Fear Has No Place in Learning Systems
Over the past 18 months, there has been a crescendo of ambiguity and insecurity within public education. As if a public health crisis was not enough, we’ve had a number of other major contributing factors, such as the rapidly evolving state of race relations and a fiercely divided political landscape. As we enter a new school year, the insecurity continues, with intense debates about COVID-related reentry such as mask mandates and vaccination requirements. That has been further heightened by a national dialogue about critical race theory (CRT) and K12 school systems.
Not only is this exhausting our K12 systems leaders, it is putting hard working and well intentioned teachers in harm’s way. As if the job wasn’t already hard enough, now leaders are expected to run a gauntlet of misinformation and pockets of anger within their communities. Nearly all communities want their kids to get a balanced education that yields good options upon completion. An array of sources document the fight against CRT in schools- NPR’s Fresh Air (June 24, 2021) takes an investigative look at the fight in schools; Brookings Institute blog (August 13, 2021) documents the rationale and details behind states banning CRT; and Ibrahim Kendi offers a perspective in the Atlantic (July 9, 2021) on the origins of the current debate.
Last month, one of 2Revolutions’ school district partners unilaterally cancelled our contract. After being in business for over 13 years, this had never happened to us. It was a newer district partner, but there was no performance issue or lack of fit. In fact, there was tremendous excitement among leaders and teachers in this district for the work we had underway. Rather, what precipitated this hasty exit was a few sentences on our website (pasted below), under the Who We Are section.
Our team holds Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a core value. We recognize that our education system was intentionally designed to marginalize and suppress Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. 2Rev is committed to maintaining a staff that represents the voices of the communities we serve, and we recognize that our team does not yet reflect the diversity we hold as a core value. Read ourDEI Commitments to learn more about how we are actively combatting our own complicity in unjust systems and striving to center racial equity in our work.
Those sentences tripped a political switch for a few vocal opponents in that particular community, who in turn exerted pressure on some school board members from that district.
The details of this specific situation are immaterial in this context. The key detail is that this district is in a state which recently passed an anti-CRT bill.
What has transpired prompts me to reflect on the state of public education and the risks of losing sight of what matters most- a well rounded education that teaches students to think critically and prepare them for a rapidly changing world. A few months earlier, the faculty in this very district had co-created the vision for a graduate included below - which, by the way, is very similar to the profiles being developed by forward-thinking districts across the country, who recognize that we must redefine student success if we are to do a better job of preparing all students for success. It’s a strong indication of progress, and our continued work was to help them build capacity to realize this vision:
IN OUR DISTRICT, WE WANT OUR LEARNERS TO BE:
Critical Thinkers - Our learners make reasoned judgments that are logical and well-thought out. It is through this way of thinking that our learners don't simply accept all arguments and conclusions to which they are exposed, but rather question all arguments and draw their own conclusions.
Empathetic - Our learners are aware of, perceive, understand, and are sensitive to the feelings, thoughts and experiences of others and express that understanding through support and kindness.
Problem Solvers - Our learners are able to determine the cause of a problem and can identify, prioritize, and select alternatives for a solution; and implement a solution to the problem.
Respectful - Our learners care how other people feel. They demonstrate this by showing others that they are important. They act in a way that shows care for how your actions may impact others. They show respect for people, places, and things.
Responsible - Our learners know how to make decisions and take credit for their actions—whether good or bad. Through this process, they learn about the value of being trusted. Taking responsibility is not just about how the choices learners make affect them, but also how their choices and actions affect others.
No matter your political preference, ask yourself this: what parent or civic-minded taxpayer would object to a school system investing to ensure that its young people enter the world armed with these skills?
Today, most communities are wracked by unprecedented anxiety and fear. As a life-long educator and a parent of four children myself in our local public education system, I appreciate that fear of wrong choices and outside influences is real and pervasive. But, if we needed other evidence, the data just emerging from the 2020 census is an important indicator of the fact that all of our kids, regardless of where they now live, will be increasingly among different races and cultures in the future. The face of our country continues to shift with demographic trends that will see a smaller white population and a larger, and ultimately majority, population of color. In that context alone, isn’t it an educational imperative to ensure that all learners have greater cultural competence to live happily and successfully in our shifting society?
In an era of CRT fear mongering, I reject that political pressure should subvert educators or community leaders doing what’s right on behalf of all kids. How will we ever achieve these objectives - the skills, knowledge and understanding of what it means to live in a truly multicultural society - if we allow ourselves to succumb to ignorance and fear?
