Page 1 - Executive Summary - BC VII

Findings from the Big Conversation VII:

A Community Conversation on Dismantling
Racism: Progress and Challenges in Our Schools

January 27, 2019

An Executive Summary

The Big Conversation series is sponsored by Middleham and St. Peter’s Parish in Lusby and provides
an opportunity for communitywide civil conversation on topics of concern. This seventh annual Big
Conversation was held at Patuxent H.S. on January 27 with support from the 12 “Partners in
Dismantling Racism in Southern Maryland” and drew over 220 participants. The topic was on
dismantling racism in our community with a focus on our schools. It began with a panel of local
leaders and students sharing their experiences in addressing racism in Southern Maryland school
systems. Then in small groups, led by trained facilitators, attendees listened deeply to each other as
they shared experiences and stories. How often do we have an opportunity for Blacks and Whites to
talk with each other and to share and understand our community and life experiences? The groups
considered how we might further dismantle racism in our schools, what needs to be done, and what we,
as individuals and a community, can do. The following summarizes the recommendations of the
panelists, the small groups, and the attendees.

Listening and Being in Conversation
Racism still exists across our schools. There is a critical need to increase opportunities to listen deeply to
each other through conversations like this. It needs to happen at multiple levels: among students,
between students, teachers, and administrators, and with parents and the community. It is through
listening to each other that we can develop a fuller appreciation and understanding of where and how
racism exists and how to address it. We need to be better at listening to students. We need to reach
people and parents that may not be open-minded who should be in the conversation. We need to have the
courage to address racism when we see it – not be silent. One idea is to have a “DARE” type program to
address racism and a pamphlet on how to address racism when encountered.

Teacher Training and Development
When teachers encounter racially sensitive situations or have to present a culturally sensitive curriculum,
they need to be given supports to help them navigate the topics with their students. Teachers need
training in equity and implicit bias, the culture and how to deal with conflict. We need to help build up a
“teacher toolbox” for addressing implicit bias, hearing student experiences, and continuing to address
racism / not one-and-done. Teachers should have ongoing support systems available to them.

Teacher Hiring and Retention / Community Support for Teachers
The racial makeup of teachers in our schools should reflect the student population, and that is not the case
by a significant margin. There need to be new and more effective strategies for minority recruitment.
We need to value all teachers through a variety of support systems, including new minority teachers, as is
done for military families. Having affordable housing available is a major challenge. Improve initiatives
that encourage current high school students to become teachers as noted in the Kirwan report.

A More Diverse Curriculum / Accurate and Complete History
The perception of people of color is developed from home and school curricula. Too often that curricula
presented an unbalanced, Eurocentric, inaccurate, or incomplete representation of African Americans and
all people of color. School curricula should be reviewed and updated to reflect a balanced and complete

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