An Opportunity Too Important to Miss

Tomea Sippio-Smith is the K12 Education Policy Director for Children First

Blogger's Note: The following was written and submitted by Tomea Sippio-Smith, K12 Education Policy Director for  Children First. 

As Evan Brandt has been reporting, school board meetings have become raging storms around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). But in the eye of the storm, there is clarity: we must do better to educate students with vastly different lived experiences.

We can no longer ignore the elephant in the room; our communities are diverse. If just talking about meeting the needs of students from different races, ethnicities, backgrounds, and lived experiences gets folks outraged, imagine how folks actually living it are feeling. School districts have an exceptional opportunity to take advantage of this pivotal moment in American history and be a gamechanger for students.

Parents and teachers want kids to succeed. That’s why we encourage children to do their best. We teach them to work hard and play fair. We expect our children to graduate from high school well-prepared to take their next steps whether they are learning a trade, working, going to college, or juggling a combination of options. And we want them to be good people.

Yet, the vitriol being hurled back and forth between parents and schools is distracting us from focusing on a remarkable opportunity. For the first time in history, whether we lean right, left, or center politically, we have a window of opportunity to make schools better for more kids. If we keep arguing over terms and mandates instead of focusing on how to support student success, we will miss it.

That’s a risk we can’t take. The future of too many of our region’s children hinge upon our next steps.

For example, without explanation, across counties and school districts, Black students are suspended 3.5 times as often and referred to law enforcement almost 3 times more than expected given their share of enrollment. 

Conversely, far fewer Black and Hispanic students are enrolled in AP classes than would be expected in 92 percent of our suburban districts.

 Additionally, school districts educating the largest shares of students of color often have the least amount of school funding to spend on instruction. And children that are poor, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ students lack the extra support and resources they need. None of this is ok.

While schools are making progress, they have much work to do. Luckily, education is iterative. And parents can choose to meet schools in the middle.

It is a complicated puzzle to solve but, fortunately, districts aren’t starting from square one. Research is clear that a positive school climate, access to rigorous classes, and having enough school funding to provide students with necessary resources all bolster student success.

Game changing school districts are striving to adopt practices that make every student feel welcome when they enter its doors. 

They are reviewing, revising, or dismantling policies that have a disparate impact on specific groups of students. They are expanding their toolboxes to identify talented multi-cultural students, advising them about rigorous class options, encouraging them to enroll, and offering resources like in-school tutoring to help them succeed. 

And, of course, they are holding Harrisburg accountable for adequate and equitable funding, so they are able to provide every child with a thorough and efficient education that meets their needs.

There is room for parents to work with schools. And there is room for schools to work with parents. Together, we can find common ground for our children.