Fear of black students, unfair treatment rampant in Denver schools, black educators say
Five-year-old Samatar Abhullahi works during his kindergarten class at Denver's Ashley Elementary School. ( Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post )
After hearing concerns from black educators about how they and their students are treated, Denver Public Schools commissioned a study to capture the experiences of African-American teachers in a school district that acknowledges a history of racism.
The recently released 82-page report found that many feel isolated within the district and see stark contrasts in how black children are handled in and out of the classroom compared to their white counterparts.
In April, the district hired Sharon Bailey, a former DPS school board member who studied the district’s court-ordered school integration program and racial dynamics in Denver, to interview black teachers and administrators about their experiences in the district and how race influenced them.
During several months, Bailey spoke with 70 teachers and administrators who ranged in age from 26 to 74. Some had more than 30 years of experience, while others were finishing their very first year working in education.
Deputy Superintendent Susana Cordova said Bailey will continue her work with the district for the time being.
“We are extending her contract to continue to support the dissemination of the report,” Cordova said in an email. “We have kicked off the creation of a taskforce to create recommendations that may have both policy and practice implications.”
The group will be made up of community members and district employees, and it is expected to make recommendations to the district by the end of the calendar year, Cordova said
Here are some of the most notable points from Bailey’s report:
By and large, teachers who are not black don’t expect black students to do well in the classroom, which affects perception and the vigor with which teachers approach those students, respondents said. A workforce of teachers that looks more like the student population could help black students perform better in the classroom because those students will have someone they can relate to, the teachers and administrators said. Fear of black students, unfair treatment rampant in Denver schools, black educators say | Chalkbeat:
More than 90 percent of those interviewed said institutional racism exists in DPS.Hostile work environments and the lack of African-Americans in top leadership positions were both mentioned at length, as were the aforementioned feelings of isolation.
