Chapter 5
Opportunity Hoarding: Creating and Maintaining Racial Advantage
This chapter discussed white flight in terms of AP, honors and IB courses; students attending a diverse school where classes are inclusive. It also introduced the concept of opportunity hoarding as parents advocate for and expect that the system will do especially well by their children.
How do we make the shift from expecting 'what is best for my student' to 'what is best for every student?' Any ideas as you read this chapter? Feel free to borrow from the chapter that Rosann shared from the book Excellence Through Equity.
Yes, that is the golden question- how we shift people who have always benefited in the system to be more focused on the common good? I know Emily Lee has some thoughts on this...I hope she shares. The common good is the foundation of democracy and peace in our country. Our fates are all tied together. There is a concept in equity work called "targeted univeralism" -- if you target a group that has been historically underserved to bring them up, then the whole benefits. It's like GLAD -- it was designed for ELLs, but teachers who use find it helps their WHOLE class. Other ideas include 1. providing a counter-narrative that people of color don't have "lower standards" or "aren't as smart". This includes encouraging cross-racial friendships in adults, so white people can get rid of the stereotypes that many groups of color have "lower standards" etc... Providing leadership of color in the district etc.. 2. Our district mission is to prepare students for the "global world". Can we convince our parents that the best preparation for a global world is to be in integrated classes rather advantaged, all-white classes."
ReplyDeleteI have looked at some preliminary data in our district's AP/IB courses and it is interesting that a lot of classes have both white and Asian students over-represented - Asian students even more so. I would like to continue to look at this data as I feel that it will help form and frame the conversations. Also, I think we need to look for some good examples for our district. Do you know of any schools or districts who are implementing "targeted universalism?" I feel like our district often times needs examples to learn from and to see that it can be done.
DeleteIt is such a strange mentality, this refusal to recognize that all of our fates are tied together. My dad and I have this decades-old debate about bike helmets - he thinks they should be optional (for adults), because "who are you hurting besides yourself? If I'm on my motorcycle without a helmet and I get hit by a car, the driver of the car is fine - I've only impacted myself." And then I point out that you also impact the EMTs who have to come try to put you back together after an accident, the driver who hit you has to live with that for the rest of her/his life, other motorists have to deal with road closures while your accident is cleaned up, all those salaries have to be paid so over time taxes increase, etc. etc. etc. It's the same as adults who don't want their taxes to go toward education because "I don't have kids." Um, duh - but you do have a dentist, right? And doctors? And someone who built your house? And coworkers and employers and employees and literally millions of other individuals who have touched your life in other ways, who all got where they are thanks to the public education that you don't think has anything to do with you?
DeleteIt's like Mufasa said, we are all connected in the great circle of life.
I went to a Complex Instruction course a while ago that focused on true group work in a math classroom and what that looks like. One of the key takeaways for me was the following quote, "We all do well when we all do well." I wish this could become a new district and community mantra. We have the Ends poster and the district has to demonstrate each year the work made towards the Ends. I think we need to start by making this statement part of our Ends and then as a district we need to actively work towards all of us doing well. By having the Ends poster posted in every classroom and emphasizing that "all of us do well when all of us do well" in staff meetings and classroom discussions this would help cement this belief as a part of our school and district culture.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, we have started using a thought exchange to ask for community feedback on bell times. Could we not start a thought exchange on this topic as well? The initial post by the district would have to be phrased thoughtfully along with data to support the need for all of us to change our mindset.
This was the most depressing part of the book for me. Because I can so clearly see that this happens in our district too. I don't know where this mentality comes from - fear, I guess. The families I have known have been good families, good people. But I can also look back at conversations I had with parents over the years and see the threads of this kind of thinking, which makes me so sad. This fear that "If my kid doesn't stand out and have special classes and special opportunities, then... (then I'm not a good parent, then my child won't have a happy life, then others will judge me, then others will judge my child, then others will judge my family, etc. etc. etc.).
ReplyDeleteAnd I can see threads of this throughout our culture. The big debate about participation trophies is another example of this - parents who are bothered when everyone receives a participation trophy for playing on a team, for example. Why is it a problem if more than one child gets recognized for efforts? Why is it a problem if EVERY child gets recognized for efforts? How does it take away from your child if another child gets the same recognition?
I'm rambling.
I found this discouraging but unfortunately very realistic. I think many parents want their children to travel the same road to success that worked for them - changing the system scares them and they fear they success they want for their children won't happen. I think if people realized that success for others won't come at the expense of their own children - that helping others to also succeed helps everyone - there might be a chance for change. Sadly, where children are concerned, parents are often not willing to consider anything they are afraid puts their own children in a less-advantageous position. More education for everyone is needed!
ReplyDelete