Blog 6-Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice

 Title: Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice

Author: the editors of Rethinking Schools 

While exploring Rethinking Schools, The article that stood out to me was “Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice.” The primary objective of this article is to support teachers in creating classrooms that promote equity and social justice, despite the efforts made by Trump in his Executive Order, "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling." This EO claims that children are taught radical, anti-American ideologies without parental consent. These children are not learning the “American Way”; however, is this the right way? Do we need change? One of the components of this order works to stop teaching students about the oppressed population and the realities of white privilege. However, according to Armstrong and Wildman, these are the essential topics that need to be addressed for the undeniable racism in America to end.

“Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice” works to empower teachers, “Classrooms can be places of hope, where students and teachers gain glimpses of the kind of society we could live in and where students learn the academic and critical skills needed to make it a reality.” As children, we are sponges absorbing information from all around us; if we started modeling a more just society in grade school, perhaps we could see the changes the world needs. The worry is that with this executive order, the teachers will be afraid to address the truths of racism and oppression, and change will never occur. I think, ultimately, there is a fear of the unknown, and people tend to slip into a culture of habit and comfort, saying, 'This is the educational material I was taught, and I want to continue teaching this.' However, this can be narrow-minded and overlook the advantages of changing the curriculum. We can’t keep doing the same things and expect to grow as a nation.

 Although there is an executive order to adhere to traditional curricula, this author suggests that teachers can still incorporate concepts to foster diversity and inclusivity. In summary, the classroom tactics that stood out are a curriculum that is grounded in the individual student (race, background, educational needs, experiences), challenge students to question the world, as well as emotional and physical safety in school.  Along with the privileged, the curriculum should incorporate the experiences of marginalized individuals in society. Not all students belong to the privileged group; the oppressed must also feel connected in school to succeed. A good example of this was in the movie "Precious Knowledge," it was inspiring to watch how the Mexican students fought for an education that incorporated their culture and how it changed their views of school. Once students feel their education has a purpose and that they have a place in this world, it will empower them to make a difference. “Precious Knowledge and “Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice” coincide with Delpit’s concept that we need to embrace students’ heritage and help them navigate English-dominant settings for them to succeed. 

In summary, Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice encourages teachers to fight for their classrooms and the students of America. These students are the future leaders of our country, and the classroom teaches them how to interact with the world. “The world is interdisciplinary and our classrooms should be too” (Rethinking Schools). By incorporating diversity, we are essentially preparing our students to navigate society effectively. One teacher at a time, embracing the concepts discussed above, could create the change the world needs.