WHITE TEACHERS, HERE’S HOW YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY PARTNER WITH BLACK FAMILIES
The show was going really well. We were in Pittsburgh, taping a live 8 Black Hands podcast episode at the State of Black Learning Conference, and we were just wrapping up the Q&A.
Then, a White woman stood up and explained that she worked really hard and was often blamed for the shortcomings of her students and families. She finished by asking a question that I had heard many times before: “How do we make families accountable to us?!”
I JUST KEPT THINKING OF HOW MANY WAYS THIS WOMAN’S DAMAGING MINDSET MUST BE MANIFESTING ITSELF IN HER LIFE AND IN HER WORK WITH CHILDREN.
Her frustration was real. But so was mine from hearing it. The crowd was mixed—some of her colleagues appeared aghast, while others vigorously nodded affirmation. My co-host Charles Cole went in and gave her a piece of his mind. My other co-host Chris Stewart was more restrained, and reframed the question. I just kept thinking of how many ways this woman’s damaging mindset must be manifesting itself in her life and in her work with children.
Later, we would be told it wasn’t her question—she was asking for a neighbor—and another colleague acknowledged that she shared these negative mindsets about her students of color. And it’s something I’ve seen countless times in schools that serve Black and Brown kids: classrooms led by educators CONTINUE READING: White Teachers, Here’s How You Can Successfully Partner With Black Families - Philly's 7th Ward
