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Steps to true reform

December 4, 2020

The persistent structures of racial inequality call for a consistent, all-in approach to reform. Fernandez said that in order for this approach to be effective, teachers and administrators must have diverse perspectives.

“Equity is about making sure that resources are distributed equitably, meaning that the folks who need, get,” Fernandez said. “To have more diverse groups of teachers engaging in dialogue about these issues is much better than having predominantly white faculty trying to figure out how best to serve and support students of color.”

The entire community must be involved in efforts to eliminate racial disparities for any lasting change to occur, Fernandez said.

“The way that I frame this is like moving, literally moving from one home to another,” Fernandez said. “When you move, everybody’s got to go. You don’t just move and leave people behind.”

Cawthorne said the COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity for this move to happen.

“We have an opportunity to think about schooling and all the things that are wrong,” Cawthorne said. “We have a chance to just wipe out a lot of the crap that we know creates disparities.”

In order to wipe out these disparities, everyone who is a part of the education system must be involved in discussing its future, Mims said.

“The three major stakeholder groups are the students, the parents and the educators. If you get those three major stakeholder groups working in concert together, that’s true reform,” Mims said.

Of these three stakeholder groups, teachers have a unique challenge to navigate when addressing racial inequities.

“It’s very difficult because most educators were not educated in this space that looks like the one that we’re trying to create, so it takes a lot of imagination,” Fernandez said. “Teachers also have to be of two minds. Be the people that are advocating for change, but also to recognize that sometimes they’re the ones that need to change too.”

Cawthorne said rethinking the purpose of leveling on a larger scale is an essential part of changing the existing inequalities.

“We have to think of breaking down levels differently, really locking in and focusing on what kids need to know to move to the next level developmentally. I think every subject could do that,” Cawthorne said. “It would really mean a shift in our current teaching.”

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