Is Progressive Education Anti-Racist?

Istarted working at CSW with almost twenty years of teaching and administration under my belt, and my own experiences as a student in a variety of school settings, none of which could be described as progressive. As a first-generation

Latina and the daughter of immigrants, I would say that my own education was far from progressive.

In fact, I would say that I was thoroughly institutionalized.

ANTI-RACIST?

Straight rows of desks and chairs, overcrowded classrooms, traditional (read white supremist) prescribed curricula, standardized testing, textbooks, ability grouping and tracking, and many other oppressive practices characterized my education.

However, as I immersed myself in graduate studies pursuing a degree in human development, I was exposed to progressive education ideologies. I was drawn to and impacted most by the writings of Paulo Freire, who resonated with me intellectually and spiritually. While some may consider his ideas radical, I found his ideas about the democratization and humanization of education to be sensible, compassionate, and just. I personally had both negative experiences, and experiences that were formative and affirming as a child, and I wanted to believe that if done intentionally, thoughtfully, and lovingly, school could be a place where all children flourished.

When I began my work at CSW I felt that more than any other institution I had experienced in the past, it attempted to embody some of these ideas. At CSW, every student is considered an individual with needs, interests, and passions. Students are treated with respect and encouraged to ask questions, use their voice, and become engaged members of the school community. Freire wrote, “What the educator does in teaching is to make it possible for the students to become themselves.” I see this idea in action every day at CSW. Students are encouraged to be creative, try new things, discover untapped talents, and pursue areas of interest. Close relationships with peers and adults creates an environment where many students feel comfortable and safe enough to be themselves. For many students, CSW will be the most affirming and supportive environment they will ever experience.

Unlike traditional curricula and texts that amplify the voices and ideas of those who have access, power, and privilege — events told from the perspective of the dominant group or culture, CSW values taking opportunities to amplify the voices of those who have been disenfranchised. In its curricular focus on and consideration of historically oppressed groups, CSW attempts to approach the teaching of history by acknowledging that the voices of Native Americans, African Americans, women, and other groups have been largely omitted, and prohibited from the telling of history, and allows students to consider a broader range of perspectives.

And yet, even at this progressive school, there are students, namely students of color, who aren’t quite able to find that feeling of belonging; they feel like guests at the dinner table, instead of hosts at the party. For the last few years I have been asking myself the question, as a progressive school, does CSW serve its BIPoC (Black and Indigenous People of Color) students well? Do we support and affirm students of color? Do they thrive at CSW? Are we adequately preparing them to thrive beyond CSW?

UNPACKING WHITE PRIVILEGE AND WHITE SUPERIORITY AT CSW

With about 30% of students receiving financial aid, CSW continues to be an exclusive independent school that serves primarily families with means. Twenty-five percent of students identify as domestic students of color, and of that number only three percent of students self identify as Black. For the relatively small number of Black students who attend the school, it can be very challenging to feel like you belong when there are so few students who look like you. Although the curriculum and pedagogy attempt to be anti-racist, the culture of the school continues to be distinctly white and privileged.

One aspect of the dominant culture at CSW is a sense of privileged liberalism, which is often conflated with progressivism. Privileged liberalism often plays out as righteous intolerance of values that are not distinctly white liberal values, and a tendency to call them out. This is sometimes combined with a general lack of awareness and/or respect for cultural differences and the values of non-Western cultures. We often fail to see the double standard that exists in our society, and in our community, with regards to how white students and students of color are treated and perceived. For example, individual self-expression is valued at CSW and you will often hear members of the community say, “CSW is a place where you can be yourself,” but to what extent is that true?

“I was scared of wearing my hijab at CSW because I would hear people talk about how Muslim girls who wore hijab hated themselves, looked ridiculous, and so on. Eventually, I left the school because I couldn’t handle constantly being in denial of such a large part of myself.”

The previous quote was submitted to the Voices of CSW Instagram page anonymously by an alum. It is unclear when this student attended the school, or who she was referring to as “people.” It could have been students, adults, or both. Regardless, the message was pervasive enough that it made the student leave. Many of our students of color come from other cultures and countries, and experience feelings of alienation when aspects of their culture, religion, or values are diminished.

As a school community that aspires to be inclusive, how do we broaden our world view and our acceptance that members of our community are not required to assimilate to the dominant culture’s values and perspectives? How can we normalize differences, and not just the types of differences we are comfortable with?

It is interesting to see how many students at CSW feel comfortable experimenting with the color of their hair, fashion, and other forms of self-expression without judgment, and yet Black and Muslim girls feel selfconscious about wrapping their hair in a scarf or head covering. Self-expression and identity exploration is valued in our community, and yet some students do not feel comfortable simply being themselves.

When we place a high value on selfexpression, we should also consider that the freedom to do so feels like a privilege to some people. In a recent conversation with a Black alum we talked about how his white peers were able to experiment with selfexpression and identity exploration in ways that felt like a privilege he could not avail himself of, because it was incoherent with the expectations at home, in his own community, and because of concern for how he might be judged as a Black person.

Something that seemed completely innocuous and even fun among white students, like wearing pajamas to school, was something he did not feel he could engage in for fear of how he might be perceived by both the dominant culture, and his own community. Having to constantly navigate the different expectations in their respective environments is a burden and a skill that students of color must master, which can ultimately leave them feeling like they do not belong in either space, and mentally and emotionally exhausted.

An example of another, more subtle way in which white dominant values play out at CSW, is a general denunciation of the idea of hierarchy because it is deemed fundamentally undemocratic. Hierarchy can be undemocratic if significant power is assigned to positions, but it need not be, and I know few organizations and institutions that do not have some sort of hierarchy.

Ideas about hierarchy and respect are entwined in many cultures, and while we may disagree with the idea of hierarchy as individuals, or even as a school, we should not place judgment or ostracize members

of our community wanting and choosing to adhere to these ideas. Many people are socialized to offer respect to elders for example, and there are boundaries and behavioral norms that define relationships between people based on age, gender, level of education, etc. This includes customs about how to address each other, eye contact, register of speech, and many other ways we show respect. It may be difficult for a student of color who comes from an immigrant background to feel comfortable addressing their teacher by their first name. And it might feel diminishing to a faculty member of color who has spent many years achieving a high level of education, and is perhaps the first in their family to get an advanced degree, to forgo using a title like “Doctor.”

At what point did CSW stop using titles? I imagine it was still considered an educationally progressive school even when it embraced titles and other customs denoting respect. Did it stop using titles and start to address everyone by their first name as a way of downplaying hierarchy, and in the name of equality? Would it be more equitable to allow people to decide for themselves how they would like to be addressed? Are we actually less hierarchical for not using titles? Are we actually more socially progressive by not observing certain social norms, or are we just less tolerant of social conventions? Even if we choose to adopt the norm of forgoing social practices that may seem too formal, traditional, or hierarchical, we should, as a community, at least recognize and consider that there are individuals in our community for whom informality feels casual and disrespectful. This kind of cultural awareness can only serve CSW students well as they may at some point find themselves traveling, living, and working in a country with more formal and traditional social norms. Additionally, we cannot call ourselves an inclusive school if we are intolerant of ways of being that are different from the dominant culture.

The idea that learning should, among other things, feel like play, and the valuing of choice, while perhaps pedagogically sound, are also privileged ideas in our society. I once heard a white male student at CSW talk about how he recognized that he had the privilege of not having to worry about where he went to college, what he would major in at college, or if he went to college at all. He explained that his future was financially secure, and that he could afford to dedicate his time to any pursuit. He wasn’t being arrogant, he was being sincere, self-aware, recognizing his privilege as we were discussing inequities. This was within the context of a course called Alliance Building Across Cultural Differences, that is now part of the 11th grade PACE program. One of the goals of this program is to help students develop awareness of self and others, and the literacy to be able to understand the roots of inequity, and feel comfortable recognizing and discussing privilege.

For many students of color, getting good grades, hitting certain benchmarks, and being competitive will be the keys to access higher education and greater social mobility. There is certainly joy in the process of doing school — making friends, sharing meaningful conversations with teachers and peers, the satisfaction of meeting and even exceeding the expectations for an assignment, feeling accomplished after your best performance — and school is also seen as necessary work for a successful future by most students and families of color.

As an inclusive school community we must develop awareness of the ways in which being a student of color has different implications in our society. We live in a racist, classist, sexist, homophobic world that has impressed on many of us that we have to be “twice as good to get half as far.” While we need to dismantle a system that is biased, we must also offer those against whom there is bias the best chances of succeeding by considering what they need to be successful. The response should include providing sufficient scaffolding, support, clear expectations, as well as classroom pedagogy and an environment that reflect and affirm the experiences of its members.

Having to constantly navigate the different expectations in their respective environments is a burden and a skill that students of color must master, which can ultimately leave them feeling like they do not belong in either space, and mentally and emotionally exhausted.”

WHAT DOES BEING AN ANTI-RACIST SCHOOL MEAN?

The work of anti-racism has to be intentional, strategic, and sustained. From the boardroom to the classroom, from the kitchen staff to the chief financial officer, every member of the school community must be involved in the process of self-examination, learning awareness, and building skills to identify privilege and dismantle oppression. This requires developing a high tolerance for discomfort and mistakes, empathy, and courage. We may have to say and do unpopular and difficult things, and be steadfast, to challenge the status quo. The work of anti-racism is not a democratic process, it is about amplifying the voices and recognizing the needs of those members in our society who have been historically disenfranchised and oppressed, even if they are in the minority, and not acquiescing to the demands of the dominant majority because they are greater in number, or because they represent the historical norm in our society.

As a school community, we have to consider the unconscious messages we perpetuate about what is valued. The work of shifting culture, dismantling ingrained ideologies, and nurturing an inclusive community of diverse learners and teachers is difficult work, and the most important work we can do as an anti-racist school. As an institution charged with shaping the intellect and character of our young citizens, we cannot ignore the responsibility of critically examining systems that were created to maintain racial and socio-economic castes, and this should begin with unpacking and critically examining our own culture, policies and practices.

As an independent school, CSW is in the position to shape the hearts and minds of our students, many of whom will go on to create and lead institutions and organizations across industries. Helping students understand how the mechanisms of racism and oppression work gives them the knowledge and awareness to choose not to be complicit. It is imperative, then, that we begin to dismantle the myths of white superiority, and examine our privilege and implicit and explicit biases in an intentional way, so that every student has the opportunity to flourish to their full potential, and become the architects and protectors of equity and justice.