Together Talks: Starting a Dialogue
By: Brent Cudly
Tags: Acces, Belonging, Anti Racism, Equity, Inclusivity

During the summer of 2020, Together 4 Fremont began a series of Facebook Lives called Together Talks. The purpose of the Together Talks is to have discussions around the topics of antiracism, inclusivity, equity, and access. We initially began these Together Talks with Fremont Public Schools Board members. We later expanded out to Archbishop Bergan Catholic School, Midland University, University of Nebraska-Omaha, and the Nebraska Commissioner of Education. We’ve talked to several former students who went through the ELL program and former students who are Hispanic. What we found is a great appreciation for our public schools and we learned a lot through these Together Talks.

In later blog posts, I will go through some lessons learned from specific Together Talks.

These Together Talks don’t solve any issue, but they begin a discussion. Sometimes, our role needs to be to listen and learn. Other times it is to be an ally, and other times, it is to take action. The Together Talks have given us a chance to listen and learn.

Fremont has had issues with antiracism, inclusivity, equity, and access in recent years. Between 2000 and 2010, the Latino population in Nebraska doubled. About a quarter of the Latino population are undocumented in

so Fremont took immigration laws into their own hands by passing Ordinance 5165. This controversial ordinance was designed to stop undocumented individuals from being able to live in Fremont. Fremont requires 1) businesses to check on employment status and 2) anyone who rents in Fremont must pledge that they are a citizen. Fremont had been known as a friendly community, but this ordinance changed that feeling in some segments of our population. This ordinance was and is controversial. It has done nothing to stop immigrants from moving into our community. In fact, the Latino population in Fremont continues to grow every year.

As educators, we want every one of our students to learn and grow. We want our students to feel welcome and feel that they belong. The ordinance is a barrier to feeling welcome for many in our community. However, many of us are unaffected by this in our own life.

In reviewing Fremont Public Schools data, it became clear we have a geographic divide. This geographic divide is a demographic divide based on ethnically and economically homogenous neighborhoods. On the eastern side of town, Fremont is mainly white and has a Free and Reduced lunch status of less than 17%. Ninety percent of the seniors who live in this area had 230 of the required 250 credits to graduate prior to the end of the first semester. In the largely Latino area near Washington Elementary School, only half of our seniors had acquired 230 credits at the same point of the school year.

We also see a stark contrast between Senior GPAs. In the eastern part of town, all students have a GPA over 2.0. Nearly 40% have a GPA over 4.0. In the Washington area, we see only 8% of our students with a GPA over 4.0 and a total of 17% of our students with GPAs under 2.0. Overall, we have about 14% of our students over a 4.0 GPA and 17% under a 2.0. Throughout Fremont, we see GPAs under 2.0, but not in the eastern section of town.

Attendance is another indicator of student success. Using Sophomore absences in the first semester of the 2020–21 school year, the differences in the area of the town showed up again. On the eastern side of town, we have about 4% of our students with excessive absences. About 11% of students have excessive absences who live within one mile of the school. Outside of one mile, including the Washington Elementary area, we have about 25% of our students with excessive absences.

ACT scores, based on 2020’s composite scores, also are different based on the area of town in which you reside. On the eastern side of town, we see that 28% of the students scored over a 24 on their ACT while less than 20% of the other students scored over a 24. Nearly 50% of the students living south of the railroad near Washington school scored 15 or under while less than 30% of students outside of that area scored 15 or under.

We can’t ignore the reasons that some Fremonters might feel like they have not been embraced. To make all people feel welcome in our community means that we need to 1) focus on equity, 2) be inclusive, 3) break down access barriers, and 4) work towards representation in all levels of leadership in our community and schools. Without representation within our teaching staff, administration, and school board, it will be hard to make all students feel welcome. Students deserve to learn from someone who looks like them and understands their needs. Students also deserve someone who represents and understands their needs in the rooms where decisions are being made in schools.

Our Together Talks will not solve any specific issue. However, this data speaks to the importance of asking more questions. We can’t solve these issues without digging deeper and learning more. By opening up a dialogue, we begin to have a deeper understanding of barriers that exist for some members of our community.

Opening up a dialogue is one step in creating a more inclusive community that fosters a sense of belonging. We were once a community that fostered this sense of belonging. We can be that Fremont again.