Dear White Parents,
Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve seen an abundance of resources appear for how to address the current racial crisis in our nation with our children. There are books you can read to your child, tips for how to handle conversations about race with all ages, and there’s an increased desire among white adults to educate ourselves on systemic racism. Lest we forget the fact that we are having to educate ourselves be a sign of our own privilege. But aside from everything you may be doing at home with your children, I want you to pause and think on some questions:
Where does your child go to school? Why do they go to that particular school? Why did you choose that district, that neighborhood, or that school?
How many of your child’s classmates are black? Or a race other than white? Do they have friends who are POC? What about their teachers? How many POC teachers are employed at your child’s school?
Is there something you, as a parent, can do to encourage further integration in your child’s school? Can you encourage your school’s administration to hire more POC teachers? Can you reach out to your school’s parent organization and ensure POC parents are being included in the conversation?
What about your child’s curriculum? Are their teachers providing a diversified curriculum that includes POC voices? Maybe literature by black authors? Is the history curriculum highlighting the history of all Americans, or is it white-washed? Are there a balanced number of minority students represented in honors and AP courses at your child’s high school?
I don’t personally know or have all the answers. But here’s what I do know:
I have always been an advocate for public education. I genuinely and wholeheartedly believe in our public school system. I believe the schools in my own city, Oklahoma City, have the potential to be amazing schools. And for a long time, I’ve thought about what could make schools better. And I honestly believe it starts with our stakeholders, with parents and community members. When parents and community members take the time to invest in their local schools, those schools thrive.
Let’s get real about something: public schools are not fully integrated. Compare the statistics of any affluent suburban school with that of an urban school, and you will see the disparities. There is a disproportionate ratio of white students compared to POC students – extremely high in suburban schools, extremely low in urban. Even within urban communities, starting in elementary school the demographics are more evenly proportionate, but as you look at middle school and high school data, the percentage of white students enrolled in those public schools drops significantly as white parents transfer their students from the urban public school system to private and charter schools.
This is not to berate private schools, charter schools, or virtual schools. I believe there is a place for all types of schools for all types of learners. But my heart has always been in the public school system, and I so desperately want to see all students flourish and thrive in public schools, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status.
If we are serious about dismantling systemic racism in the United States, it starts with schools. Stakeholders need to hold public schools accountable to ensure they are providing a fair and equitable education for all students. Urban school districts need to come up with creative ways to retain their white students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Suburban school districts need to continuously ensure they are providing equity for their POC and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. All school districts should take the time to re-evaluate their policies and their curriculum to ensure equity and diversity.
There is a lot of work to be done, and this essay barely scrapes the surface. Parents, you may be sitting there scratching your head, wondering what in the world you could possibly do. I understand when it comes to your individual child, you have so many questions to consider. You want your child to have the best possible education. Who would want less? Some of you have choices, some of you do not. Regardless of your own family’s circumstances, there are things we can all be doing now to being the process of dismantling systemic racism that may exist within schools. Go back and read the questions I posed above, and take a moment to consider what you personally can do to hold your child’s school accountable, whether that is your neighborhood school, a private school, charter, or virtual. The work is great, but this work will take all of us collectively.
I personally, as a history and government teacher, can do better. I can diversify my curriculum. I can ensure I incorporate POC voices into my history lessons. I can amplify my marginalized students’ voices in my government course and give them the tools to be actively engaged in the political process. As a debate coach, I can recruit more POC students. I have a lot of work to do as a white educator. We all do.
Parents, pause and consider how you can play a role in dismantling systemic racism, both at home and in your child’s school. How can we raise a generation of students who care deeply about justice and equity? What more can we be doing for our schools to ensure they are equitable?
Let’s do this thing.
Sincerely,
A White Educator