Each year, there are teachers who focus on going beyond simply celebrating Black history. However, there are even fewer schools that actual have a curriculum or lessons that we teach to our youth how to deconstruct racism. I happen to be one of of those teachers. I’m fortunate to be teaching at a school that supports teaching Black history 365…
Tag: Black students
Engaging Parents of Black Boys in Public Schools is Our Call to Action!
As we close out Black History Month, our call to action should be to more effective engage Black parents in our school turnaround work to increase student achievement. Many school districts across the nation are working to wrap their hands around innovative and effective ways to engage the families of Black boys. In order for us to dismantle the school…
Wake Up America! Black Children In Low Income Communities Are Being Negatively Impacted by Gentrification.
In this country we turn a blind eye to a lot of the challenges Black children face. Unfortunately, many of these challenges begin in failing schools primarily located in lower income communities. In Atlanta, there are a lot of questions and conversations about the state of public education for Black children and school closures . In order for us to…
There’s a Right and a Wrong Way to Engage Black Parents in Student Achievement.
Family engagement is not a top priority for school districts, but it should be, especially for students of color and their families. We cannot continue to have underperforming schools and low parent engagement. Excuses about parents not being involved no longer fly, or being okay with bare minimum parent involvement by pointing to having a PTA is also not acceptable.…
Another Decade Is Passing and Black Children Are Still Suffering in Public Schools!
Teaching and learning may be taking place in some inner-city school districts, but how effective is it? Based on the growing number of Black boys who aren’t reaching graduation and success thereafter, it is not as impactful as it could be. This seems to be the case in Atlanta where parents and residents are on opposite sides of how impactful…
3 Reasons Why My Students Are Thankful to Have a Black Male Teacher
Before the Thanksgiving break, I had a heart to heart with the scholars who I teach in my small group classes at 7 Pillars Career Academy . As I end my speech, one of my scholars said that he wanted to add one thing to conversation. He said that he was grateful to have me as a teacher because he…
My Black Students Have Learned to Be Wary of People Who Look Like Me, And That’s Not Racist
Jay Wamsted has taught math at Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta for fourteen years. His writing has been featured in various journals and magazines, including Harvard Educational Review, Mathematics Teacher, and Sojourners. He can be found online at The Southeast Review, Under the Sun, and the TEDx YouTube channel, where you can watch his 2017 talk “Eating…