Baldwin, J. (2022). 

scot-memo.pdf

‌Davis-Delano, L. R., Gone, J. P., & Fryberg, S. A. (2020). The Psychosocial Effects of Native 

American Mascots: A Comprehensive Review of Empirical Research Findings. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 23(5), 613–633. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2020.177222 

The concept of the invisible knapsack helps people visualize white privilege and its effect. People in a place of privilege may become uncomfortable or confused when being told they have white privilege. This is because many people are unaware of institutional racism. Since they themselves, are not racist, they cannot have white privilege. However, throughout the system in our country, there is institutional racism that disadvantages people of color. This is also because white privilege is sometimes hard to recognize when you are a part of the group in power. The purpose of being aware of white privilege is so that white people can understand the advantages they hold and use their place of power to advocate for those without the same privilege.

I remember first learning about white privilege. Growing up in a predominately white town, I was shocked to learn the advantages I had just because of the color of my skin. This varies from small everyday things like never having someone mispronounce my name or mostly always being surrounded by people of my own race, to big things like having an advantage over someone of color when finding a job or applying for an apartment. As a white person, I will always carry the invisible knapsack with me. Now that I am aware of it, it is my job to speak up for those who have fewer opportunities as well as sometimes take a step back to give them opportunities.

Multicultural education is a broad term. According to Nieto, multicultural education “challenges and rejects racism and other forms of discrimination in schools and society and accepts and affirms the pluralism that students, their communities, and teachers reflect” (2018). Banks defines multicultural education in a similar way. Banks states that all students should have an equal opportunity to learn (2019). However, because of current education practices, some students have a better opportunity to learn than others. The purpose of multicultural education is to “focus on how race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, language, exceptionality, sexual orientation, and religion influence student learning and behavior” (Banks, 2019). If we shift teaching practices to a multicultural approach rather than a traditional one, students of all groups are able to learn and make the most of their education.

Multicultural education differs from the traditional education that has been used in schools. In the traditional approach, teachers present the information to students, and students are expected to listen and memorize that information. Freire calls this “banking” education (2005). This way of teaching is limiting for students as there is little interaction on their part. The traditional method expects students to all think and act one way (Hooks, 2014). However, our schools, and society as a whole, are filled with unique diverse people that think and act in all different ways. Another issue with the traditional approach is that it teaches from an anglocentric viewpoint (Banks, 2019). This is limiting as it only provides one perspective which invalidates the contributions of other groups of people. In contrast, multicultural education focuses on all groups of people and their different perspectives (Nieto, 2018). This means showing history from all points of view, even if it means talking about uncomfortable topics like racism. Teachers using a multicultural approach to education pose problems to their students so that students are thinking critically and authentically about the material and the world around them (Freire, 2005). Switching from a traditional approach to a multicultural one is beneficial to students, teachers, and society as a whole.

Overall, multicultural education is broken down into overarching goals. The goals may look different based on who is defining multicultural education, but they all have the same theme of teaching students in an approach that prepares them for taking part in a democracy, teaches them to take social action, and comes from a culturally respective place that acknowledges the diverse population of the United States. Nieto breaks multicultural education into seven principles. Nieto’s principles are multicultural education is antiracist, basic, important for all students, pervasive, education for social justice, a process, and critical pedagogy (2018). This means that racism is addressed in the classroom and students are given the tools to confront it. Students learn about issues in society and also how they can act through social justice. It is important for all students growing up in our diverse society to receive a multicultural education. Banks breaks down the goals of multicultural education in a similar way. Banks says the goals of multicultural education are to give students a greater understanding of their own and other cultures, to give them the skills needed to function in their community, and to reduce discrimination that some groups experience (2019). Multicultural education aims to educate students on the different groups of people in this country and hopes that by doing so, discrimination and other hurtful thinking will become less common.

When it comes to implementing multicultural education, there are strategies that can be used. Nieto emphasizes teaching students about social justice and giving them opportunities to discuss changes and how they can help make positive impacts in their societies (2018). Banks suggests a similar method by having students analyze social systems that have victimized groups in the past and some still today (2019). A classroom using the multicultural approach has the teacher as the facilitator for student-centered problem-solving (Freire, 2005). Teachers need to use resources from all cultures, all perspectives, and all groups of people.

Although there are many benefits of multicultural education, there are still some challenges teachers may face when trying to implement it. For one, our current education system places a high emphasis on standardized testing. This limits teachers' time to teach critical thinking and instead forces them to “teach the test” (Banks, 2019). Teachers may also find pushback from the community because of misconceptions about multicultural education or because people are uncomfortable talking about race (Hooks, 2014). However, the pros of multicultural education outweigh the cons. We need to shift to a more multicultural approach to improve education for our students and better prepare them for our society.

References

Banks, J. A. (2019). An introduction to multicultural education. Pearson. 

Freire, P. (2005). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum. 

Hooks, B. (2014). Teaching in a Multicultural World. In Teaching to Transgress. Routledge. 

Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2018). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. Pearson. 

TIS is located in Red Oaks Mill in Poughkeepsie. It is a suburban community located on the outside of the city of Poughkeepsie. The ACSD community is widespread, resulting in a range of economic backgrounds. This creates the issue of “richer” and “poorer” schools in the district. Last year, they needed to redistrict the middle schools due to class sizes. There was a backlash in the community as parents of the “rich” middle school did not want students who were supposed to go to the “poor” middle school to attend school with their children. This economic disparity creates social issues within the community. Hudson River Housing lies in this community and the children that live there attend Overlook Primary School before moving up to TIS. Hudson River Housing offers emergency subsidized housing for those who need it. TIS and other schools in ACSD have the Backpack Program. Students that qualify go home with a bag of groceries each Friday for their families.

Because the district is so big, the high school is big and has many resources for students. Classes of TIS and the other elementary school travel to the high school a few times a year to learn science from high school students. It is a great way to build a sense of community amongst the students of different buildings. Students also work together with other buildings to put on performances. Recently 1st graders from each building learned and practiced songs to teach about the environment. They came together to perform at the high school. The parents at TIS are involved and come to the school often. I really enjoyed the 5th grade carnival hosted by parents and the monthly lunches where parents can come into the school to eat with their children. This is also a diverse district where culture is celebrated. I got to see the Parade of Nations. This is held once a year in the elementary schools. Students born in another country or whose parents were born in a country, march around behind their country's flag. They are proud to show where they come from while the rest of the school cheers them on. Challenges to teaching in this community are that since the district is so big, there is a disconnect between the administration and teachers. Another challenge is that there is a large group of students that are economically disadvantaged. This is a challenge only because many times these students are lacking in clean clothes, supplies, hygiene products, and food. The teacher then invests their own money to provide these things for the students. I think the district can do a better job of collecting and allocating resources to these families.

TIS is an intermediate school with grades 3-5. According to the 2021-2022 enrollment data, there were 393 students enrolled. 58% of these students were white, 24% were Hispanic or Latino, 10% were black or African American, 4% were Asian or Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander, and 4% were multiracial. 7% of students at the time were English language learners. 18% were students with disabilities. 37% of students were economically disadvantaged and 1% of students were homeless.

References

ARLINGTON CSD | NYSED Data Site. (2021). Nysed.gov. 

https://data.nysed.gov/profile.php?instid=800000053261