Yes, it’s about race.
Inequities in the education system continue to spark robust conversation among all stakeholders involved, which often times lead to a divided perspective. Considering the idea that basic education directly impacts future outcomes, inequities in our school systems is a topic that can’t be avoided nor neglected. Race and socioeconomic status continue to be the primary drivers of who gains access to resources, high quality education, and state of the art facilities, leading segregated school environments, and a huge disproportionality in academic performance.
Being an educator and parent of a Black son, I’ve found myself stressed out about things too mundane to explain, but too critical to simply ignore, which is why THIS article, written by a parent in the middle of a potential OUSD merger of two extremely different school communities resonated with me. Take a look, and after reading the article I challenge you to have a discussion with one or two others, asking:
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so drop a line in the comments below!
Inequities in the education system continue to spark robust conversation among all stakeholders involved, which often times lead to a divided perspective. Considering the idea that basic education directly impacts future outcomes, inequities in our school systems is a topic that can’t be avoided nor neglected. Race and socioeconomic status continue to be the primary drivers of who gains access to resources, high quality education, and state of the art facilities, leading segregated school environments, and a huge disproportionality in academic performance.
Being an educator and parent of a Black son, I’ve found myself stressed out about things too mundane to explain, but too critical to simply ignore, which is why THIS article, written by a parent in the middle of a potential OUSD merger of two extremely different school communities resonated with me. Take a look, and after reading the article I challenge you to have a discussion with one or two others, asking:
- How do we construct an educational system that serves all students equitably/is that a possibility?
- What are the pros and cons of merging such vastly different school communities together?
- What would it take to create a successful merger in this scenario?
- Is it possible for stakeholders (district, educators, families, students) at these two very different schools to co-construct something special and find new ways to work together?
- Can the community make this work?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so drop a line in the comments below!
Blog Post Written By: Toshia Mears, Director of School Partnerships
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