Page 53 - BigConversationsDismantlingRacism

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, including new minority teachers, through a variety of support
systems, as is done for military families. Having affordable housing available is a major
challenge. As noted in the Kirwan Report, improved local initiatives are needed that
encourage current high school students to become teachers.

A More Diverse Curriculum / Accurate and Complete History
White people’s perception of people of color is developed from home environment and
school curricula. Too often that curricula present an unbalanced, Eurocentric, inaccurate, or
incomplete representation of people of color. School curricula should be reviewed and
updated to reflect a balanced and complete representation. We understand that Calvert
County is doing an audit of the curriculum that will take three years. Questions were asked
about what is being audited, why three years, and the degree of community involvement.
Our own local histories are incomplete as well. A better understanding of current race
relations begins with our own local history and culture. We should encourage the work of
our local library, historical society, churches and county officials to complete the
development of an updated local history that can inform both the students, teachers and all
residents. Local history and culture should be included in all grades K-12.

Political Action and Support / Leadership
Equity in the schools must be a priority, not an option, both in terms of funding and
instruction. Superintendents of schools were represented both on the panel and in the
conversations, as were members of the boards of education. County commissioners were
not in attendance. All public officials for the schools and counties should be actively
involved in conversations and follow up actions around dismantling racism. The Kirwan
Commission proposals to the legislature recommend adequate resources to ensure that
equitable education should be supported. Make dismantling racism a focus or goal for all
aspects of the county – commissioners, business, government, health and medical care,
schools, churches, media, NGO’s, watermen, military, library, parks and recreation, etc. –
you live here, you have a role to play.
Equity in Administrative Systems
Information was presented on state requirements for each local school system to develop an
equity policy – the Maryland Educational Equity Initiative. What is needed is to share those
policies and to have systems for accountability and follow up. Too often we set policies and
begin initiatives and then they are forgotten or not enforced.
Systems are needed to encourage better access and communication regarding equity
concerns – that teachers are relatable, open, and available to students of color, that there are
mentors available, and parents know where to go for help – perhaps through an ombudsman.

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