Reimagining Schools: Are Schools at the Epicenter for Undoing Systemic Racism?

Over the past several weeks, we’ve had two holidays celebrating freedom: Juneteenth and July 4th. Like many others across our region and nation, we are reexamining the idea of freedom and equality in our country’s past and present. For some, these conversations are not new and for others, it's the first time you're giving thought to the idea of systemic racism and racial equity. Regardless of where you are on your social justice journey, we hope that you’ve used the time off in ways that feel right to you - reflecting, protesting, resting, etc.

Undoing systemic racism is a huge undertaking, but the murders of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbury, Breonna Taylor, Dreasjon Reed, Tony McDade, David McAtee, and countless others, remind us that Black and Brown lives depend on it.

All of us engaged in education must ask ourselves:

• What is my role in undoing systemic racism? racial equality? closing the achievement gap?

• What can I do? How can I do it with humility, thoughtfulness, and an open mind?

• Are all the voices at the table? Have we sought out allies to support us?

 The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools shared: “America may finally be ready to confront and fix the inequities that people of color have long faced. For decades, these inequities have been on display in many areas of life, including education.” Just one example is the digital divide that became visible when schools moved online due to stay-at-home orders this spring. “Students of color and those from low-income families have been the most likely to face severe limitations in their ability to access schoolwork.” It is estimated that 28.4% of DC charter school students have low access to internet connectivity or devices.

Responding to #BlackLivesMatter

Most DC charter schools reacted quickly to show support across social media for #BlackLivesMatter. Some charter schools closed in solidarity to allow students and teachers to join protests and take time to heal and reflect while others launched advocacy campaigns to persuade DC’s leaders to change budget priorities. 

Capital City Public Charter School launched #BLMW (Black Lives Matter When), a campaign to elevate student voices in the DC budget process. Students shared videos with the DC mayor and DC Council on how the city should invest in Black communities and support #BlackLivesMatter. This campaign is teaching kids to share what they believe their communities need and to advocate for action. View #BLMW call-to-action video.

KIPP DC’s board matched donations up to $40,000 from students, parents, staff, and alumni to support organizations working to empower Black students and their local community. They developed this image to help show the connections.

Communities for Just Schools Fund launched a Black Lives Matter at School – Week of Action to communicate national demands, including:

• End zero-tolerance – move from a discipline-focus to a positive school culture 

• Mandate Black history and ethnic studies

• Hire more Black teachers 

• Fund counselors not cops

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School shared resources from the Communities for Just Schools Fund with members of their team, including its Curriculum Resource Guide and other resources for how to talk to young children about Black Lives Matter guiding principles.

It is inspiring to see our school community come out in solidarity, but a hashtag or statement is just the beginning of our journey as school leaders to address the work still to be done for lasting change. With this goal in mind, we turned to charter school leaders to ask where we should focus next. We’ve shared those ideas below.

Creating Cultures of Connectedness in Schools

Communities for Just Schools Fund’s answer to what’s next is to “Do the Harder Work – Create Cultures of Connectedness in Schools that move conversations about school safety beyond fear, punishment, and policing… towards restorative action: building relationships within our school communities with the power to prevent and heal the traumas of interpersonal and systemic violence, and to nurture the inherent genius of youth of color.”

Here are just a few recommendations from their study: 

• Create space and opportunities for relationship-centered schools

• Invest in mental and emotional health supports and professionals – expand support for students

• Support the social and emotional development of students – empower students to take action

• Provide a culturally responsive education – expand ethnic studies and hiring of teachers of color

• Invest in integrating restorative justice – expand positive discipline and student-led conflict resolution

• Create sanctuaries for connection in our schools and communities

Shifting Resources from Security to Mental Health

Empowering schools to build more connectedness and positive cultures cannot overlook our investment in school security. Every DC charter school has a Resource Officer and some have additional security. It is an 8:1 ratio of our investment in security and resource officers compared to mental health, nurses, and social services. It is past time to shift more resources to support the social, emotional, and wellness priorities of our students. 

Communities for Just Schools Fund has launched a second National Week of Action for #PoliceFreeSchools – advocating to remove police from schools and invest more in education to ensure Black and Latinx students have the resources to keep winning in a school environment that empowers kids.

Consider, asking donors to help support your mental health and wellness programs at your school. Philanthropy can free up funds to support mental health and wellness activities in and outside of schools.   

Expand Ethnic Studies and Hiring of Teachers of Color

Tomeika Bowden, DC Public Charter School Board, shared “we often have Black men in the role of student discipline but then have very few teachers of color… we need to reimagine a more diverse staff across our team, especially Black male teachers.” And research shows we have some work to do on our team culture. Turnover rates for teachers of color are quite high. We need to create a teaching environment where they want to stay.

Connie Spinner, Community College Preparatory Academy, suggested schools “teach history that is true and seek to assist marginalized populations to understand that being on the margins is not their fault.”

It is well-known among educators that we need a more diverse teacher workforce who mirror our student body. Teachers of color tend to provide more culturally relevant teaching and better understand the situations that students of color may face. These teachers serve as cultural ambassadors who help students feel welcome and as role models for students of color. Research has shown that Black teachers tend to have a higher estimation of a Black student’s academic abilities than a nonblack teacher, which often impacts future academic outcomes.

Consider, what else we can be doing to hire more teachers of color? And how do we create equitable environments where they want to continue teaching?

Advocate for Fighting Institutional Racism

Other school leaders suggested that their donors should vote for the candidate that they think will be the most committed to social justice and dismantling institutional racism and donate money to organizations committed to fighting institutional racism. If our students can grow up to work, live, and exist in a world where they don't have an immediate uphill battle because of instant racial bias, that’s progress.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy shared a thought-provoking piece on racism from Lisa Pilar Cowan: “Dismantling racism might require philanthropy to dismantle itself. Anything short of a radical overhaul feels shallow. Foundations tend to select carefully curated grant proposals instead of funding grassroots work, including schools and community organizations. It shows how very much we need change: new leaders, new vision, new systems, new norms. It recognizes that things are not returning to normal, nor should they. It is our job to move massive resources quickly and easily to facilitate change, to recognize new leadership, and to listen more humbly and deeply to where the answers lie. We are lucky to be in service to those who interrupt, who disrupt, who remind us to stop fiddling around the edges because there is real work to be done.”

The approval of the DC budget is right around the corner, speak out to tell DC Mayor Bowser and the DC Council to fully fund DC charter schools and where it matters most to invest resources to support our Black communities.

Now is the time to reimagine schools and start taking steps to end systemic racism in education. As K-12 educators, our reach spans across every child in America. Just think about the impact we can have.

 Consider, what you can do next as an educator?

• How can we close the digital divide and ensure equitable technology access?

• What can we do to support a student’s mental health and social-emotional needs? Who can be our allies?

• Can we create more connectedness at school? Are their voices missing at the table? 

 For parents and donors, wondering where to start?

• Talk to your kids about racism and how to be an ally for racial equality and justice.
  In this USA Today article, it shares ideas on what to discuss with our kids and resources for parents.

• Donate to schools and nonprofits working to end systemic racism

• Advocate to legislators to invest in racial equality and support for our Black communities

 Now more than ever, we must support one another and speak up for justice and equality—we must embrace this responsibility in our schools.