The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education will meet Thursday, April 19, at 6 p.m. in the District office at 1651 Sixteenth Street.

The School Board needs to know that we care about what is happening at the school. You can sign up to speak or simply be part of the audience. Whether you speak or not, your presence is important.

If you have never spoken at a School Board meeting, we can help you do it. Some of us will speak during the agenda item about the Intercultural DAC, and others will speak during Public Comment about things that aren’t on the agenda.

The link to the agenda: http://www.smmusd.org/brd1112/agn041912.pdf

Among the things NOT on the agenda are the “Hate-Motivated Behavior Policy” and the recent violence on campus at lunch time and at the bus stop right after school. Nor is the failure of the school to notify the mother of the girl who was beaten up at school on the agenda. At the meeting, you can ask what is being done to address these ongoing issues, or you can make a general statement. The more members of the community and the more different members of the community the School Board hears from, the more impact they will have.

In addition, all residents are invited to attend this month’s Racism Awareness Workshop on “”Institutional Racism-Strategies and Tactics To Combat These Realities,” April 22nd, 6-8:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, 1260 18th St, Santa Monica, Corner of 18th & Arizona). Jason David, leader.

Questions? sanctuaryofchange@yahoo.com.