In 30 seconds: How a local (mostly white) school district is taking on the topic of race
Colleen WilsonDid you miss Colleen Wilson's piece on the topic of race in a local school district? Here's a condensed version to help get you started.
Get up to speed
Farragut Middle School in the Hastings-on-Hudson school district is taking on a topic that few districts, especially predominantly white districts, have delved into in the classroom: race.
For a quarter of the school year, all middle schoolers will take a class where they talk about race, racism and social justice, topics these pre-teens and teens are exposed to in the news almost everyday, but have few opportunities to discuss at school.
The course was devised after some teachers expressed concern about how issues of race were — or weren't — handled in the district.
READ THE FULL STORY: Talking about race in predominantly white school districts
Four things to know
THE DATA: The majority of school districts in Westchester County have predominantly white student bodies. Nearly 20 percent of students, outside of Yonkers, will attend a school without a teacher of color. So for many in these school communities, issues of race and racism aren’t the subject of day-to-day conversations.
THE CLASS: “Sparking Courageous Conversations” is the three-year course designed using research-based curriculum by Hastings teachers for students in grades 6-8 at Farragut Middle School in Hastings. Students learn about the definitions of race and racism, talk about stereotypes, and analyze current events using media clips. The goal is that students develop racial literacy, meaning they have the vocabulary and confidence to talk about issues of race.
WHO MADE IT HAPPEN: A small committee of teachers, led by co-founder Sonja Cherry-Paul, formed in 2015 to bring issues of race to the forefront in the district. The “Race Matters” committee has brought in teacher training about diversity, organized a multicultural book fair, and developed the “Courageous Conversations” class, which was embraced by leaders at Farragut Middle School, including Principal Gail Kipper.
WHY IT HAPPENED: Several teachers of color in Hastings said they experienced racially insensitive incidents that were inadequately addressed by district officials, making them feel unwelcome and under-valued. As a result, some of these educators have left the district, reinforcing a trend — teachers of color have higher turnover rates than their white colleagues. The charge of the “Race Matters” committee is to make the district as a whole more “race-conscious,” Cherry-Paul said.
In their words
Dive Deeper
READ THE FULL STORY: Talking about race in predominantly white school districts
