COE Exchange

Archive for the ‘Social Justice’ Category

Schools have reawakened around us. Orange school buses fill the roads, bells ring in our ears as we pass a school, and many kids are wearing shiny, new school clothes. Missing in most of these reopening public schools, unfortunately, is any beginning study of Black history. In most classrooms, the intended curriculum remains richly hued in white experiences and students will wait until February for any serious effort to focus on the African American experience in our nation. February? More than five long months from now? “” in February was anything but commonplace until the 1970s. This emphasis was a…

(Originally published on the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch website on Wednesday, August 18, 2010.) This summer, many St. Louis school leaders received a startling and, to their minds, an unappetizing surprise from the Missouri Supreme Court. The upsetting court decision may be referred to as Jane Turner in honor of its lead plaintiff. Its ruling was direct and simple with two parts. Pupils in unaccredited districts could transfer to nearby accredited districts. This affirmed state policy should have surprised few observers. However, the rest of the ruling was the “kicker.” The court ruling insists that the destination districts must accept all…

Recently, I attended a kindergarten pageant in the (PSD). PSD is well-known for excellence in overall educational programming, exemplary character education, and an award winner in state assessments. My daughter successfully completed kindergarten in PSD and will be moving on to first grade. The outstanding reputation of her elementary school has resonated in my ears since I moved into the school district. Personally, I had found the quality of education, parental involvement, and community building above average at the elementary school where the pageant was held. I’ve been a public school teacher for eleven years. For the past three years,…

To whom do we listen? Whom do we warrant as worthy enough to read…and then act? These questions sprang to mind as I read ’s new book this week. In A Home Elsewhere: Reading African American Classics in the Age of Obama, Professor Stepto writes that “The schoolhouse episode is a staple event in African American narratives” because of the “formative first scene of racial awareness.” Moreover, Stepto notes, the event represents “a moment when race is imposed.” These words launch a chapter with the striking subtitle, “Schoolhouse Blues.”1 Who is Robert Stepto? And why should we attend to him…

Imagine, if you will, an alien species’ Ambassador invading the Thames House (the British MI5 headquarters). The following demand is made: turn over 10% of your children within 24 hours or every human on the planet will be killed. The British Prime Minister and his cabinet hastily convene to make the difficult decision. They deem the threat credible and move directly into a discussion over how to choose which children can and must be sacrificed.1 How might you make the decision? This scenario is pulled from a 2009 science fiction series that aired last year on the television…