Yesterday, parents and activists led by the Minnesota Parent Union held a press conference announcing their call to boycott Minneapolis Public Schools.
In front of the Minneapolis Public Schools district office, the group’s Executive Director, Rashad Turner was joined by local families and activists to ask families to unenroll their students from the largest district in the state.
During the press conference, Turner called out the district for “leaving families without the required supports” during the ongoing pandemic and in the lead up to the new school year.
“Way before COVID hit, Black, brown and indigenous families were treated like trash by this district. “
Rashad Turner, Executive Director, Minnesota Parent Union
Turner shared that he was able to engage with the district superintendent, Ed Graff, prior to the press conference, but didn’t feel that he adequately addressed the concerns raised.
Activist Khulia Pringle said she heard countless stories from families feeling like they weren’t getting the support they needed from the district, and argued that the districts failure to provide a plan for access to devices, internet and childcare was unacceptable.
“School starts in a week and they still have no plan for our children. Too many children don’t have access to digital devices, let alone access to the internet. Our children already face some of the worst racial disparities in the nation, and we know in the midst of all that’s going on, things are going to get worse.”
Activist Nekima Levy-Armstrong
The Minnesota Parent Union announced plans to help families who do choose to unenroll from the district to find alternative options such as charter schools, private schools or traditional public schools in neighboring districts.
