2007 Agendas and Packets - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Roseville Human Rights Commission Meeting Minutes — Apri111, 2007 Page 4 oi 7 1 Ms. Eager suggested one such program entitled, "Race Matters," funded by ihe St. Paul 2 Foundation, currently being used in the St. Pau1 School District and highly ef�ective and 3 recommendcd. Ms. Eager encouraged the HRC and offered contact informatian for the 4 Foundation to interest citizens or the HRC in training to open dialogue around race and racism. 5 Ms. Eager noted that the school district could educate and train students and staff, but they 6 couldn't educate the community-at-large and sought assistance in d�ing so from the HRC. 7 8 Discussion included other opporhuiities and contacts regarding race matters, housing equity and 9 fastering positive police-coxz�tnunity relations {i.e., Chaska Police Departmen�'s "Tixne to Talk." 10 program) and ways to build trust in a changing community. 11 12 Coinmissioners expressed enthusiasm in partnering with the School District in effecting change 13 in the community; encouraging under-represented families in getting involvcd in their children's 14 schools, as well as their community; building trust; involving the business co�nmuniiy; the 15 possibility of having senior citizens going into classrooms to read to students, rather than specific 16 issues of race or bullying-related problems; and possible mini-HRC's among studenis. 17 1 S Chaix Delmore questioned if a cornmunity-wide foruzxz would be more effective, given the 19 territorial naiure of teachers, speaking from her personal perspective as a teacher. 20 21 Mr. Allen and Dr. Thein both noted that programs needed to be offered duri_ng the day as we11 as 22 evening, with xnany under-represented parents working the third shift; poverty issues; trust 23 issues; emotional ax�d economic stresses of fa3milies holding more than one job and Iacking a 24 support system for those families. Mr. Allen opined that a collaborative program (wiih Ramsey 25 County, YMCA, or other agencies) in �roviding tutoring programs and interactive activzties ai 26 multit-unit apartment buildings and locations where a program could be brought to the families 27 needing support would be a fantastic idea. 28 29 Commissioners expressed interest in fznding Roseville residents vvho could alleviate some of that 30 stress from families through tutoring or otherwise finding ways to build that trust. 31 32 Dr. Thein noted the nurr►ber of multi-unit apartment complexes in Roseville; mobility rates and 33 fmances of under-represented families and the inability of students to achieve success when they 34 may move from 1 to 3 times and into different apartments within one school yeax due to job 35 locations, family finances, or e�notional and/or economic fatnily stresses. 36 37 Additional dascussion included student altendance rates and the need to encourage good 38 attendance for students to achieve their potentiat; and programs and one-on-one assistance 39 provided by district staff currently to student5 needing their encouragement via a support 40 netwark. lliscussion included sevcral peer student and staff groups atready in. ihe district 41 addressing thc school's equity vision and their service as advisory councils to students, teachers 42 and student �eadership teams to provide a safety net for a11. 43 44 Commissioners encouraged the district to seek out students interested in serving on the City's 45 HRC as youth repxesentatives; with Ms. Eager voluntecring to seek out interested students and 46 provide information to tl�e HRC or City staff.