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Politics of Equity

Najarro, I. (2021, June 16). What do teachers think about discussing racism in class? We asked them. EdWeek. Available at https://www.edweek.org/leadership/what-do-teachers-think-about-discussing-racism-in-class-we-asked-them/2021/06.

Over the past two years, school districts across the state and country have moved toward addressing issues of justice (e.g., race, class, sexuality) more explicitly in classrooms. However, the survey results described in this article suggest that teachers’ personal comfort and opinions on this move are mixed. Notable findings include that 23% of surveyed teachers do not believe systemic racism exists, 16% never discuss racism in their classes, and about 30% of those surveyed support legal limits on how classroom discussions about race would take place.

Meckler, L., & Bella, T. (2021, November 8). Conservative school board wins may deliver chilling effect on racial equity efforts. The Washington Post. Available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/ education/2021/11/08/conservative-school-board-wins/.

The authors of this article reflect on how the political environment in the wake of the November 2021 elections may complicate school districts’ efforts to focus on racial equity in their curriculum, hiring, and discipline practices, and other areas in need of structural change. The authors report that race was a factor in school board elections across the country, and while conservative challengers did not win all the races, the intensity generated between conservatives and liberals will have ramifications on school board members, superintendents, and teachers who may fear that any effort to address racism within school systems will be called out as divisive.