Episode 100: Dismantling the Architecture of Racism — Envisioning Equity and Justice in Public Education

This is part three of this three-part series. Can educational institutions truly uproot the systemic presence of racism? Join me as I conclude my compelling three-part series, embracing the challenging yet crucial journey toward racial justice in K-12 public education. My final installment brings to light the transformative potential of comprehensive interventions, detailing a path beyond the limitations of individualized professional development. Discover how a structured five-phase racial justice program can shift entire educational organizations, enhancing educators' comprehension of racism's intricate dynamics. Despite thorny challenges, like garnering steadfast leadership support and overcoming resistance, I articulate how true change is not only necessary but possible with the right strategies and unwavering dedication.

As my conversation unfolds, I uncover the layered complexities of academic tracking and its repercussions on educational equity, revealing the systemic barriers that students of color often face. I guide you through a vision of classrooms where multicultural curricula and diverse teacher representation counteract prejudice and build communal resilience. This chapter is a call to arms for policies that resolutely combat racial bias and a reminder of the ongoing fight for a fair and inclusive learning environment. My mission is clear: to equip all students for success in a diverse and ever-evolving world, and to foster schools where diversity is celebrated and every child flourishes.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:39

Welcome to another episode of K-12 Education Untangled.

Speaker 1: 0:44

My name is Dr Kim J Fields, former corporate manager turned education researcher and advocate, and I'm the host of this podcast. I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators, as well as experiencing the microaggressions that I faced as an African-American mom raising my two kids, who were in the public school system. I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system. Once I gained the information and the insights that I needed, I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their educational progress. Support my children in their education progress. This podcast is at the intersection between education, research and parental actions. If you're looking to find out more about the current trends, issues and themes in education that could affect you or your children, and you want to know the specific actions you can take to support and advocate for your children, then you're in the right place. Thanks for tuning in today. I know that staying informed about K-12 education topics is important to you, so keep listening. Keep listening. On this episode, I'll be discussing various interventions and approaches for tackling racism in K-12 public education classrooms.

Speaker 1: 2:22

Racism, a term that conjures mostly negative images of injustices experienced by people of color in the United States, and it extends into the US public education system. Even within that context, it's a broad subject area. Children and families from underrepresented groups have to deal with systemic racism, covertly and overtly, on a daily basis in public school classrooms across the country. I've addressed two parts of this three-part series. You can check out my discussion about Part 1, the Background and Genesis of Racism in K-12 Schools by listening to Episode 98. The persistence of racism in society and Within the Public Education System was discussed in Part 2, episode 99. This episode furthers the discussion by exploring what interventions have been proposed, utilized and implemented in K-12 public schools and whether they were successful in providing a step forward in combating racism at the institutional level. I end this episode with action steps you can take to implement some of these interventions at the local level.

Speaker 1: 3:52

This is part three of a three-part series. It discusses proposed interventions for addressing racism in K-12 public schools. Let's untangle this. Let's again establish a common definition for racism. Let's again establish a common definition for racism.

Speaker 1: 4:35

Racism is basically any act that willingly or unwillingly tolerates, accepts or reinforces racially une acceptable or treats people of color as less than worthy or less complex than white people. These actions taken in an educational setting harm children of color or privilege and value some children or communities over others in racial terms. Anti-racist interventions have been noted in the research, although the implementation of these interventions takes much longer than a single school year. Systemic racism has long been a pestilence of American society and the experiences of non-dominant populations who live in the United States. K-12 school districts have attempted to address this issue by investing resources in professional development to address systemic racism. This has shown little long-term effects and some of the unintended consequences may even reinforce stereotypes and discrimination. Perhaps one of the reasons for a lack of long-term effects is because professional development focuses on change at the individual level and not on the organizational or classroom level.

Speaker 1: 5:49

Enter a racial justice in schools intervention, a program developed and implemented by a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and which aims to disrupt racism in schools by developing educators' skills to understand what are forms of racism as expressed through historical and structural lenses, racism as expressed through historical and structural lenses, to examine how these manifest in schools and to collectively act to produce organizational change. This intervention program was implemented in a couple of schools over the course of one school year. It was introduced in five phases, including visioning, data gathering, diagnosing, planning, implementation and reflection. The findings from this 2022 study indicated that, through this intervention, participating educators demonstrated a deeper understanding of their own racial biases, developed a shared language to identify and name forms of racism, and reported greater confidence to disrupt racist incidents. The idea is that these changes in racial consciousness and behavior might contribute to organizational change. One of the schools in the study seemed to embrace this intervention, while the other school did not, and this may have been due to a loss of leadership, resistance from the most vocal white minority and limited organizational capacity.

Speaker 1: 7:25

It seemed apparent that incremental change and maintenance of the status quo can inhibit organizational transformation. Can inhibit organizational transformation. These findings also indicated that effective implementation of an anti-racist intervention requires strong support from leadership. School leadership must communicate uncompromising commitment to racial justice and must be instrumental toward enacting change at the organizational level. Educators and school leadership should anticipate some degree and various forms of resistance in racial equity work. Many times, these responses come from dynamic ideologies that uphold white supremacy and contribute to the permanence of racism supremacy and contribute to the permanence of racism. The last findings from the study indicated that the school's existing organizational capacity plays an important role in successfully implementing racial justice programming, because unfavorable professional conditions can limit its efficacy.

Speaker 1: 8:32

Finally, one of the main issues with these types of interventions taking so long to implement is that students of color continue to experience racism, lose opportunities to learn and become harmed by operating systems of oppression within the schools is racial and socioeconomic school integration, which some believe has proven to be one of the most powerful strategies to improve the lives of students and reduce national division. The basic idea behind integration was that racially and socioeconomically diverse schools could offer students of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds important social-emotional benefits by exposing them to different backgrounds and cultures. It was thought that increased tolerance and cross-cultural dialogue could help build social cohesion and strengthen society as a whole. The researchers in this 2019 article indicated that attending a diverse school could help reduce racial bias, encountered stereotypes, that students who attended integrated schools were more likely to seek out integrated settings later in life, and that integrated classrooms could improve students' satisfaction, intellectual self-confidence and leadership skills. The author indicated that integration teaches children that America has the will and resiliency to the original sense of racism and the subjugation of those in power. I'm not sure what rose-colored glasses the author was looking through, but apparently she doesn't live in the 21st century America. This article seems to be communicating the positive outcomes of what integration was supposed to do for students of color and all students.

Speaker 1: 10:34

The author's point of view on integration is much different than mine. I think that integration harmed children of color by getting them out of the environment in which they were, surrounded by people who looked like themselves, people who understood the struggle and people who understood that educational attainment was the main foundation for economic mobility. Transitioning to a predominantly white teaching force often had a negative impact on the self-concept and or educational attainment of non-white students. One thing that I do agree with the author about was that acknowledging the challenges of cross-cultural and cross-racial engagement don't end at school. Public schools are communities that occupy critical spaces within the neighborhood and should engage in constant outreach with the surrounding community. Also, because the school itself is a diverse society, it should be obligated to respect a variety of perspectives and elevate the voices of marginalized groups.

Speaker 1: 12:37

Another topic that I agree with the author about was the issue of academic tracking, which raises concerns about equity. Academic tracking and other forms of ability grouping programs, such as gifted programs often do a poor job at sorting students according to their academic ability. Academic tracking can harm students who are assigned to lower tracks. The students often show reduced achievement and increased gaps of time compared with peers of similar achievement who are assigned to higher level courses. When students from different socioeconomic statuses are white students and when students of color are in different academic programs, the equalizing power of integration is weakened. In order for Black, latino, asian American and Native American students to succeed in this country, they must have strong Black, latino, asian American and Native American teachers.

Speaker 1: 13:39

Teachers of color are a small minority in the population of educators in the United States, where the majority of educators are white and where more than 40% of schools don't even have one teacher of color. When preparing teachers for the profession, teacher education programs need to develop strategies and curriculum that speak to the needs of teachers of color. One strategy used to combat racism in the classroom included having teachers connect with different people in different communities to get different perspectives. This would help to affirm students' cultural identities within multicultural schools and society. Another strategy included making the classroom feel like a community and a safe space for all students. This means creating an atmosphere of unity, trust and respect. Fighting racism in the classroom and in society is a difficult and uphill battle, but the more that diverse cultural knowledge is valued and that knowledge includes language and traditions, the more equipped educators will be as they provide culturally relevant education that empowers all children.

Speaker 1: 14:59

Many schools seem to be incubators of racial intolerance and many American children are affected by institutional racism. Education is their best hope for breaking racism's bondage. Racism, prejudice and discrimination are sabotaging this nation's efforts to provide a high-quality education for all students. Racism demands the attention of all teachers, school administrators and school leaders. Although America has become more diverse, it is not yet a pluralistic society, which is a place where all racial and cultural groups share equal access to opportunities and quality lives, as well as power over their own lives. Only when racism is abolished can this pluralistic society exist. In this type of society, all students would be provided with a high quality education that would enable them to be successful as an independent, multi-ethnic, multicultural contributor to society and this rapidly changing world. Rapidly changing world. This is a big ask. The magnitude of this task is so great that some consider it the most significant challenge to America's system of public education, in order for Americans to embrace diversity.

Speaker 1: 16:23

Conscious and unconscious expressions of racism must be identified and then eradicated. The first step is to develop an understanding of the history and nature of racism and its relationship to prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice consists of unjustifiable negative feelings and beliefs about a racial or ethnic group, and discrimination consists of unjustifiable negative behavior toward a racial or ethnic group and its members. Racism is a combination of individual prejudice and individual discrimination on one hand, and the institutional policies and practices, on the other hand, that result in unjustified negative treatment and subordination of members of a racial or ethnic group. In one particular study, one of the best strategies for combating racism in schools was for educators to address the problems of racism and educational equity by confronting and directly challenging racism, by increasing the pool of teachers of color, by developing and implementing a multicultural curriculum, by improving teaching practices, by elevating the self-esteem of all children and teaching character development.

Speaker 1: 17:44

The school policies need to assert unequivocally that racism is unacceptable, that it will not be tolerated and that appropriate sanctions be established with active intervention programs to counter racism policy or some similar policy that states that its mission is to provide a positive, harmonious environment in which respect for the diverse makeup of the school community is promoted. This policy also explicitly states that the school district will not tolerate behavior by students or staff that insults, degrades or stereotypes of race, gender, handicap, physical condition, ethnic group or religion. This type of policy leaves no question about the determination of the school district to address racism. In addition to this type of policy, intervention programs and curriculum need to challenge prejudice, discrimination and racism by examining stereotypes in the media, in textbooks and in the popular culture. Every controversial issue associated with racism needs to be studied, discussed and debated, and then critically confronted. To have these types of discussions, students and teachers need to develop assertiveness, listening skills, group problem skills and conflict resolution skills, as well as empathy and sensitivity. This is a long-term struggle, because racism and other forms of prejudice and discrimination will not be eliminated in a day or a week or from one professional development workshop. This has to be an ongoing, sustained effort.

Speaker 1: 19:38

Telling the complete story of history and the human experience through a multicultural curriculum is essential if students are to broaden their understanding of their own cultures and cultural diversity. Educators need to tap into the richness of the cultural, ethnic and racial diversity. To improve education for all children, a non-Western version of history needs to be incorporated into the curriculum. A curriculum that's based on truth and reality can provide students with a sense of continuity, self-esteem and identity. A robust multicultural education demands a major commitment of time, energy and resources, because developing the appropriate materials, collecting the necessary resources, developing the appropriate materials, collecting the necessary resources, conducting historical research and integrating all of that into a multicultural content is important. It's time consuming, yet it requires a sustained effort. A curriculum that honors and values the rich contributions that culturally diverse groups have made to this country and to civilization is the foundation on which to build interactive multicultural communities of learning. There are several states that have developed such a curriculum, and Oregon is one of those states. States that have developed such a curriculum, and Oregon is one of those states.

Speaker 1: 21:13

Excellence in education should be viewed as a combination of intellectual rigor, challenging content and effective teaching methods. Equity in education means that every child has access to educational excellence and that every school is a delivery system that enables each of its students to derive the full benefits of intellectual rigor, effective teaching methods and challenging content. Unfortunately, the widespread academic failure of children of color, especially in light of the fact that such failure is totally avoidable, is a national disgrace. Improved teaching practices comes from a belief that all children, regardless of their culture, cultural patterns and successful communication, as well as motivation of students. Public schools may knowingly or unintentionally perpetuate inequities through unchallenged, oppressive systems.

Speaker 1: 22:19

Issues of racism and racialization in the subject of mathematics denies marginalized groups of students the full benefit of rich learning experiences. Racialization in this context refers to the process by which societies construct race as real, different and unequal in ways that matter economically, politically and socially. For example, in many school mathematics courses there are some marginalized groups of students who are often not at all inspired to reach their full potential, either because of what they see, what they hear from school personnel or by way of the courses that are selected for them in the first place. Tracking is an issue in mathematics courses in the United States, and tracking is a policy in which students demonstrating certain academic abilities or socioeconomic status are allowed to take more advanced math classes. Tracking reinforces pre-existing inequalities in achievement among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. It tends to strengthen or maintain pre-existing social and economic inequalities in educational outcomes. Further, it puts some people at an advantage based on unearned status and skin color, while denying privilege to others and then trying not to acknowledge the others.

Speaker 1: 23:47

Non-privileged Issues of racism in school math courses is complex and goes back decades. It doesn't happen in isolation, and other school subjects may have the same issue. Racism and racialization are deep-seated in different ways and levels in the education system and in society as a whole. The fact is that education systems tend to emulate the power structures and social constructs that perpetuate discrimination in society. Some would argue that racial inequity may not be a planned and deliberate goal of education policy, but it could also be argued that it's not accidental either. This practice of tracking, to put it bluntly, should be abandoned. However, instead of abandoning it, many misguided proposals and legislative initiatives have started calling for school choice. The inevitable outcome of school choice is the creation of large-scale tracking systems. If equal funding were provided for high-quality education for all children, there wouldn't be a need for school choice.

Speaker 1: 25:03

There are seven principles that have been developed by the Kellogg Foundation that have been effective in resolving deeply rooted conflicts about race in this country. The model emphasizes transformation rather than reconciliation, because the root cause of racial hierarchy is not the result of conflict between groups, but is built into the foundational government structures of this nation. These principles are one there must be an accurate recounting of history at the local and national levels. Two, there must be a clear and compelling vision that is accompanied by a set of ambitious but achievable goals, both long-term and short-term, and progress must be regularly assessed of the different cultures, experiences and perspectives that coexist in the community, and giving every participant an opportunity to tell his or her story in a respectful and supportive setting. Four, the process of healing requires a building of trust and must be viewed as a win-win process. Five, there must be a commitment to some type of reparative or restorative justice, as well as to policies that can effectively foster systemic change. Six, there needs to be a thoughtful and comprehensive communication strategy that must be designed to keep the entire community informed, even for those who are neither involved in or supportive of the process. And seven, there must be a broadly understood way of dealing with any tensions that will more than likely arise. Research indicates that dialogue actually leads to social action. Despite the feeling that many think that we in this country have talked enough about racism, social action has been noted across various studies and experiments on different college campuses across the United States, including the University of Michigan and the University of Massachusetts. Including the University of Michigan and the University of Massachusetts.

Speaker 1: 27:25

I know that you're interested in applying what you learn rather than just absorbing information and, with that in mind, how does what I've been discussing apply to you? Here are the action steps you can take regarding this topic. Students can often be prompted to think hard about race through curriculum Outside of the classroom. This means letting your children choose reading materials from which they can learn about other cultures. It's important to choose books, articles, magazines, etc. That portray history accurately and thoroughly. Be sure to follow up with questions that your child may have regarding the culture they're learning about at the time. Another activity that you can engage in with your children is to encourage them to take pictures of different cultural artifacts in the community, in museums and exhibits and cultural affairs etc. To teach them the value of other cultures. Encourage your children to reach out to classmates who are from different cultures to learn more about them, because the more they know, the more they will understand and the more they will recognize that there really isn't much difference between people.

Speaker 1: 28:45

Having meaningful conversations about race and racism is vitally important. When you remain silent about racist jokes, passing comments and other acts, your silence fosters hate. It enables the hateful to feel comfortable and welcome. If your children are old enough to recognize what's going on in the world. Use whatever is happening in the world to raise awareness and encourage ongoing discussion, debate and self-reflection At the school level. Check on whether your child's school has a school-wide policy or strategy to address institutional racism in various forms, including curriculum, staff training, etc. It's also worth noting whether your child's teacher has organized classroom activities, cultural events and or exchanges to increase understanding and application of other cultures. Additionally, verify that your child's teacher promotes a safe environment for exploring shared experiences of racism, as well as promoting assertiveness and positive feelings of cultural identity. It's also important to note whether the school and teachers have policies against racist attitudes or behaviors, so that everyone supports a clear message that racism will not be tolerated. And finally, I encourage you and your children to accept personal responsibility for your own attitudes and behaviors toward others. Here are this episode's takeaways Solving the problem of racism is America's unfinished agenda and it needs to be highly regarded by educators as a moral imperative.

Speaker 1: 30:47

The effects of racism that plague the lives of students of color are more than personal problems. These effects damage not only the health and welfare of the children, but the character of society as a whole, the quality of American civilization and the prospects for the future. Fighting racism in the classroom and in society is a difficult and uphill battle, but the more that diverse cultural knowledge is valued, the more equipped educators will be, as they provide culturally relevant education that empowers all children, that empowers all children. Let's envision for a moment a time when the inequities of the past no longer dictate the possibilities of the future. Let's even envision a world where people of all cultures are treated equally, where the quality of and access to opportunity is available and valued by everyone and access to opportunity is available and valued by everyone, and where healing and reconciliation are commonplace and social justice is upheld and honored. Will we eventually get there? It's possible, but we all must be purposeful in making this vision a reality, not just through lip service, but by intentional actions, through open and honest face-to-face conversations about racism. Perhaps the first step is to rid ourselves of the belief in racial hierarchies and replace it with a belief in a shared common humanity, although that's something that's much easier said than done.

Speaker 1: 32:39

It doesn't seem like it, but this is my 100th episode. I truly appreciate your support. I hope you've been enjoying my content as much as I enjoy creating it. If you don't want to miss out on any of the content that I've provided, or content that I will provide next, then be sure to subscribe to my podcast. On whatever platform you're listening to this, do me a favor Remember to share my podcast with anyone that you think you find it valuable. That includes your friends, family and community. Thanks for listening today. I hope you'll come back for more K-12 educational discussions with even more exciting topics to untangle, and be sure to stay tuned. On the next episode, I'll be discussing the impact of social media on your child's mental well-being. Until next time, aim to learn something new every day.