exploitation of students of color
Exploitation | noun | /ˌekˌsplɔɪˈteɪ·ʃən/ | the act of using someone unfairly for your own advantage
Our family's legal case made it clear to us that the Zimmermans, in particular Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman ("DPZ"), have a pattern of exploiting the identities, lived experiences, and cultural backgrounds of their students of color when deemed most convenient to them.
Not only did this become evident throughout the lawsuit, but the Schools also have an extensive history of "seeing color" only when it works in their favor. (However, if a race-based conversation begins to challenge their beliefs, that's an entirely different story.)
Exhibit A:
Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman's Post on a social media platform, Feb. 11, 2018
Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman created a false narrative of "bullying," which he claimed under oath and in court-documented declarations and testimonies. In an attempt to derail from the purpose of the case-- a defamation claim against his daughter, Dr. Michelle Zimmerman ("Michelle"), DPZ exploits the identities of people of color (“POC”) to protect the image of Renton Prep.
This is evidenced in DPZ's social media post, which grossly misrepresents the case about the “bullying of an innocent 6th grade girl whose parents are from India.” It almost appears that his mentioning of the student's racial background was meant to garner sympathy from the post's respective audience, as if tokenizing a student of color might have somehow worked to 1) humanize his School and 2) reinforce the narrative of a "culturally sensitive" Renton Prep.
This is problematic because the Zimmermans’ constant emphasis of students and their families’ immigrant backgrounds is rooted in the tokenization of immigrant status to “prove” the diversity of Renton Prep/AGCS.
Exhibit B:
In an article Renton Prep posted on April 4, 2018, titled Innovation Educators are Diamonds in the Rough, a pie chart was included, representing the percentages of first and second-generation immigrants at their Schools.
Although the numbers may be accurate, what are the Schools doing to serve their immigrant population, rather than exploit them as "chattel" or "marketing tools?"
As a 2nd generation Filipino-American family, such actions are highly degrading. It is as if they do not see our humanity, but our “foreignness,” as it benefits the Schools.
Exhibit C:
iNACOL SYMPOSIUM (2016) | written By Jasmine Fernandez, 16 y/o
While in ninth grade, three of my classmates and I volunteered to co-facilitate a workshop about the implementation of blended and online learning methods in the classroom at the 2016 INACOL conference with Michelle Zimmerman, our homeroom teacher at Renton Prep.
At one point, as the five of us worked on campus to create a workshop proposal after school hours, I remember reading a section of the work Michelle contributed regarding the student presenters. What stood out most to me was her emphasis on our backgrounds as women, people of color, and descendants of immigrants.
Although her descriptions may have been accurate, Michelle exploited the intersection of our identities (i.e. race, gender, family dynamics) without receiving explicit consent from the four of us beforehand. Furthermore, she followed this piece with a more detailed narrative that capitalized on the background of one of my classmates being the child of first-generation immigrants.
It felt as if Michelle had used our identities, completely derailing them of their significance, to better her prospect of getting the proposal accepted, in order to represent the Schools at yet another educational conference.
This is not to say that Michelle's actions were rooted in a place of malice, but to point out her lack of cultural competency as a teacher of 10+ years at a school primarily attended by students of color.
As a white woman, it is NOT Michelle's place to determine when our identities as people of color can and cannot be made the focus of attention.
She cannot actively shut down conversations centered around race one day, then decide to exploit these same matters the next. Not only is this an abuse of power on Michelle's part as a teacher, but as a white authoritative figure responsible for educating, influencing, and guiding young children of color.
This is only one example that illustrates how Michelle takes advantage of her students' identities as people of color. She also has an extensive history of exploiting student work for the recognition and benefit of the Schools, which are her family legacy.
To read more about the Racist System at Renton Prep, perpetuated by the Zimmerman's, visit the following pages: