Swept under the rug no more

To the Times:

We’re suburban moms, one Black and one white with high school aged children. We read the article, “Delco students speak out about racism in the schools” in the Sunday Times with student accounts of their experiences with racism and indifference in their schools and with heavy hearts because we know their experiences are not unique to their districts. Students across the suburbs face racial and ethnic discrimination far too often and it has life-altering implications for them.

One of our daughters has experienced this firsthand. She has become a young advocate herself, writing and speaking out about the otherness she feels at her school. She’s written and spoken out against disparate treatment, highlighted examples of overt racism such as peers asking if they can have passes to use the “nword” or more subtle microaggressions like being questioned as to whether her honors classes are the “right fit” for her. The other’s twin sons have witnessed their peers being treated unfairly by administrators, teachers, and fellow students, some of whom refer to lowerlevel classes as “the Black track.” Our kids’ have long shared these stories with us. Their hearts are heavy too.

It is long past time to listen to what our kids are telling us about the racism that exists in their schools. We thank state Sen. Tim Kearney, D-26 of Swarthmore, for convening this critical discussion so that their voices are heard and for inviting us to join in.

In addition to being moms, we’re also education advocates for Public Citizens for Children & Youth. One of us is the author of a new report on racial equity in Philadelphia’s suburban school districts entitled No More Dreams Deferred - https://www. pccy.org/report/no-moredreams-deferred/. The data is clear and spans across counties – Black and Hispanic students face obstacles in school that their White peers do not. We have a racial equity problem in Southeastern Pennsylvania suburban school districts, and it is hurting our kids.

The onus should never be on students of color to guide anti-racist policies in their school districts or teach educators charged with helping them achieve their goals how to treat them fairly. Quite frankly, that is an absurd construct. It is the responsibility of adults in every school district to be accountable for equity. The state should require school districts to conduct routine equity audits to determine the work that needs to be done, hold them accountable for doing it and incorporate that grade into the state’s Future Ready Index. The state must also ensure that schools serving Black and Hispanic and students in poverty are adequately funded so that students have access to the resources they need. But school districts shouldn’t wait for the state to act to address equity. Every school district should implement proven and effective processes that improve school climate to close racial disparity gaps and ensure that students of color are identified for and enrolled in challenging courses. We must work together to do this for the sake and success of all our kids. Their futures depend on it and it is our moral obligation to create equitable learning environments free from racism.

Tomea Sippio-Smith (Abington parent, K-12 Policy Director, Public Citizens for Children and

Youth, report author)

Shirlee Howe (Lower Merion parent, Delaware County Coordinator,

Public Citizens for Children and Youth)

The onus should never be on students of color to guide anti-racist policies in their school districts or teach educators charged with helping them achieve their goals how to treat them fairly. Quite frankly, that is an absurd construct. It is the responsibility of adults in every school district to be accountable for equity.