153 - SPARK - Schools Should Look Like Their Students

I’ve taught in schools in four cities. In each context, the student populations have been majority non-white while the staff populations have been majority white. Take my two stepsons, for example. They are finishing tenth and eighth grade. Their father is white and their mother is Filipino, although to see them you might assume that they are not white at all. Yesterday I asked them if they have ever had a teacher of Filipino or East Asian descent from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Nope. Not a one. Think about that. In their first nine years of education, they have never had a teacher or administrator who looked like them. They’ve had a lot of nice teachers and administrators, sure. Great people, even. But compare my experience to theirs. I almost always had teachers who looked like me. They never have. Does that effect privilege white kids? I think it has to. Welcome to SPARKS: mini-segments intended to spark your thinking and ignite your practice. These short episodes are based on my written reflections, which you can find on the Teachers on Fire Magazine at Medium.com. Read the blog post featured in this episode at https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire/schools-should-look-like-their-students-16994d96bf3e?source=friends_link&sk=f37ab415341cd2350f154b5beb61adfa. My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m proud to contribute to the education conversation through the Teachers on Fire podcast. Make sure to connect with me @TeachersOnFire on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to catch more from me and hear from amazing educators who are bringing growth and transformation to K-12 education today. Connect with me … On Twitter @TeachersOnFire (https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire) On Instagram @TeachersOnFire (https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/c/teachersonfire) Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credits: Sunrise Drive by South London Hifi Roots of Legend by Density & Time Species by Diamond Ortiz Anthem by The Grand Affair *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.