LYNWOOD — Their title may be new to the community, but members of the newly formed African-American Parents for Academic Excellence say they are not going to take the inequalities they see in the Lynwood Unified School District anymore.

A group of parents and students, led by group President Rabbai Parrot, staged a protest and a vigil in front of the school district’s headquarters recently to let school board members and administrators know that their needs are not being met.

“There isn’t equal opportunity for all parents in this school district. … We are here to protest the lack of equality. We are here because we, the African-American subgroup, continues to be left out,” Parrot said. “We are here because of lack of support we get from the school district and we are here because our children’s graduation requirements were changed without our consent.”

Parrot said she and other parents in Lynwood, not just African-Americans, would like to know how the district could make decisions that affect them and their children when there is no communication from school district officials at the school site level.

“No one has ever met with us and asked us what we want for our kids,” said Parrot, referring to African-American students. “The district focuses only on two subgroups, the special education subgroup, and the English learners subgroup. It’s like we aren’t counted into that equation.”

Parrot and other parents were passing out fliers prior to a Feb. 23 school board meeting listing 28 concerns of African-American parents, among them: Racism, African-Americans being laid off, the use of the word “them” when others are referring to African-Americans, the removal of arts programs from schools, increasing the student-teacher ratio, the high level of failing African-American students, the district’s overwhelming legal bills, the lack of job opportunities in the district, and the need for a more diverse school board.

On top of that, Parrot said, African-American parents in the district have voiced their concerns over district-led parent workshops that are only held in Spanish.

“We understand these workshops are important for parents of the English learner students, but what about us? African-American parents should be able to attend these workshops so that we too can help our children,” Parrot said. “We should have a translator at these workshops, or have them in both languages.”

Some of the workshops, Parrot said, are held during the day — which is considered an unfair practice for parents who work during the day.

“There are parents who work,” she said. “Yet, these same parents would like for their kids to benefit from them coming to workshops that will help them help their kids.”

If there is disconnect between parents and the district, it’s the district’s fault, she added.

Parrot said she estimates that there are about 2,000 African-American students in the LUSD.

“That’s not a lot, but it doesn’t mean we should be left out,” she said. “This is why we have to make things equal and apply equal opportunity to all, whether it’s African-Americans, Samoans, Latinos, Asians — we need to make sure that the district is equal in the services it provides to the parents and to the students.”

If parent groups are being asked to embrace the different cultures around them, then why not apply that to the school district and its leaders, she added.

“If we don’t make our concerns known now, then 10 years from now we’re going to be in the same place,” she said.

According to district statistics, there are 993 African-American students enrolled in the district. That is about 6 percent of the total enrollment.

Parent Tracy Kellogg said she helped stage the protest to let people in the district — even drivers honking their horns at the marchers — that “we are here.”

“The DAIT Team leave us out in their reports, they left us out in their initial report, and it’s been a year, and still we’re not being included,” she said. “So we want to remind them that we are here and we do care about our children’s education. … We’re not here to take away from anybody, we just want to make sure that we are included. … That’s all that we’re asking for.”

Kellogg is referring to analysis conducted by the District Assistance Intervention Team, a Los Angeles County Office of Education mandated intervention program for program improvement school districts. In their reports last year, the team’s leaders identified strategies targeted toward closing the achievement gap within the district’s subgroups, but failed to mention the African-American subgroup.

That is where Parrot’s and Kellogg’s concerns come in. However, with a little research, those parents and others who believe African-Americans were left out, would learn that Title I funds are only designated for special education subgroups and English learner subgroups.

While African-Americans are recognized as a significant subgroup, funds to help close the achievement gap among African-American students are derived from Title III funds — which is by far, a much larger fund than the monies granted for Title I programs.

Title I funds go toward both subgroups, said one district official. “These funds are for all students who fall under the special education subgroup and the English learner subgroup, these are not Hispanic-only grants,” said the official. “The English learner subgroup doesn’t consist solely of Hispanic students … Korean students are included, German students are included.”

Plus, the district official said, it sounds as if these parents are being misinformed because these funds are granted to school districts based on achievement needs, not on ethnicities.

Action plans, and not just in this district, but across the state, are based on student’s needs — not on ethnicity, either, the district official said.

“This district cares about each and every one of its students,” he said. “Funds are used for different programs. Title I funds are a nickel compared to Title III funds, which is a districtwide fund that provides English support and math support classes — classes for all students who need the support. … All of these funds, they’re based on achievement results, not on ethnicity.”

The district official said that African-American parents are an important part of the school district. “Unfortunately, it appears that some of our parents are being manipulated by unknowns,” he said. “There is a new wave of leadership at the district and inclusiveness is a high priority — these parents are just talking to the wrong people.”

The district official said he would be arranging a meeting with the parents soon to address their concerns.

The parent group also addressed school board members during their regularly scheduled meeting of Feb. 23.

Parrot told board members, especially board members Rachel Chavez and Alfonso Morales — whom she worked with during a candidate’s forum prior to their re-election — that she spoke with both of them about African-Americans needs in the school district.

“And I have yet to see you or hear you at any of these meetings address the issues African-Americans are dealing with,” Parrot told the board. The parent also told board members that parents in the district were concerned with the lack of educational equality that continues to plague the district. “I hope that you will take the time to address this issue.”

Morales spoke with Parrot after the meeting, but she has not heard from him since then.

Parrot said that Morales told her he wasn’t very comfortable with what he was hearing that night, and that he would like to meet with her to address her concerns.

Morales could not be reached for comment.

Since the protest, Parrot said she has seen some improvement efforts at the school site level at various schools.

“But, there really has not been any communication from the district level regarding our concerns,” she said. “I know we might be small in number, but we believe equality is a must. We need equality in order to progress.”

The protest and vigil was the first one the parent group has held. According to Parrot, the group is planning others in the near future.

“We believe in hope, because hope is opportunity,” she said. “There are a lot of parents in the community that feel the district has failed their students. Recruiting more parents is an ongoing effort. … We believe in parent involvement, too. We want some of the focus of closing the achievement gap on African-American students, too. We want all children to succeed.”

Not only is the new parent group trying to give African-American students in the district a voice, but the group is also trying to encourage more African-American parents to get involved in the school district.

“Parents are the key to a child’s success,” she said. To the district: “Involve us, make sure there is equality at all of the schools for all of our children, include us, we’re here and we want this school district to improve for all students, not just for African-American students, but for all students. If students don’t have a voice, then they can’t be heard.”

David Lindsey, administrator of secondary schools reform, said his door is always open and hopes that parents, all parents, who have concerns about graduation requirements, about their children’s academic success in Lynwood, or about anything else they’re concerned with, feel free to speak with him.

“As an administrator, I believe that we do our best to be inclusive of all cultures. We care about all parents and students, and their voices need to be heard,” said Lindsey, adding that he is there to listen and help. At the same time, he continued, he wants Lynwood parents to remember that the focus at all times needs to stay on the needs of students.

The African-American Parents for Academic Excellence parent group next meets on March 26 at 6 p.m. at the school district.