To the Editors:
Re: “CLEs bring censorship, limitation and exclusion” March 29th, 2026:
A recent Cypress opinion piece written by Jon LeDuc discussed the school administration’s changes to “Days of” programming. We believe the article mischaracterizes the intent and implementation of the transition to “Community Learning Experiences” (CLEs). While concerns about preserving student voices are valid and important, the new format is not an act of censorship, but rather an effort to create a more constructive and inclusive environment: one that prioritizes both expression and student well-being.
The current plan did not include any content on racism to replace the Day of Racial Reform and Solidarity (DoRRS) because the process requires a faculty member to have submitted an application early last fall. Given the pain the day has inflicted on students and staff in the past as well as the logistical challenges in holding the event, no faculty member wanted to take the planning of a DoRRS. The transition cannot be described as an act of censorship, limitation or exclusion, given that community members still had the opportunity to host an event.
The claim that the administration is attempting to create a completely neutral, non-political environment also seems inconsistent with the broader context. For example, we continued to have the Day of Dialogue this year, an important and valuable initiative that also reflects broader social and political conversations, which suggests that the school is not avoiding politically relevant topics altogether.
We believe that controversy and disagreement are necessary for a community to grow. That said, after last year’s DoRRS, multiple students reached out both to us and other community members to share that they did not feel safe in their own classrooms. They felt hated and neglected. Rather than grow, our school culture weakened. Students felt more isolated than ever, and our community still has not quite healed from this. When we tried to organize our own Telling Our Stories event for Jewish students, no students stepped up to speak. When we asked possible speakers why, they revealed their fear of being subject to backlash from their peers. People in our own school don’t feel comfortable talking about their own identities.
The term “whitewashing” implies a deliberate attempt to erase non-white history or voices. LeDuc argues that this year’s change in format was an act of whitewashing and silencing. We believe that is not the case. In reality, this shift was a pause to ensure that when we do share these voices, we aren’t doing so in a way that leaves students feeling exposed or unsupported. One of us is a student representative on this year’s CLE committee and agrees that there has been a lack of transparency and student inclusion in the CLE planning process. While the process for CLEs should be amended to accommodate student initiative, this was intended to be a bridge year, as longer-term planning for CLEs is underway.
While usually a great insight into the diverse stories of our community, the format of “Telling Our Stories” never allowed for a conversation. When a student speaks about their political beliefs, instead of their lived experiences, they are sharing one perspective rather than having a discussion with their fellow peers. (See previous Cypress coverage)
The past two times we have had DoRRS, many community members have expressed to us that they felt out of place, hated and blamed for world events. This has the potential to cause further division. Pain was inflicted on members of our school community—on us—and that should never be the case. While the high school is open to controversy and discussion, hatred has no place here. This is why a change was necessary. This was not a movement to veto or silence voices, but rather to revamp what was becoming quite divisive.
At the end of the day, our goal as peers is to uplift each other. The change to CLEs has vulnerability at its corehis movement was fueled by students who were brave enough to speak up. While the motivation behind this change may not be apparent to you, that does not mean that it did not take resilience and perseverance to get here. CLEs are not perfect, and still need a lot more work and student input for them to better serve our community. We have the responsibility to support each other, to make sure everyone feels a sense of belonging and to ensure that everyone is heard. Our power rests in how we treat each other.
Sincerely,
Shay-Li Zilbershot
Meeka Dagieli
