Teachers are Tired of Lip Service
Black teachers are tired of being underappreciated, overlooked and silenced in speaking out against social injustices.
Chantae, who, like myself and so many other teachers, is frustrated, concerned yet persisting through the changes in education to ensure that the children and families we serve. I engaged her in some questions to shed light to the experiences of Black teachers during this time.
Building Support for Black Teachers in School Districts Challenged with Reopening Plans is Needed. How can people help?
Definitely make your voice heard. There are several ways to support these different counties that are still intending on opening the school for face to face instruction. As stakeholders - teachers, parents, students, and community members, we all have a voice and should let it be known that you are not in favor of opening schools for face to face instruction haphazardly, especially when there are COVID-19 cases in every county in this state.
Educational leaders are not giving educators a real choice. Signing petitions does make a difference! There are several petitions floating around for different counties. For parents, I implore you to reach out to your village and choose virtual learning for your child.
School districts are guilt tripping and gas-lighting us into the building. Many of the districts with the virtual or in person option have not made any efforts to hire more staff, and they are not taking into account the intense pressure that they are placing on local level administrators.
Also, watch and/or go to these school board meetings and see how their conversations are going. These are elected officials. Remember who is not speaking up and representing on your behalf, and vote them out.
Teachers thrive when they are supported holistically. What is preventing teachers from helping displaced, struggling and heavily impacted families of COVID-19 in the school system?
Collectively, we have been given lip service with some of the teacher surveys that have been sent out by administrators. Teachers haven't been truly asked our opinions. For example, school districts are not truly taking into account how we are feeling about the possibility of being in front of students in the fall.
We all want to be with our students in person but it's not feasible when people won't even be selfless enough to wear a mask every-time that they are outside. If the Governor is targeting the Mayor Atlanta for mandating a common sense practice, then how can we expect people to require and demand children wear or keep on a mask?
Many of these counties intending on opening face to face won't even mandate masks for students. They cannot be expecting to guarantee that students and staff won't be exposed to this virus.We want our students and their families safe. We want our families and loved ones safe.
Teachers want to be able to provide high quality instruction to our students virtually but that means that all of our students will need "techquity." This means ensuring students and families have access to devices and to WIFI hot spots that allow for our students to be able to work on their assignments, and receive their instruction.
Many people are saying virtual learning is the solution for failing schools. But are our children in lower income, Title I, charter or traditional public schools excelling in this transformation of teaching and learning?
I don't believe so. I think people need to really take a pause and realize that we are living in uncharted territory. This is not the normal way of doing things. In fact, imagine the plight of Black and brown citizens. Many of us are fighting against the injustices we are familiar with and now news presented with COVID-19.
As teachers we should strive to deliver high quality content by any means necessary. I believe my colleagues will do that since Georgia's testing waiver has been approved. We will be able to truly teach our subjects without being forced to prepare for high stakes testing. We need parents and stakeholders to continue advocating for the state to get rid of high stakes testing. We need strong culturally diverse curriculum's that help us reach, restore and remediate many children in public schools.
Even in our elective/connection courses. I look forward to my subject area, Music, to delve into other aspects of music to touch on standards that are often left untouched due to the heavy reliance on public performances. Equitable services and connecting through learning for our children are important and very much needed.
Black and brown people, especially our seniors and those with underlying health conditions, are the most vulnerable to this virus. But also those with respiratory illnesses including Asthma and Bronchitis. Metro Atlanta has a lot of our children with both of these.
These are the people who are most likely to still have to choose face to face instruction because they are the essential workers that have been holding our country together. We shouldn't have our students contribute to the exposure and spread of this virus.
No one can teach or learn if they are sick, in the hospital, or dead.
No one should have to choose survival of their family or educational services.
This is life or death for many and because many of us are removed from socioeconomic crises, we just simply don’t understand.
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