After the hot mic thread: how to diversify BOEs and education in general

[Anonymous]

I am in a district that is 60% white but the BOE only has one POC on it. The conversation has come up before - how to encourage other POC to join the board. In this particular community, it's not a question of income disparity, as there are a similar number of students on free or reduced lunch regardless of race. It's a social question - how can a community change the perception of groups like the BOE away from being something that white people do?
There's also a lot of conversation in DCUM about white female teachers being the main component of most school staffs and most unions. So how do we encourage young POC to become teachers? I've heard two responses to the question. The first is that they need to see role models in education to encourage the interest but that's a chicken-and-egg situation. The other I've been told is that many bright young POC don't want to go into teaching because of the lack of respect for the profession on sites like this one. When you already have to deal with daily microaggressions, why would you choose a profession that isn't respected, either?
It seems like many of you on DCUM want to point out and blame the disparities in the racial makeup of board members, school administration, and teachers from the communities in which they serve/work, but what is our society doing to put more POC in those roles?

[Anonymous]

Most of this is fine, but I doubt that POC regularly cite DCUM and other anonymous boards as a reason not to go into teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's also a lot of conversation in DCUM about white female teachers being the main component of most school staffs and most unions. So how do we encourage young POC to become teachers?

I'll offer you an additional answer to your question: recruit better and pay more.

-Former teacher who left to work in a higher-paying and higher status field

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's also a lot of conversation in DCUM about white female teachers being the main component of most school staffs and most unions. So how do we encourage young POC to become teachers?

I'll offer you an additional answer to your question: recruit better and pay more.

-Former teacher who left to work in a higher-paying and higher status field

Hahahahahaha no. Not worth it. Goodbye.

[Anonymous]

Most of this is fine, but I doubt that POC regularly cite DCUM and other anonymous boards as a reason not to go into teaching.

Not strictly the boards but the overall respect that teachers get from society in general, as mirrored on boards and other social media. See the 'Not worth it' comment above as a perfect example: the education of our next generation isn't worth better recruiting and pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Most of this is fine, but I doubt that POC regularly cite DCUM and other anonymous boards as a reason not to go into teaching.

Not strictly the boards but the overall respect that teachers get from society in general, as mirrored on boards and other social media. See the 'Not worth it' comment above as a perfect example: the education of our next generation isn't worth better recruiting and pay.

NP. Not worth it for the current crew, and that's our fault. Def worth paying more, better recruiting for a new set of achievers though!

[Anonymous]

Teachers can’t support a family on one salary. Many other occupations can. So in cultures with lower rates of marriage, women seek out careers that can support themselves. Teachers need a spouse with a better paying job.

I have a lot of teacher friends and they chose it because they love teaching, love children. But also because it’s helpful for their families. The hours mirror school hours and summers off like kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers can’t support a family on one salary. Many other occupations can. So in cultures with lower rates of marriage, women seek out careers that can support themselves. Teachers need a spouse with a better paying job.

I have a lot of teacher friends and they chose it because they love teaching, love children. But also because it’s helpful for their families. The hours mirror school hours and summers off like kids.

True. It was a good job for me while I was married. My husband left a few years ago and I now need another job to support myself and my child. So if parents wonder why teachers don't volunteer their afterschool time to help struggling students, it may be because they are headed to job #2. Many of my younger colleagues leave school so they can get to their second jobs. Even with the second job, some months I have to put off paying the less important bills. Thankfully, my mom is around to pick up my kid at school and watch her until I am done working.

[Anonymous]

The BOE was not comprised of teachers, FYI. There was a single member who was listed as a “technology educator” and former teacher who probably runs the computer lab. And there was a Latino man on the board (he was the one who said parents want to stay home and smoke pot all day without their kids). This board erroneously declared that the board was full of racist teachers. The district they work in is predominantly white. You can be angry about what they said without twisting the story to fit a false narrative about white teachers hating their communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The BOE was not comprised of teachers, FYI. There was a single member who was listed as a “technology educator” and former teacher who probably runs the computer lab. And there was a Latino man on the board (he was the one who said parents want to stay home and smoke pot all day without their kids). This board erroneously declared that the board was full of racist teachers. The district they work in is predominantly white. You can be angry about what they said without twisting the story to fit a false narrative about white teachers hating their communities.

Wow, this is demonstrably false and some deranged thinking. Oakley Union School District is predominantly Latino according to the state of CA:

https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/dqcensus/enrethlevels.aspx?agglevel=District&year=2019-20&cds=0761762

The board members were primarily white with one Latino man. The board president who resigned, Lisa Brizendine, was a teacher in Oakley United for 11 years. That's all public record.

[Anonymous]

The conversation was about racist educators because that is what happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BOE was not comprised of teachers, FYI. There was a single member who was listed as a “technology educator” and former teacher who probably runs the computer lab. And there was a Latino man on the board (he was the one who said parents want to stay home and smoke pot all day without their kids). This board erroneously declared that the board was full of racist teachers. The district they work in is predominantly white. You can be angry about what they said without twisting the story to fit a false narrative about white teachers hating their communities.

Wow, this is demonstrably false and some deranged thinking. Oakley Union School District is predominantly Latino according to the state of CA:

https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/dqcensus/enrethlevels.aspx?agglevel=District&year=2019-20&cds=0761762

The board members were primarily white with one Latino man. The board president who resigned, Lisa Brizendine, was a teacher in Oakley United for 11 years. That's all public record.

Again, that is one person out of 11-the same number of Latino men and teachers. How is one teacher a significant number and one man of color not? Stop pretending these people are “racist educators” - they are community members. Oakley union school district is 43% “white” and 34% “Hispanic”, so yes, the majority are white. These are facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BOE was not comprised of teachers, FYI. There was a single member who was listed as a “technology educator” and former teacher who probably runs the computer lab. And there was a Latino man on the board (he was the one who said parents want to stay home and smoke pot all day without their kids). This board erroneously declared that the board was full of racist teachers. The district they work in is predominantly white. You can be angry about what they said without twisting the story to fit a false narrative about white teachers hating their communities.

Wow, this is demonstrably false and some deranged thinking. Oakley Union School District is predominantly Latino according to the state of CA:

https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/dqcensus/enrethlevels.aspx?agglevel=District&year=2019-20&cds=0761762

The board members were primarily white with one Latino man. The board president who resigned, Lisa Brizendine, was a teacher in Oakley United for 11 years. That's all public record.

Again, that is one person out of 11-the same number of Latino men and teachers. How is one teacher a significant number and one man of color not? Stop pretending these people are “racist educators” - they are community members. Oakley union school district is 43% “white” and 34% “Hispanic”, so yes, the majority are white. These are facts.

Your numbers are flat-out wrong. Why do you insist on lying? 46% Hispanic, 31% white. 42.9% FARMS. Of the board members recorded, three out of four were white. One was a long-time educator in the same district.

Demographic stats here:
https://www.niche.com/k12/d/oakley-union-elementary-school-district-ca/students/

Stop lying. It's despicable. There is literally data proving you wrong.

[Anonymous]

You just posted the stats for one school. Here are the stats for the school district. https://censusreporter.org/profiles/95000US0628080-oakley-union-elementary-school-district-ca/

[Anonymous]

Also, no response to the obvious cherry picking of information that the board was comprised of “educators” when 1/11 were a teacher in any capacity, while dismissing 1/11 men of color as irrelevant.