Pointing fingers always works . . .

The previous post had some quotes from a well-known national African American education reform leader. As a white educator who has chosen to teach in a community that is predominately of color, there have been numerous times over the past decade that I've been accused of racism. Too often, I'm judged by the color of my skin and not by the content of my character.

The students that I have taught over the years who have been the most successful have parental supports in place that do not make excuses, not only for the educator but the for the student. These parental supports are willing to engage in meaningful conversations with the teacher in trying to find solutions to help their child be successful.

The handful of kids that I have had in which their parent or guardian has said that I was racist have done so after I tried to hold their child accountable, whether that be for getting their work done, treating others with respect, or not making excuses for their bad behavior. The charge of racism never came before I placed an expectation on the child that the parent disagreed with & more than once, the parent demanded from my administrator that the child be moved to another classroom.

When I hear the phrase, "soft bigotry of low expectations," it is usually referenced to the white educator. There seems to be this belief that if you are a white teacher in a school district that is highly diverse, that you are doing so in order to pick on or hold down children of color.

While I can only speak for myself, I know that this is a bad assumption to make. The educator, regardless of color that is committed to making this world a better place, often chooses to teach in the toughest conditions. For myself, I chose to stay in my district, even though many of the colleagues that began teaching with have moved on to teach in districts that do not have all of the "problems" of my district. I have always held onto the belief that every child regardless of zip code deserves to have a quality education that is delivered by a quality educator. 

The "soft bigotry of low expectations," too often does not come from the teacher in the classroom. Rather it comes from those far removed who refuse to support teachers when problems arise and instead, tell the teacher that maybe you are too tough, or you lack strong classroom management, or the only reason you called home to report on your child who just maliciously assaulted another student is because they are black.

It is always easier to point fingers as to why something is wrong. White teachers in a highly diverse community seem to be very easy targets. I would prefer being allowed to engage in conversations and work with the community in order to solve the issues that prevent our students from being successful. I prefer getting my hands dirty and my ego bruised if it means making things better for the students and the community I've been called to serve.