by James A. Bacon
What’s going on in Loudoun County public schools? Are teachers and administrators in one of Virginia’s most affluent counties making headway in bringing about “equity” (as in equal outcomes in academic performance) between Asians, whites, blacks and Hispanics? Or is the school system hopelessly mired in racism and discrimination?
One indicator comes from a recent Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) press release, highlighting the fact that the College Board, administrator of the Advanced Placement Program, placed Loudoun County Public Schools on its “honor roll” for expanding participation in the AP.
“The honor roll recognizes school divisions for expanding participation in AP courses — especially among black, Hispanic and other minority students — while maintaining or increasing the number of students earning scores of three or higher on AP tests.” Since 2016-17 the number of Loudoun County students taking at least one AP test has increased by 7 percent.
That sounds good. But it seem inconsistent with a report issued this summer by the Equity Collaborative, based on focus groups and interviews, on the state of race relations in Loudoun schools. Principals and teachers exhibit “a low level of racial consciousness and racial literacy,” the report concludes. Discipline policies disproportionately impact black students. And many minorities have experienced “the sting” of racial insults/slurs or racially motivated violent actions.”
Here’s a possibility. Perhaps both things are true. Perhaps Loudoun administrators, principals and teachers are trying harder to reduce unequal outcomes, and at the same time race/ethnic relations are getting worse.
Let me go a step further. Perhaps this is the case: The more administrators obsess about race, the more principals, teachers, students and parents also dwell on race. When race dominates every discussion about school policy, people are more likely to likely to interpret every word and every action of others through the prism of race, and they are more likely to interpret slights and disagreements as motivated by race. And everyone gets pissed off.
The Equity Collaborative makes four recommendations:
- Publish on the “Superintendent’s Message” page and on the websites of individual schools a statement defining and condemning White Supremacy, hate speech, hate crimes, and other racially motivated acts of violence. Require schools to communicate the statements to parents at least twice a year.
- Create a clear policy to address racially motivated acts and address the student use of racial insults. Make it clear that the N word will not be tolerated.
- Engage educators in professional learning about color consciousness and implicit bias. Establish a culturally responsive framework to inform curricular and instructional efforts across the division.
- Update action plans to hire “for diversity, equity and inclusion.”
I totally agree that racial insults should not be tolerated in schools. Students should be taught to treat one another with courtesy and respect. So, no argument there.
Whether an all-out bureaucratic assault on the phenomenon — including political re-education classes stressing white guilt — will be helpful is a different matter altogether. If handled in a heavy-handed way, the Equity Collaborative recommendations could inflame racial/ethnic resentments.
Here’s what should concern school officials: If the race obsession in schools feeds a sense of black victimhood and grievance that encourages black students to seek refuge in black cultural identity, and if black cultural identity is defined in part by not acting “white,” and if “not acting white” means placing less value on academic achievement, the gap in SOLs and other standardized test scores could get worse, not better. Unfortunately, if the race gap persists, liberal/progressive school administrators are likely to double down on the Oppression Narrative. I have not been impressed by their willingness to reconsider fundamental premises.
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