Working to expand equality at Oyster Bay school district

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Oyster Bay High School sophomore Jaiya Chetram, 15, spent many summer days advocating for change at rallies as the Black Lives Matter movement resurfaced amid the murder of George Floyd.

“This has been a fight for decades and centuries and it has not stopped and we’re just experiencing different racism and racial discrimination in a different phase, in a new form,” Jaiya said. “I think it is up to us to start instilling and mandating policies and truly making change in our government and society.”

Although the summer is over, Jaiya has not stopped advocating for change. He is working to raise awareness on issues regarding race in his school district, where he is a class president and takes on other responsibilities such as his involvement with the committee IDEA, which stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action.

“I was raised to help other people and it’s been a life goal of mine to not only make myself happy, but in doing that, benefit other people,” Jaiya said. “I’ve seen [racism] up close and I think it’s extremely hard to go through that, so I think what gets me so involved is watching it happen and wanting to help.”

The committee was formed after Jaiya’s father, Ravin Chetram, who, with his group of parents and faculty members in the community, met with Oyster Bay East Norwich Central School District Superintendent Dr. Laura Seinfeld. She promised to take on issues relating to race and the history curriculum through a discussion group.

“We created a group called the IDEA, headed by Dr. Valerie Vacchio, the Vernon Middle School principal, and for administrative purposes, [Oyster Bay High School grades seventh through ninth Assistant Principal Rebecca] Menuzzo,” Chetram explained, adding that Menuzzo sets up the digital meetings and sends information on topics to meeting participants.

“It’s a nice group,” Chetram said. “We discuss topics of what we want to see happening in the Town of Oyster Bay as well as the school, so it can be something like, ‘Do we need more faculty who are of color? Do we need to have more outlets where people of color can go to so we can discuss any issue of where there’s micro aggression?’”

A micro aggression is a statement, action or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group.

“My son explains his side of how it can be a joke in one moment, but it’s not a joke, it’s micro aggressive,” Chetram explained. “We put it all on the table and we try to get all of our ideas together. We go from there to try to implement these different strategies.”

Having these types of conversations, Chetram said, is important and is what all school districts should be doing in order to improve the experience for all students.

Among the 14 members are students, parents, faculty members, Board of Education members and Denice Evans Sheppard, the executive director of the Oyster Bay Historical Society. She is there to discuss how local history, including the town’s history of slavery, could be implemented into the district’s history curriculum and how the historical society could be useful in that goal.

Regarding the history curriculum, Chetram said the goal is to have students see history through the eyes of others rather than just Europeans and knowing more about the history of Oyster Bay itself.

“That’s what’s bothered me, the level of slavery that took place in this town, yet people in school never learned it,” Chetram said. “They never found out about the enslaved people and what they went through and the freed slaves and what they did to build this town.”

The district is doing a good job in implementing this committee, Shephard said, and in trying to implement history that touches on topics like slavery and discrimination at national and hyper local level. “The committee is a wonderful group of people,” Shephard said. “We can come together with a shared vision and goal and I’m just proud and honored to be on this committee.”

Seinfeld said she was pleased to see the IDEA committee form. It has held two meetings thus far with the next one scheduled for mid-December. There is going to be an update about this committee at the Dec. 1 Board of Education meeting at 7:30 p.m., which will be live streamed. A link is available on the district’s website. 

Before Jaiya graduates, he is hoping that the school district and its faculty and students could become a participant in anti racism. “It takes more than just to acknowledge [racism] and say that it’s wrong,” he said, adding that he would like to see the school instill programs and policies “that will help give our students equity and help truly give an equal experience in our school to students that face problems of being in a marginalized community.”

While these changes will not happen overnight, Chetram said, he believes the IDEA will make change in the district before Jaiya graduates high school. “The younger kids are really fast at making change,” Chetram said. “They’re onboard when it comes to making change.”

Chetram’s older daughter Arianna, 20, is the founder of the education reform non-profit PWR N’ NOISE.

“We’re blessed because they get along, my son and daughter,” Chetram said. “Arianna has the non profit and he’s doing his part in the school currently. Them together, they support each other.”

“I think [young people] can do many things to help a cause and I think it’s up to us and is in our hands,” Jaiya said. “Young people are truly making the change.”

To learn about the Oyster Bay East Norwich Central School District and tune in to its Board of Education meetings, visit www.obenschools.org.