Is This Your Child’s School?

Greetings,

Have you ever stopped to digest the sight of your child walking into school in the morning regardless of their age, and took a few seconds to really decipher the very message of that realization?  One message that was clear to me while raising my son was I was releasing him to others in the hope of further cultivating his “traditional” education.  It is with the utmost awareness I use the word “further” with the realization WE as parents are a child’s first teacher.

From pre-school, kindergarten, and all throughout high school “strangers” are in a leadership position to significantly influence what your child learns about history in particular, how your child views society, and most importantly how they view themselves.  With this awareness, I could never imagine sending my son into a school classroom without knowing his teachers.  Visiting my son’s school and classroom at least once a month was just a normal part of his formative years. I expected it, my son immediately grew accustomed to it, his principals knew it as did his teachers.

I needed to get a feel for his daily environment, his teacher’s mannerism and classroom environment, as well as the subtle messages my son was surrounded with everyday from racially inclusive classroom books and materials to diversity of the school staff.  I knew each sent a message, a very strong message.

So I ask you to give thought to this question if you have not already done so.  If you are a parent of color in particular, does the school your child attends consist of educators of color?  Does the family life educator or social worker at your child’s school reflect them?  And if there are educators of color within your child’s school are the numbers reflective of the student body make up?  I certainly hope so but unfortunately would not be surprised if this is not the case.

If the answer is unequivocally “no” there is much you can do, and much you should do right now!  Start by contacting the administrative office of your child’s school district and make an appointment to speak with the Superintendent to express your concerns.  If you can garner support from other parents regarding your concerns all the better to go as a group. Believe it or not, the district might not even realize what they are presenting is a concern.

Next, pull together other parents and regularly attend school board meetings.  If you can’t find others to accompany you, go yourself.  It doesn’t matter, at least one voice is “A” voice.  Express your concerns and request the district act upon your concerns for the best interest of your child and all children in this increasingly global society. It is critically important your child sees their faces reflected in those who stand before them in the classroom to influence their minds.  Anything less is against the betterment of your child and their education.

I welcome any questions or comments.

Peace~