Societal Inequities in Education

Rabiah Rahman, VCLA Cohort XXVI 

Attorney/Founder, Rabiah At Law

VCLA Cohort XXVI has once again demonstrated why we are #Virtutallythebest! On Feb. 5, 2021, we convened on Zoom to discuss education and how Ventura County’s educators are leading during this time of crisis.

 Nearly a year into the COVID-19 global pandemic, educators have had to navigate uncharted territory. They shared some of their lessons learned and shed light on where we may be headed from here. 

The day began with Dr. Joe Mendoza sharing his reflections and a historical perspective on the changes to Ventura County’s education system throughout the last 50 years. Dr. Mendoza is the director of the Special Populations Educational Support Department for the Ventura County Office of Education and a life-long educator. He addressed the importance of cultural competency in education and gave suggestions on how leaders can be more inclusive. The first tip was to listen to the community you are serving to better understand their needs and cultural dynamics. I appreciated that we began with this presentation, as it framed the rest of the day. By now we should all be aware that the pandemic has highlighted and expanded inequities within and access to education. The question now is how do we create a more equitable system as we rebuild and recover, and what is the role of cultural competency in that process?The rest of the presentations addressed the pandemic’s impact on primary education, post-secondary education and early childhood development. We were also introduced to the unique circumstances and obstacles impacting educating a growing homeless population. We covered a lot of territory. The speakers were particularly exceptional. It was also nice to have panel presentations that offered various perspectives and diverse opinions. When the topic of school resource officers and their role on school campuses came up, the panelists were able to offer their opinions on the downsides, benefits and alternatives to having law enforcement officers in schools. It was a riveting discussion, especially noting that we have a few law enforcement professionals in our cohort, and one that I hope continues. It was also interesting to learn about the family engagement programs being offered to bring parents together during the pandemic to help them feel less alone. I was further impressed when I learned that some educators were also being put through extensive training on how to deal with and recognize trauma. We learned that, across the board, professional development has played a large role as educators navigate these new challenges.Another enlightening presentation came from a Ventura College student leader. The speaker offered us a glimpse into the ongoing struggles our local college students are facing as they navigate the shift to online instruction. The impacts have been great. For example, students who rely on on-campus jobs and other on-campus resources are having trouble bridging those economic and technological gaps and accessing available assistance. Many students without home access to the internet find themselves learning out of their cars, in the school parking lots, where there is WiFi access accessible.At this point, I think it is safe to say that most of us are all “Zoom’ed out.” I really want to take this opportunity to thank Pattie Braga for continuing to work very hard to ensure that Cohort XXVI has a fulfilling and meaningful VCLA experience. One way that she has been able to create a bonding experience for us was to build in “Cohort Reflection/Discussion” time into the agenda. During these cohort discussion periods we had an opportunity to debrief and unpack some of the information discussed during the preceding panels. Also during this time, we had an opportunity to share some of our personal stories related to education and experiences in overcoming access barriers. It was a moving exchange and one I will not soon forget. I would also like to give a special shoutout to VCLA Cohort XXV members who were able to join us for the day! It was nice to see some familiar faces and many new ones. I look forward to meeting you all in person one day! The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated societal inequities, and there has been no clearer demonstration than in our education and medical care systems. As leaders continue to navigate a path forward, based on the leaders we had the honor of meeting with during our session on education, I have high hopes that Ventura County schools will come out better on the other side.