The Black Parallel School Board (BPSB), established in 2008, is committed to working tirelessly with parents and students to empower them through an education justice lens that provides resources, training, and advocacy to help communities overcome educational obstacles.
Presently, Black children are the lowest performing group in California. To move this group of students up the success ladder, BPSB believes an unapologetic focus and advocacy for Black children is necessary. More importantly the BPSB believes that if they can improve the performance of Black children, they can improve the circumstances of all underperforming students regardless of race, creed, or color.
Recently, the legal team representing the BPSB reached a settlement with the SAC City school district resolving a 2019 lawsuit. Presently, both parties are diligently collaborating to integrate programs, activities, and metrics into a 5-year plan for improvement. At long last, the amalgamation of 22 Domains and over 166 Actions promise the delivery of effective solutions to rectify the severe challenges that special education children in general and Black children in particular have historically endured.
The Black Parallel School Board (BPSB) mobilizes, organizes, and recruits parents to take an active role in the educational lives of their children. They provide support and training to parents and the community to expand their power in creating systemic change to reverse the negative educational outcomes for their children. Through active participation, parents advocate for equitable instructional programs, activities, and resources to ensure that their children graduate with the greatest possibilities for future success.
Parent training and support are just a few of the activities and programs offered by BPSB. The future needs of the organization are as follows:
A. Expand organizational funding to provide sufficient resources for both programs and activities:
- Continue to support, empower and assist parents to ensure a quality education in a safe and nurturing learning environment in all Sacramento school districts.
- Share the 2024 BPSB Reading Initiative throughout the State to influence change in how schools teach Black children to read.
- Participate in a statewide collaborative to set State policy to ensure equitable student outcomes are the norm for students of color- particularly for Black children.
- Promote and support the SAC City School Safety Reimagine Plan to ensure safe schools for all students.
- Assist and support the development of a 5-year Plan to improve special education services for students with IEP’s and/or 504 as part of the legal settlement with BPSB.
- Hosts community events that align with school district programs and activities
- Expand organizational services to Black students who identify as LGBTQ+ and their families.
- Provide school district staff and community members with Restorative Practices, Race, Equity and Human Relations training as part of a summer institute.
- Expand the number of CA BPSB affiliates in the state and continue to schedule meeting opportunities to grow the Brand.
- Continue to sponsor annual events such as the Million Father March to start the school year; Parent Involvement Day during Black History Month; and the development of an annual Parent Resource Guide and Monthly Newsletters.