"Every teacher gets a moment when they face one kid or a hundred kids just like Damion. It's in these moments your core beliefs are challenged and revealed. Do you believe that every kid can achieve? Do you believe that you as an educator have the power to make that happen for ALL kids, including the kids of color, poor kids, and those living in very difficult circumstances? "
"When you teach in a predominantly White community, conversations about race can be uncomfortable, even in professional settings. Educators are not just unsure of how to talk about the race of students, they often question the necessity of having the conversation."
"
"It was my responsibility to acknowledge the impact of my action and make intentional efforts to provide a counter narrative not only for Mohamed, but to every child in my classroom."
Rebecca Eunmi Haslam, Vermont 2015
"The key is to keep empathy, compassion and the best parts of humanity at the heart of our education system while still ensuring the learning in our schools reflects the technological realities outside them."
"To achieve educational equity, we must begin by eliminating bias. We can't pretend it doesn't exist. I lost count of how often I heard the phrase "These kids can't ..." You can fill in the blank with myriad responses such as "read complex text, solve multi-step math problems, or participate in hands-on science experiments because they might not behave!"
NNSTOY introduces a new video series to help schools and communities have better, more authentic conversations about racial equity in schools.
"Even now, when I think about my journey to leadership my eyes tear up because it was not an easy road. I had to face my fears, take rejection, and push myself to do and learn more. I learned to go for my dreams, accept failure and refuse to accept ”No.”
By Michael Dunlea
"Often teachers will give and give to a point where it becomes unhealthy, taking us away from our own families or our personal lives... This tendency to overcommit ourselves can be exploited by schools and districts under pressure to perform and reach ever higher achievement with fewer resources."
"Sometimes, 15-year-olds have a hard time understanding why working together and being nice matter to their schoolwork. But backstage, as everything threatened to collapse, I saw my students taking the risk to truly demonstrate compassionate collaboration. Not for a grade, not because anyone was watching, but because they are amazing human beings with a boundless capacity for love."
