‘RITE IDEA’RITE IDEA:LEARNING ANTIRACISMThe Editoral BoardAlona Miller46VOL. 91 ISSUE I
SHAKER MUST INCREASE EQUITY FOR ALL STUDENTSWithout question, ShakerHeights High School is raciallysegregated. Whether it be inclassrooms, the cafeteria or insports, Shaker has yet to overcomeits racial barriers.The most obvious example of these barriersresides in our racially segregated classrooms.While the International Baccalaureate programboasts high-level classes, and AP students work forcollege credit, these classrooms strikingly contrastthe Shaker model of equity, inclusion and diversity.Shaker’s core beliefs about education are simple:Education is one of the most important ways tobetter our futures. But educational opportunitiesare not equal for all students. Where most whitestudents are encouraged to enroll in upper-levelclasses and compete to attend top universities,Black students have often found themselves incore classes without such expectations.For her IB Creativity, Activity and ServiceProject, Shaker alumna Adaeze Okoye (’20) examinedways to bring more Black students into the IBprogram. This year, 11 Black students participatedin the IB program, compared to five in 2019 and2018. She met with the IB Coordinator at the highschool and even informally recruited friends tojoin. Okoye spoke to friend groups of mainly Black,high achieving students to educate them about thebenefits of the IB program. Okoye’s efforts weresuccessful; six Black students enrolled because sheencouraged them to. But it is never the job of theindividual to fix a systemic problem.The district must integrate more Black studentsinto higher-level classes. Ending tracking, aneducational practice that separates students intocourse levels and long-term paths, was a good start.Tracks divide classes into levels to which studentsare assigned based on their academic ability andperformance. The district has previously assignedstudents to tracks according to a combination ofteacher recommendations and standardized testscores.This separation begins in the fifth grade, andthese academic tracks can create long-term pathsfor students that lead to segregated classes at thehigh school. To combat this problem, the districteliminated class levels at the high school this year.For example, all ninth grade students now take 9Language and Literature, which is an honors class.However, bringing more Black students intoAP and IB Diploma Programme classes and teachingall ninth- and tenth-grade courses at the honorslevel is not a solution unless Shaker does somethingto repair the harmfully competitive culturethat pervades these classes. For example, studentsin these high level classes often share and comparetest scores or compete to see who can apply tothe best, most prestigious universities. Too manystudents in upper-level classes suffer anxiety anddepression because they are caught in a culture ofachievement that leaves no room for Bs or stateuniversities.How might a student truly struggling in aclass feel when their peers are crying because they“failed” by earning a 93 on a test? Or how mighta student anticipating attending Cleveland StateUniversity feel when their peers are upset theycould only get into Ohio State’s Honors College?According to a recent guest essay published inthe New York Times, 46 percent of teenagers havestruggled with worsening mental health since thepandemic began. However, the author states thatteenagers’ mental health troubles were exacerbatednot only by the pandemic, but also by the pressureteachers, parents, and students themselvesplace on their education. The author, a doctoralstudent in clinical psychology, writes that parentscan help change this culture by telling students“that where they attend college will not make orbreak them -- and that getting Bs does not equalfailure.”But the responsibility of ensuring the district’sdetracking plan is successful lies not just with parents,teachers and administrators. Students mustalso participate.Students can change the culture of their classesmore than even their teachers can. As detrack-Spring 2021 THE SHAKERITE 47
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