Equitable Schooling for African American Students

When it comes to public schooling, a significant amount of data suggests that African American students have not performed as well as other ethnic groups in academics, discipline, and testing. While it may be easy for some to place blame on socioeconomic status, poor parenting, etc. (things that they cannot do anything about) for these disparities, it is crucial that districts, schools, and individual educators deeply reflect upon school and classroom practices to ensure that African American students and families are positively engaged in school/classroom settings. Equitable Schooling for African American Students challenges the educational norms used to teach African American students - many of which contribute to further stigmatizing these students rather than helping them achieve their maximum potential. It challenges educators to see the potential in these learners enough to be reflective in their approaches to practice so that African American students have a greater chance of experiencing success in schooling.