How do you see this history affecting your work as a
teacher in RPS (please be as personal and specific as you can)?Given where
Pratt's account finishes and anything you happen to know about RPS today, do
you see any hope for the future?
After reading the Pratt book, I felt more compelled than ever to be a teacher for Richmond Public Schools. I read some very disturbing comments that Pratt quoted from white parents that tugged at my heart. Were black people overly violent back then? What caused the overwhelming fears that their kids might be robbed? I just do not understand what happened in the past to causes such a fear of black people. I can understand the fear of losing control and power but how did that turn into fear for their safety? Moreover, what would have been so bad about their children experiencing different cultures? The world isn’t all white and neither should a school be.
It is my hope that I can help change the perspective that a majority of people, in just my circle alone, have about RPS and the students that attend. Reading this text has opened my eyes to why so many of these black students feel singled out, disrespected and like no one cares or cares to listen. Generations of not belonging and never being good enough have been impressed upon them. I feel their anger and frustration and it makes me sad because black youth should be able to feel accepted and to feel that they matter.
This pushes me to want to become a great teacher and to become more active in community services in areas where my students will come from. I want them to know what opportunities are available to them and how to access them. I want to be more than just an in school figure but an active figure of the community.
I do not know too much about RPS but I think there is hope for the future. White and middle class people are already starting to move back into the city, though they send their kids to private school. It is a start I think because it is allowing interaction and relationships among the races and classes. I think this will change RPS demographics eventually. It’s hard to change generational thinking. It is part of who we are and we all act on it unconsciously at times. It will take time to see big changes.
Prior to reading the Pratt text, I had very limited knowledge about desegregation in RPS. I knew that it occurred (at least on paper). I also knew that the public schools are now 80-90% black, and many are struggling. I knew a little about the specifics of busing and white flight, but reading quotes from and accounts concerning the people who lived through it has broadened my perspective.
Although the national spotlight on issues of desegregation has dimmed, Pratt was effective in describing how this is a problem we are still dealing with today. He published the book in ’92 if I’m not mistaken, and while some things may have changed, the broader picture remains the same. We are still reeling from the effects of segregation, and our schools and our neighborhoods are still largely segregated in practice. Students in RPS are struggling, and many don’t graduate.
Fixing these issues will not be a swift process. Gains will be made incrementally. But the possibility of helping out with these issues is a big part of why I decided to become a teacher in Richmond City Schools in the first place. I’m thankful for this book, because I think the first part of the healing process is understanding the problem.
While we won’t necessarily address these issues directly in a science class, I think just knowing the history of what has happened (and is still happening) will help me become a better teacher. I’ve heard that not everyone in RPS agrees that race is still an issue. If that is the case, then I think these folks are confused. Even if we have somehow overcome our interpersonal racism, institutional racism is still quite influential. It’s something that needs to be addressed and dismantled, and we aren’t going to fix the problem if we aren’t willing to discuss it.
In the classroom, we can have a positive effect as teachers by treating our students with the respect, care and appreciation that they each deserve, and by encouraging them to treat each other with that same kindness as well. If we make our classrooms the best they can be, we’ll be helping make the school the best it can be.
"The consensus among most of the black students fell neatly into one of two camps" (1) the paternalists, who felt they were fulfilling some sort of missionary zeal by teaching black children, and (2) the bigots, who were indifferent to the plight of black students, but remained in the city's school system because they lacked other options"(Pratt 86).
I found that passage to be especially interesting while I was reading the final half of Pratt. It made me stop and think about how both of the options presented, paternalist and bigot, had negative connotations. Either you were indifferent to the plight of black students, or you were a patronizing white figure who felt that you were a superhero - a saving grace to black children. When I'm asked why I am doing this program, I often cite the fact that I want to make a difference in the city's schools and be a positive role model. Knowing full well of the black student majority, I suppose I would have gotten shuffled into the paternalist category back then. This makes me wonder whether this forced paternalist/bigot categorization still lingers in the mind of Richmond Public School students today. While I certainly hope not to be considered an uppity white missionary figure, I'm not exactly sure how to combat a mindset like that. I must admit, being a straight white male, that I certainly embody the looks of what black students may consider outside of the norm for them. There may be no perfect answer to this question, or perfect way to behave or teach in order to not fall into a stereotype. It may sound corny, but I will go ahead and strive to be the best teacher I can be regardless.
I do see hope in the future for Richmond Public Schools. There will always be individuals who are willing to take risks and make a stand for change. I particularly respected former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton's actions, specifically when he escorted his daughter to the school she had been assigned - a predominately black one. You would think, as a governor, he could have pulled some strings if he wanted to avoid sending his children to predominately black schools, but he didn't. That is model leadership in my book. In the epilogue, some students seemed to recall negative experiences during their school days at RPS, others positive. As future teachers, we can't save the world or any school system ourselves, but we can simply be a positive force that does their part for the students.
“For some black children, underachievement became a self-fulfilling prophecy; having been told repeatedly that they could not learn, they put forth very little time and effort and therefore did not learn. Educators have spent the last several years trying to reverse that trend by encouraging students to feel good about themselves and to have confidence in their own ability” (97). I think this is a great summation of how history could affect my work as a Richmond Public Schools teacher. As the book indicates, over the years, ideas and stigmas of RPS has not only jaded the perceptions of the school system, but psychologically has affected the students in the system. The effects of this negative psychology -that is the ideas and beliefs that black children and subsequently their school system are less than- could have easily been passed down thru the generations. Perhaps I make this point too frequently, but I think its an important one to stress, History is so incredibly important. Without understanding white flight and systematic racism in Richmond, one could not understand segregation in the schools, as they go hand in hand. As white flight has continued over time it should be no surprise that the schools have returned to a segregated state.
As a product of RPS, I find it quite insulting when people are surprised I went there. I have even had people go as far to say, “oh you went there when it was decent.” And as horrific as this sounds, I am always amazed, in my short tenure on this planet, at how drastically RPS has changed since I attended the school system. When I attended Fisher, an elementary school in Richmond’s Southside, the demographics were about 60% black and 40% white. Even in middle school, at Binford, I shared the vintage hallways with many white kids who lived in the prestigious Fan neighborhood. It’s sad as I look back and see how different those dynamics are today. Neither Fisher nor Binford are model schools anymore, the SPACE programs that used to exist are no longer, and many summer programs have vanished. The education I experienced as a child, and the system that exists now is indicative of Pratt’s work- segregation is in full force- and to be quite honest I don’t see much hope for the future without an entire restructuring of the system.
“All things being equal, with no history of discrimination, it might well be desirable to assign pupils to schools nearest their homes. But all things are not equal in a system that has been deliberately constructed and maintained to reinforce racial segregation.” - Supreme Court decision in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, 1971
I could not agree more with Brittany that understanding history is crucial, particularly as a teacher in RPS. For that reason, I am grateful for Pratt’s insightful survey of Richmond schools post-Brown. The sheer amount of systematic discrimination, particularly in the housing market, is mind-blowing to me. I simply do not understand how anyone could defend the statement that ours is a “post-racial society,” and I think anyone who holds that view should read this book. This reading is as challenging for me as it is informative, because I recognize that although I am a product of public schools, my parents deliberately sent me to the “best” public schools by using our financial resources to buy homes in the “best” school districts. I use “best” in quotes because it was almost always synonymous with suburban, white students. I would not say that my parents are blatant racists, but I cannot avoid the truth that I am a product of a system that has consistently doled out benefits to me, while giving others the shaft. Reading this book is helpful to me as I become an RPS teacher, so that I can begin to understand the histories these students are coming from. It also opened my eyes to more nuanced discrimination—the kind that gets through Supreme Court decisions for several years as districts engaged in passive resistance. Hopefully, this knowledge will enable me to be more aware of discrimination when I see it happening in RPS. It is difficult to see a hope for the future, when the white flight Pratt describes in chapter four is still so prevalent. Even if white families do move back to urban areas, I’m afraid it’s because it’s the “hip, cool” thing to do, and not at any attempt at actual racial reconciliation. If we still live in a place where white parents ask each other, “So, what are you going to do for middle school?” as Kurt described to us last week, clearly the journey to reconciliation is nowhere near over. I am encouraged, however, by the language of our peers of all races and socioeconomic background, who appear committed to informing themselves about systematic oppression and to fight it whenever possible.
“The Color of Their Skin” was an excellent read and I plan to pass it around to as many people as I possibly can. I had tears in my eyes many times while reading it and insisted that everyone who crossed my path at least looked at the pictures, while I quickly attempted to summarize the book for them. I had no idea just how horrible the long span of desegregation was, and still is, and I think everyone in Virginia needs to read this book. I see this affecting my work as a teacher in RPS very positively. Although at times I’m sure I will battle with a guilty conscience, knowing that the race that I am a part of did this to all of the children of Richmond, I also believe that it’s allowing me to see the whole picture will surely benefit me as a teacher. Knowing that it is the fault of so many, other than their own, that RPS students are faced everyday with an unequal education will help, hopefully all of us, be more understanding. The fact that the children that we will be teaching are the children or grandchildren of those who lived through a time when they were not worthy, that people would flee from the city to be away from them, breaks my heart. It is hard to remove the feelings of sadness, mistrust, and anger that these events would have caused them, from the way that you raise your children. I’m certain that there is much anger stemming from these times that will be impossible to erase, even in generations to come. As a teacher in RPS, my new goal is to, everyday, make every student feel appreciated, feel worthy, feel great about themselves and their education, and to make them feel loved. I know that I can’t change the past or the present, but at least I can try to make the classroom a place where the students have the rights that their predecessors didn’t. Still today, the RPS classrooms might be even more segregated than they were when this book was published, with most white kids in private schools by 6th grade. We can’t allow modern day segregation to “carr[y] with it a badge of cultural and racial inferiority, which caus[es] black children to develop a distorted image of themselves” (109). Today in RPS, there is an overwhelming majority of black students. White families have continued to remove their children from public schools and put them in private schools. I’m not sure it is currently because of race, though there is surely plenty of inherent and generational racism, rather I think it is fear of the unknown. This is further perpetuated by the poor scores within RPS, that make the middle class families less likely to send their children to RPS schools. However, there are changes being made that are bringing more white children into RPS, Binford for example, but I have mixed feelings on whether bringing more white children into the schools really fixes anything. I think that the inherent problem is a need to boost the confidence and the desire of education of the current RPS students. The education system has beaten these students down for so long that you have to wonder why they would want to be a part of it. We need to revive he interest in education and show our students that they can be successful and do well. I have much more to say on the topic but have probably already written too much. Looking forward to class.
This book definitely has helped me to better understand students in RPS. The events related to desegregation happened not long ago, and the people who had gone through this time as children are still alive in Richmond. The scars from this time are still remained in them, and the history passes down to generation after generation, and it still affects the children in Richmond City. The black parents wished for the quality of education for their children, and it was the main concern through those times. I believe it is still the desires of the parents at RPS. I hate to read how children were labeled superior and inferior by the color of the skin.
Until recently, I was not aware of the situations where white parents send their children to certain elementary school then private schools or they move out of Richmond City to county schools. This trend has not disappeared yet. Is it due to the notion that a good education could never be achieved within a predominantly black setting (109)?
After reading this book, I have stronger desire wanting to be a teacher in RPS. I feel responsible to “help black children from poor families overcome a crippling legacy of neglect and to convince them that they can learn” (97). I see hope for the future in RPS. RPS is still having difficulties with student performance as in late 1970s and the situation has not gotten better. However, I feel that there are groups of teachers and administrations who sincerely desire to help changing the patterns at RPS. I also strongly believe that RTR program could contribute much in changing and impacting students in their educations. I felt the difference between a couple of current RPS teachers whom I have met and teachers graduated from RTR. The teachers from RTR had much positive perspective on future RPS. It comforts me to know that there are at least 8 future teachers who are willing to commit to change the education system at RPS.
The Color of My Skin follows a history of Richmond Public Schools from what was supposed to be an era of desegregation and equality to essentially an era of resegregation. For me the not distant past of Richmond Public Schools definitely puts thing in perspective. Not much has changed since this book has been written. Parts of town are still majorly segregated by race, and many of the schools are either majority one race or the other. Even though I do not know what school I will be placed in, I do feel it is important to know dynamics like the ones present in this book.
I do not know how much the subject of race will come up in my classroom, but even if it never does there are issues that my students will face because of it or because of what part of town they live in. I think after reading the book I will be a more conscious educator. I feel this book is a great start, but being knowledgeable of resources and other opportunities outside of school. I want my students to experience the much bigger world outside of Richmond. I would also advocate for a more equal playing field for all children. Like any major change, it will take time, resources, and other people to do so.
I hope to see Richmond Public Schools reflect the very diverse city it is in. I do see hope in the future of RPS, especially with programs like RTR. Being a part of programs with other educators that are dedicated to changing the face of RPS is encouraging. I think forming this network with my classmates and others and affecting the culture of our schools will only improve them.
After reading the Pratt book, I felt more compelled than ever to be a teacher for Richmond Public Schools. I read some very disturbing comments that Pratt quoted from white parents that tugged at my heart. Were black people overly violent back then? What caused the overwhelming fears that their kids might be robbed? I just do not understand what happened in the past to causes such a fear of black people. I can understand the fear of losing control and power but how did that turn into fear for their safety? Moreover, what would have been so bad about their children experiencing different cultures? The world isn’t all white and neither should a school be.
ReplyDeleteIt is my hope that I can help change the perspective that a majority of people, in just my circle alone, have about RPS and the students that attend. Reading this text has opened my eyes to why so many of these black students feel singled out, disrespected and like no one cares or cares to listen. Generations of not belonging and never being good enough have been impressed upon them. I feel their anger and frustration and it makes me sad because black youth should be able to feel accepted and to feel that they matter.
This pushes me to want to become a great teacher and to become more active in community services in areas where my students will come from. I want them to know what opportunities are available to them and how to access them. I want to be more than just an in school figure but an active figure of the community.
I do not know too much about RPS but I think there is hope for the future. White and middle class people are already starting to move back into the city, though they send their kids to private school. It is a start I think because it is allowing interaction and relationships among the races and classes. I think this will change RPS demographics eventually. It’s hard to change generational thinking. It is part of who we are and we all act on it unconsciously at times. It will take time to see big changes.
-Stevara
Brendan Here
ReplyDeletePrior to reading the Pratt text, I had very limited knowledge about desegregation in RPS. I knew that it occurred (at least on paper). I also knew that the public schools are now 80-90% black, and many are struggling. I knew a little about the specifics of busing and white flight, but reading quotes from and accounts concerning the people who lived through it has broadened my perspective.
Although the national spotlight on issues of desegregation has dimmed, Pratt was effective in describing how this is a problem we are still dealing with today. He published the book in ’92 if I’m not mistaken, and while some things may have changed, the broader picture remains the same. We are still reeling from the effects of segregation, and our schools and our neighborhoods are still largely segregated in practice. Students in RPS are struggling, and many don’t graduate.
Fixing these issues will not be a swift process. Gains will be made incrementally. But the possibility of helping out with these issues is a big part of why I decided to become a teacher in Richmond City Schools in the first place. I’m thankful for this book, because I think the first part of the healing process is understanding the problem.
While we won’t necessarily address these issues directly in a science class, I think just knowing the history of what has happened (and is still happening) will help me become a better teacher. I’ve heard that not everyone in RPS agrees that race is still an issue. If that is the case, then I think these folks are confused. Even if we have somehow overcome our interpersonal racism, institutional racism is still quite influential. It’s something that needs to be addressed and dismantled, and we aren’t going to fix the problem if we aren’t willing to discuss it.
In the classroom, we can have a positive effect as teachers by treating our students with the respect, care and appreciation that they each deserve, and by encouraging them to treat each other with that same kindness as well. If we make our classrooms the best they can be, we’ll be helping make the school the best it can be.
"The consensus among most of the black students fell neatly into one of two camps" (1) the paternalists, who felt they were fulfilling some sort of missionary zeal by teaching black children, and (2) the bigots, who were indifferent to the plight of black students, but remained in the city's school system because they lacked other options"(Pratt 86).
ReplyDeleteI found that passage to be especially interesting while I was reading the final half of Pratt. It made me stop and think about how both of the options presented, paternalist and bigot, had negative connotations. Either you were indifferent to the plight of black students, or you were a patronizing white figure who felt that you were a superhero - a saving grace to black children. When I'm asked why I am doing this program, I often cite the fact that I want to make a difference in the city's schools and be a positive role model. Knowing full well of the black student majority, I suppose I would have gotten shuffled into the paternalist category back then. This makes me wonder whether this forced paternalist/bigot categorization still lingers in the mind of Richmond Public School students today. While I certainly hope not to be considered an uppity white missionary figure, I'm not exactly sure how to combat a mindset like that. I must admit, being a straight white male, that I certainly embody the looks of what black students may consider outside of the norm for them. There may be no perfect answer to this question, or perfect way to behave or teach in order to not fall into a stereotype. It may sound corny, but I will go ahead and strive to be the best teacher I can be regardless.
I do see hope in the future for Richmond Public Schools. There will always be individuals who are willing to take risks and make a stand for change. I particularly respected former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton's actions, specifically when he escorted his daughter to the school she had been assigned - a predominately black one. You would think, as a governor, he could have pulled some strings if he wanted to avoid sending his children to predominately black schools, but he didn't. That is model leadership in my book. In the epilogue, some students seemed to recall negative experiences during their school days at RPS, others positive. As future teachers, we can't save the world or any school system ourselves, but we can simply be a positive force that does their part for the students.
“For some black children, underachievement became a self-fulfilling prophecy; having been told repeatedly that they could not learn, they put forth very little time and effort and therefore did not learn. Educators have spent the last several years trying to reverse that trend by encouraging students to feel good about themselves and to have confidence in their own ability” (97). I think this is a great summation of how history could affect my work as a Richmond Public Schools teacher. As the book indicates, over the years, ideas and stigmas of RPS has not only jaded the perceptions of the school system, but psychologically has affected the students in the system. The effects of this negative psychology -that is the ideas and beliefs that black children and subsequently their school system are less than- could have easily been passed down thru the generations. Perhaps I make this point too frequently, but I think its an important one to stress, History is so incredibly important. Without understanding white flight and systematic racism in Richmond, one could not understand segregation in the schools, as they go hand in hand. As white flight has continued over time it should be no surprise that the schools have returned to a segregated state.
ReplyDeleteAs a product of RPS, I find it quite insulting when people are surprised I went there. I have even had people go as far to say, “oh you went there when it was decent.” And as horrific as this sounds, I am always amazed, in my short tenure on this planet, at how drastically RPS has changed since I attended the school system. When I attended Fisher, an elementary school in Richmond’s Southside, the demographics were about 60% black and 40% white. Even in middle school, at Binford, I shared the vintage hallways with many white kids who lived in the prestigious Fan neighborhood. It’s sad as I look back and see how different those dynamics are today. Neither Fisher nor Binford are model schools anymore, the SPACE programs that used to exist are no longer, and many summer programs have vanished. The education I experienced as a child, and the system that exists now is indicative of Pratt’s work- segregation is in full force- and to be quite honest I don’t see much hope for the future without an entire restructuring of the system.
“All things being equal, with no history of discrimination, it might well be desirable to assign pupils to schools nearest their homes. But all things are not equal in a system that has been deliberately constructed and maintained to reinforce racial segregation.”
ReplyDelete- Supreme Court decision in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, 1971
I could not agree more with Brittany that understanding history is crucial, particularly as a teacher in RPS. For that reason, I am grateful for Pratt’s insightful survey of Richmond schools post-Brown. The sheer amount of systematic discrimination, particularly in the housing market, is mind-blowing to me. I simply do not understand how anyone could defend the statement that ours is a “post-racial society,” and I think anyone who holds that view should read this book.
This reading is as challenging for me as it is informative, because I recognize that although I am a product of public schools, my parents deliberately sent me to the “best” public schools by using our financial resources to buy homes in the “best” school districts. I use “best” in quotes because it was almost always synonymous with suburban, white students. I would not say that my parents are blatant racists, but I cannot avoid the truth that I am a product of a system that has consistently doled out benefits to me, while giving others the shaft.
Reading this book is helpful to me as I become an RPS teacher, so that I can begin to understand the histories these students are coming from. It also opened my eyes to more nuanced discrimination—the kind that gets through Supreme Court decisions for several years as districts engaged in passive resistance. Hopefully, this knowledge will enable me to be more aware of discrimination when I see it happening in RPS.
It is difficult to see a hope for the future, when the white flight Pratt describes in chapter four is still so prevalent. Even if white families do move back to urban areas, I’m afraid it’s because it’s the “hip, cool” thing to do, and not at any attempt at actual racial reconciliation. If we still live in a place where white parents ask each other, “So, what are you going to do for middle school?” as Kurt described to us last week, clearly the journey to reconciliation is nowhere near over. I am encouraged, however, by the language of our peers of all races and socioeconomic background, who appear committed to informing themselves about systematic oppression and to fight it whenever possible.
“The Color of Their Skin” was an excellent read and I plan to pass it around to as many people as I possibly can. I had tears in my eyes many times while reading it and insisted that everyone who crossed my path at least looked at the pictures, while I quickly attempted to summarize the book for them. I had no idea just how horrible the long span of desegregation was, and still is, and I think everyone in Virginia needs to read this book.
ReplyDeleteI see this affecting my work as a teacher in RPS very positively. Although at times I’m sure I will battle with a guilty conscience, knowing that the race that I am a part of did this to all of the children of Richmond, I also believe that it’s allowing me to see the whole picture will surely benefit me as a teacher. Knowing that it is the fault of so many, other than their own, that RPS students are faced everyday with an unequal education will help, hopefully all of us, be more understanding. The fact that the children that we will be teaching are the children or grandchildren of those who lived through a time when they were not worthy, that people would flee from the city to be away from them, breaks my heart. It is hard to remove the feelings of sadness, mistrust, and anger that these events would have caused them, from the way that you raise your children. I’m certain that there is much anger stemming from these times that will be impossible to erase, even in generations to come.
As a teacher in RPS, my new goal is to, everyday, make every student feel appreciated, feel worthy, feel great about themselves and their education, and to make them feel loved. I know that I can’t change the past or the present, but at least I can try to make the classroom a place where the students have the rights that their predecessors didn’t. Still today, the RPS classrooms might be even more segregated than they were when this book was published, with most white kids in private schools by 6th grade. We can’t allow modern day segregation to “carr[y] with it a badge of cultural and racial inferiority, which caus[es] black children to develop a distorted image of themselves” (109).
Today in RPS, there is an overwhelming majority of black students. White families have continued to remove their children from public schools and put them in private schools. I’m not sure it is currently because of race, though there is surely plenty of inherent and generational racism, rather I think it is fear of the unknown. This is further perpetuated by the poor scores within RPS, that make the middle class families less likely to send their children to RPS schools. However, there are changes being made that are bringing more white children into RPS, Binford for example, but I have mixed feelings on whether bringing more white children into the schools really fixes anything. I think that the inherent problem is a need to boost the confidence and the desire of education of the current RPS students. The education system has beaten these students down for so long that you have to wonder why they would want to be a part of it. We need to revive he interest in education and show our students that they can be successful and do well. I have much more to say on the topic but have probably already written too much. Looking forward to class.
This book definitely has helped me to better understand students in RPS. The events related to desegregation happened not long ago, and the people who had gone through this time as children are still alive in Richmond. The scars from this time are still remained in them, and the history passes down to generation after generation, and it still affects the children in Richmond City. The black parents wished for the quality of education for their children, and it was the main concern through those times. I believe it is still the desires of the parents at RPS. I hate to read how children were labeled superior and inferior by the color of the skin.
ReplyDeleteUntil recently, I was not aware of the situations where white parents send their children to certain elementary school then private schools or they move out of Richmond City to county schools. This trend has not disappeared yet. Is it due to the notion that a good education could never be achieved within a predominantly black setting (109)?
After reading this book, I have stronger desire wanting to be a teacher in RPS. I feel responsible to “help black children from poor families overcome a crippling legacy of neglect and to convince them that they can learn” (97). I see hope for the future in RPS. RPS is still having difficulties with student performance as in late 1970s and the situation has not gotten better. However, I feel that there are groups of teachers and administrations who sincerely desire to help changing the patterns at RPS. I also strongly believe that RTR program could contribute much in changing and impacting students in their educations. I felt the difference between a couple of current RPS teachers whom I have met and teachers graduated from RTR. The teachers from RTR had much positive perspective on future RPS. It comforts me to know that there are at least 8 future teachers who are willing to commit to change the education system at RPS.
Daisy
The Color of My Skin follows a history of Richmond Public Schools from what was supposed to be an era of desegregation and equality to essentially an era of resegregation. For me the not distant past of Richmond Public Schools definitely puts thing in perspective. Not much has changed since this book has been written. Parts of town are still majorly segregated by race, and many of the schools are either majority one race or the other. Even though I do not know what school I will be placed in, I do feel it is important to know dynamics like the ones present in this book.
ReplyDeleteI do not know how much the subject of race will come up in my classroom, but even if it never does there are issues that my students will face because of it or because of what part of town they live in. I think after reading the book I will be a more conscious educator. I feel this book is a great start, but being knowledgeable of resources and other opportunities outside of school. I want my students to experience the much bigger world outside of Richmond. I would also advocate for a more equal playing field for all children. Like any major change, it will take time, resources, and other people to do so.
I hope to see Richmond Public Schools reflect the very diverse city it is in. I do see hope in the future of RPS, especially with programs like RTR. Being a part of programs with other educators that are dedicated to changing the face of RPS is encouraging. I think forming this network with my classmates and others and affecting the culture of our schools will only improve them.