leadership in creating the movement, its popularity and its terrible consequences are unquestionable and make him stand out Comment: Teach history, don’t erase it (from your oh so progressive Palo Alto porch) Response: The distinguishing criteria should be a question of leadership. Jefferson, Washington and others owned slaves as they grew up in a “system of slavery” whereas Jordan picked up scientific/evolutionary dabbling and was instrumental in turning Eugenics into harmful, divisive policies at the national level The name change is not intended to change history, it is focused on our school community and to represent the spirit and values of our community. History, in this case Jordan’s accomplishments (for better and for worse), is appropriately remembered by the institutions he was affiliated with, like Stanford and the Smithsonian Comment: Changing the name changes nothing, it’s a waste of time/resources. Focus on real problems/racism in the school district instead Response: If changing a name is the only thing we are capable of changing then it would change very little. But addressing racism is not surgical, it requires a balanced mix of messaging and symbolism to go hand-in-hand with practical actions like the MATD recommendations and subsequent PAUSD policies + PAUSD: name change is happening elsewhere Harvard to discontinue use of ‘House Master’ Title, Dec 2015 Princeton may scrub U.S. President Wilson's name over racist ties, Nov 2015 Princeton University has pledged to consider renaming buildings dedicated to former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson following student protests given that Wislon “transformed the government into an instrument of white supremacy” (NYT - the case against Wilson). White-Supremacist Lineage under review at Yale College, Oct 2015 Harvard College plans to change the title of its heads of residential housing from “house master”, the traditional term, to a new term that will better “the 21st century needs of student life” according to a letter to students from the college dean, Rakesh Khurana (NYT Times) Yale’s Calhoun College, is named for John C. Calhoun, the South Carolina politician to whom “freedom was based on slavery.” In the wake of the Charleston church murders last June, students at Yale petitioned the university to change the college’s name. Amherst College reviewing name of ‘Lord Jeff’ mascot, Oct 2015 President Biddy Martin said the Board of Trustees would take up the question of Lord Jeff no later than January. Jeffery Amherst distributed smallpox infected blankets to Indians and encouraged every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race + PAUSD: name change has happened before Byrd Stadium to become Maryland Stadium after regents vote, Dec 2015 Robert E Lee Elementary in LA: July 2015 LBUSD Board decided to form a committee to review “all school names”, based on the Frederick Douglass Liberty Act that banishes confederate names and symbols in California state buildings. Nathan Bedford Forrest High becomes Westside High Nov 2014 The University of Maryland will strip the name of former school president Byrd, who opposed racial integration, from its football stadium after a debate at the flagship campus over whether tradition and historical legacies must bend to modern values. Following a petition drive that garnered more than 160,000 signatures to change the name of a Florida school honoring a Confederate general and first “grand wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest. James O. Johnson High School in Huntsville Alabama, 2013. Renamed in honor of Alabama born astronaut, and first African American in space Mae Carol Jemison. New Jemison High combines students from two failing schools being closed due to falling enrollment. + Jordan Renaming Petition – Conclusion David Starr Jordan’s Eugenics leadership, Nordic racism and discredited educational views make him the wrong role model for a PAUSD school On behalf of the Jordan Community and the supporters of this petition I am urging the Board of Education to use its discretion and appoint a “citizen advisory committee” to review if David Starr Jordan is still the right role model after whom to name one of our Middle Schools Re: Renaming of Jordan Middle School Date: November 22, 2015 Lars, PASS supports the effort to change the name of Jordan Middle School. As you may know, David Starr Jordan was the 1st President of Stanford, but was also a leading Eugenicist. He was of the firm belief that educational achievement is predetermined by race, and that opportunity and education cannot influence a persons intellectual abilities. PAUSD's vision statement says it well: “We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.” Contrast that with Jordan’s view that education does not influence intellectual capacity: “To say that one race is superior to another is merely to confirm the common observation of every intelligent citizen.” Jordan's value system could hardly be further removed from those of PASS and of our community in general. PASS believes that we are overdue for school names that reflect our principles of inclusion and equity in all of our students, and in particular students among us who are most vulnerable to bias. We urge the Board to put the topic of changing the name of Jordan Middle School on its agenda. We urge the Board to exercise its discretion as per BP7310 to change the name to one that encapsulates our community values and vision for education that meets the diversity of our students. Sara Woodham on Behalf of Co-Chairs, Parent Advocates for Student Success (PASS) Kim Bomar and Sara Woodham