Sarasota School Board Members Speak on Immigration and Safety in the School District

PART ONE - Liz Barker: Communication is key

In this Dear Bubbie exclusive series, we examine the individual Sarasota school board members’ stances on protecting immigrant students and providing a safe environment for all to learn. Their words are transcribed from the February 4 School Board workshop, which can be watched on the school’s YouTube channel.

If a school board member plants a deceptive spin on immigration, this blog will put a disclaimer on it. Lies spread ten times faster than the truth. Misinformation, manipulation or misleading comments won’t be amplified in the blog.

This series begins with board member Liz Barker. As a mother to children in the public school system, she is on Ground Zero. A recently held one-on-one event with the public also gave Barker an opportunity to say “I hear you. But I want to hear more. . .”

School Board Member Liz Barker

“I am so grateful to the individuals who made the time to come speak with me,” she began in an email. “We had very productive conversations and I’m looking forward to many more! I also owe a debt of gratitude to the Sarasota County School (SCS) staff who helped make this opportunity a reality. We are truly fortunate to live in a community that cares deeply about our students and their education.”

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“I would love for us to communicate clearly about what we’re doing, what our current policy is.”

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The Superintendent of Schools, Terry Connor, had only recently put out a statement on the safety of immigrant students in the district. However, it wasn’t on the website, but rather we found it on the Support Our Schools Facebook page. At the workshop, Connor emphasized:

I want to assure that all of our families know that our primary focus is always the safety and education of students.

The district is following laws already in place and that’s sufficient in the case of what the dialogue has been regarding immigration enforcement. The best place for a child in this school district is in Sarasota County Schools every single day.

Connor also referred to FERPA. As mentioned in Time to Call for an Emergency School Board Meeting, some school districts are training school staff on the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for responding to law enforcement requests. A 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case states that school districts could not deny services to students based on their immigration status.

This law falls under the United States Department of Education, which is presently at risk of being disbanded by this administration.

Barker hears the public and comes to this conclusion:

This is something that people have talked to me about: Their fear and their concern about immigration in schools. Whether or not that’s founded, that’s a discussion that is happening in our community - from the toilet paper aisle at Costco to my emails to my phone.

People are fearful right now and parents who are my personal friends are asking: Do I need to need to send my students with their passport? Do I need to send them with copies of their birth certificate?

I know I actually started talking with Mr. Connor about this. . .about this as a possibility coming down the pike a couple of months ago. I think he probably thought I was nuts, but I do think as a community, it’s something that we’re going to have to talk about and tackle. It’s not going to go away. We’ve seen other districts who have made comments one way or another. I feel very confident that here in Sarasota County our priority are safe schools and safe students.

That we will follow the law - we will work within the bounds of the law - but that we will prioritize families and prioritize students within the bounds of the law.

What I will say about that is: In order to do that we have to have a clear understanding of what the law is right now - and it will change. We already know things are changing. Things are in flux. But I would love for us to communicate clearly about what we’re doing, what our current policy is . . .I believe our current policy is within the bounds of the law that anytime an outside law enforcement come onto our campus we have a way to handle that and I think that our prinicpals are aware of that, right? (Turns to Connor for validation.)

But I know there are some teachers who are feeling uncertain and certainly some families and parents who are feeling uncertain and it extends to students. There is a sense of unease right now with our students.

My children’s friends are asking me: Do you know what is going to happen to the custodian? Do you know what’s going to happen with our favorite cafeteria lady?

Here’s my concern:

It’s disruptive to the learning environment and we don’t have time for that right now. We’re in ‘push plan season’. Let’s talk about it. Let’s have the conversation and let’s make sure that our families know that we have their best interest and that we will be there to support them.

I’ve heard reports and I don’t know if this is true - that there are students not coming to school. If that is the case, is there a way to engage our school’s social workers to reach out to these families and see how we can support them in school so they can feel secure? So, that’s what I have to say about that.

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Any revisions will be made by 6:00pm tonight if we have more information to pass along from Barker.

Barker’s next one-on-one meeting is planned tentatively for Wednesday, February 12, 11:00am - 1:00pm at 1980 Landings Blvd.

Sign up can be found here https://bit.ly/OfficeHourswithLizBarker. If you have questions, Barker can be reached via email at: liz.barker@sarasotaschools.net

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TONIGHT - via Zoom or in-person, SEE Alliance will be holding an informative workshop and training that highlights what students are experiencing: Anxiety, low attendance, and a lack of clear guidance from the school district.

In response, SEE is partnering with HOPE Community Center to offer a Know Your Rights training.

This training will focus on Florida's public schools and “will be valuable for both directly impacted students, families, and staff, as well as those who wish to support them”. (These events fly by and really hold ones’ attention. I learned so much by attending A Path Forward. SEE is all heart and wholly effective in messaging and action.)

Sign up is easy and here. If that doesn’t work, try here: https://www.mobilize.us/seealliance/event/752582/

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In the next Dear Bubbie: Board Member Tom Edwards spoke to the legislative delegation, which is our legislative elected officials from the federal government. He asks the right questions about today and the future. An impressive and thorough take from the board member.

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Your comments are always welcome below. Email is: jslferguson@gmail.com