RACE, HISTORY AND EDUCATIONAL INEQUITY - wall street

Today, I attended the Race, History and Education Inequity workshop at the Richard R. Green High School at Bowling Green (Wall Street). Firstly, it was interesting to go visit a school that was situated inside one of the financial district's skyscrapers. For some reason, I couldn't quite imagine what this would look like, but hey, it's a thing! This school was more slick than any other that I had been to, not even Avenues had that 'financial district' vibe, i.e. modern, large lobby, large widows... This would be the first. It was also some 20 metres away from the Charging Bull statue, and I couldn't help but wonder if being in this location affects the values and approach of the school?

Anyway, onto the workshop. An event organised by the NYC DOE, this was targeted at public school teachers working within the diverse city of New York. A lot of the issues that I have been exploring in my research was covered here, i.e. the history of segregation, the creation of American 'racism' (e.g. Thomas Jefferson's infamous 'Notes on Virginia'), eugenics, standardisation of public education and parent (or lack of) participation. Teachers spoke passionately about their experiences, frustrations and the uncomfortable situations in which they found themselves in when dealing with race.

One teacher said 'I don't know if my students trust me as a white woman when I teach about racism'.

However, a key part of the workshop was also about recognising our own explicit bias, or as the workshop leaders called it, our inherent 'smog-breathing' tendencies.

I noted that upon entering the workshop, one of the first teachers I spoke to was telling me about the benefits of urban vs. suburban schools and I guess with his own biases stated: 'The goal is to work in the suburban school, kids behave better there than in the city' before adding that 'teachers also get paid better in the suburbs.' It revealed this long established divide between the 'good schools' and the 'bad schools' and the stigma that remains around 'inner city kids.'

At the end of the talk, I had a chance to network with a few teachers, showing them my work and discussing the concept of the 'dispersed school'. Again, there was enthusiasm around the idea, followed by scepticism about the feasibility of such project within New York. Again, whilst the idea of more space and community integration sounds like a great alternative to the cramped public school buildings of contemporary New York, the system simply lacks the funding and the city lacks the space to allow for such innovations.

The conversation continues...