65 Abibisika (Black Gold) Points

Rank: Unranked Obibini

In what ways are schools truly changing what they are doing in order to reach Black students?

Some school districts are addressing inequities through culturally responsiveness training, along with the establishment of departments and positions to further study and implement strategies. My school district has established an Equity Lead in every school to drive these efforts. So the conversation around reaching various demographics has gained some traction, though we atill have a LONG way to go.

In what ways are schools maintaining the status quo?

I believe that schools are underestimating the potential power of having more black teachers in the classroom. 2% of the USA’s teachers are African-American even though the student demographics are evolving. It seems that there is no real strategy to recruit and retain black men on a number of levels, including in the classroom and in leadership. Even if a school district is attempting to improve access and equity, many of the issues regarding disenfranchisement are in the actual school buildings. Staff members many times are operating with rose-colored lenses and not even realizing the disservices done to black students. Regarding the curriculum, the responsibility often falls on individual teachers to dig deeper into relevent content for the students.

What are your thoughts?