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African American Parent Council presents recommendations to Ventura Unified on culturally sustaining practices
Summary
The AAPC presented its annual advisory report urging culturally sustaining practices, stronger recruitment/retention of Black educators, expanded ABAR (anti-bias/anti-racist) procedures, and more districtwide inclusion of Black History Month activities; presenters noted the district's Black student population at about 1.1%.
The Ventura Unified Board heard an in-depth report April 8 from the African American Parent Council, which urged the district to prioritize culturally sustaining practices, bolster recruitment and retention of Black educators, and formalize anti-bias/anti-racist (ABAR) response procedures across sites.
AAPC speakers reviewed accomplishments — progress monitoring focused on middle schools, BSU readers who visited 44 classrooms across eight schools, expanded community events and countywide outreach — and outlined measurable recommendations. The council emphasized training and protocols for responding to derogatory language, suggested a rubric for including diverse literature and recommended increased parent and family participation in district committees.
The presenters noted that African American students make up roughly 1.1% of the district enrollment and urged the board to value representation "even if it's the custodian who is one of the nicest people on campus," as one presenter put it. AAPC also previewed a historically Black college and university (HBCU) tour planned for high school students and listed a May 9 family event.
Trustees thanked the AAPC for the presentation and asked staff to include AAPC recommendations in the board letter and in future professional development. Superintendent Dr. Antonio Castro and staff described steps already underway to integrate ABAR practices into administrator and counselor training and to expand professional learning around diverse literature selection.
No formal board action was required; trustees recognized the AAPC recommendations and asked staff to bring written recommendations and implementation steps back to the board for incorporation into district plans.
