HS 1327 works toward final name change decision and anti-racist curriculum
Former Sir Francis Drake High School signage defaced by anonymous students demanding name change. – September 16, 2020
The decision to leave behind the name of Sir Francis Drake High School became the most prominent issue of concern in the Tam District community over the past few months. Some students and faculty feel that in order to become an anti-racist school High School 1327 will need to incorporate a curriculum that teaches students about Drake High School’s history and how to be actively anti-racist. In order to accomplish a permanent name change and an official anti-racist curriculum, the school board will decide unanimously on an effective course of action.
Sophia Martin, a senior at HS 1327, is a member of both Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR), and the Drake Leadership Committee (DLC). Martin is an active contributor to the name change discussion, but strongly feels that greater action must take place in order to create an anti-racist culture at HS 1327.
“I believe that the district has been focused on the name change but not incorporating an anti-racism curriculum into the school. Educating students and staff on our country’s history as well as Sir Francis Drake is a very important part of this process,” Martin said.
The name change process is taking longer than anticipated, due to the agreement the school and district must come to in order to proceed with permanently renaming the school. There have been weekly leadership meetings with the DLC as well as public comment sessions. At public comment sessions those who both support and oppose the name change have the opportunity to voice their opinions.
Many of those who oppose the name change have expressed that it will cost too much money. Several people have concluded that there are more important issues the district should put money towards. However, because the money is coming from a private fund, this point of view has been deemed as less important in the process of the name change.
Martin concludes, “I think that the aspect of diversity is going to be so important in this discussion. Considering that [HS 1327] is the whitest school in the district, the leadership and those taking initiative on the name change campaign, including people of color and further anti-racist discussions should have the final decision in the name change.”.
Principle Liz Seabury hopes to move towards an anti-racist school by emploring the teachers to diversify their curriculum and actions. “We have started fairly seriously in our new Small Learning Communities (SLC’s) with anti-racist curriculum and working to remove the colonial lens in our history curriculum in particular.”
Ms. Seabury feels the most difficult aspect of the process for her has been, “Knowing that we would have sides in disagreement and it would bring distention in the community. No matter how we went about this, we would have folks on different sides and that is difficult.”
The school’s name has not been officially changed nor has the confirmed plan with anti-racist curriculum, but the DLC and board members are hoping to hear feedback from the student body in order to make the final decision.
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Fiona Swan, is a junior at High School 1327 and this will be her first year in Advanced Journalism. She spends most of her free time surfing, discovering...
RY • Oct 9, 2020 at 11:33 AM
I didn’t go to Sir Francis Drake HS but had friends who went there. I lived in the Sleepy Hollow area of San Anselmo as a teenager in the 70’s. I have several questions surrounding this name change:
1. Who’s the private group funding the name change? Would it not be a conflict with county or state educational agencies?
2. Is there really a race problem at Sir Francis Drake HS? Do you really need to force students to like people of other races?
3. What will you do with your letter head and announcements showing a Sir Francis Drake Blvd address? Will you change the street name?
4. What if students parents oppose your plans to force students to conform to your new plan? Will you reject those students from
admission? Will those students be subjected to a different curriculum?
5. Where does the name 1327 come from? Is it code for inclusion, unbias, or equality? I could think of a million better names in my sleep.
6. Should the decision to change the name of the school not be decided by the tax payers who fund the school?
You ask, where am I going with these questions? Leave the name unchanged. Children will kick and scream and jump up and down until they get their way. But sometimes, parents have to put their foot down and say no. This is one of those situations.
I would appreciate answers to my questions since you require my email address to post this message.
Thank you
Jonathan Weller • Oct 14, 2020 at 7:49 AM
Please contact the administrators of the school for the answers to these questions.
Sunny M • Oct 8, 2020 at 10:02 AM
I absolutely agree with Norman’s comments above, as do many, many others. Changing the name of a high school that has its own fabulous history associated with it, will do nothing to root out systemic racism. Focus on incorporating anti racist policies and curriculum – that’s where the money should be spent, the name change is incidental.
Norman Nelson • Oct 7, 2020 at 5:52 PM
Care to get any quotes from those that oppose the name change?
I agree that to cost is an issue, but not nearly as important as other issues. If we are going to throw Francis Drake under the bus, let’s establish what he did to deserve this.
Let’s start with the true story of Francis Drakes involvement in slave trading. In what capacity was he involved. What rank. Let the discussion cover Drake entire career and all the good things he did on behalf of the black slaves.
Is incorporating anti-racist policies and curriculum dependent on changing the name? Can’t these measures be done without changing the name? Can we not employ diversity without changing the name?
Next as a school board and “officials” of a government entity, the members are required to operate in accordance with the Ralph M Brown Act. Which means transparency. It is illegal to have private meetings or discussion. That includes correspondence, even emails. If stories are true, members have violated this law.
I could go one further but these should be good for a starter.
Jonathan Weller • Oct 14, 2020 at 7:50 AM
The nature of this article is to alert the public to the changes at the school. We have follow up articles that interview both sides.