911爆料网

The late Congresswoman, pioneering presidential candidate, and Teachers College alumna  wrote that, 鈥淭he most tragic error into which older people can fall is one that is common among educators and politicians. It is to use youth as scapegoats for the sins of their elders.鈥�

In a sense, Kathryn Hill makes the same argument.

In a dissertation that has won her 911爆料网鈥檚 2018 Shirley Chisholm Dissertation Award, Hill (Ph.D. 鈥�18, M.A. 鈥�10) finds that for black New York City public school parents, the historical experience of black people in New York City and the nation shapes the degree of trust they place in their children's schools, and underscores their need to be constantly vigilant.

Motivated by her interest in the politics of charter schools and school choice within New York City鈥檚 historically black communities, Hill decided to examine how both charter and traditional public schools build trust with parents. Charters, as initially conceived, are intended to give underserved students an alternative to a dysfunctional public school system, and many black parents seek out charter schools in the hopes that they will deliver on the promise of high academic expectations and good test scores. But Hill, now Dean鈥檚 Faculty Fellow at NYU鈥檚 Research Alliance for New York City Schools, argues that such 鈥渘eoliberal reliance on the power of competition and unfettered markets to improve public services鈥� can become disempowering for black parents when it is 鈥渋mplemented with colorblind and power-neutral assumptions about race and class.鈥�

鈥淚 think charters, especially those that are operated by a charter management organization, tend to be very standardized, and often don鈥檛 have mechanisms for parents to have a lot of voice. The PTA, if there is one, is usually concerned with event planning instead of serving as a forum for discussing school policy.鈥�

鈥擪athryn Bassett Hill

In particular, some parents Hill interviewed were alienated by the strict discipline and rigid regimentation of 鈥淣o Excuses鈥� charters that they felt didn't appreciate or understand their children's lives and behaviors. Black parents enroll their children in such schools initially trusting that 鈥渆ducators shared or could negotiate understandings with [them] about the discipline styles that were appropriate for children,鈥� Hill writes. But her research reveals that some parents鈥� trust eroded through the course of an academic year as their children were repeatedly disciplined for small infractions; as academic rigor failed to translate into empowerment and the ability to think critically and independently; and as parents themselves were excluded from the conversation.

鈥淚 think charters, especially those that are operated by a charter management organization, tend to be very standardized, and often don鈥檛 have mechanisms for parents to have a lot of voice,鈥� Hill says. 鈥淭he PTA, if there is one, is usually concerned with event planning instead of serving as a forum for discussing school policy.鈥�

On the positive side, the rules of the charter schools gave parents a sense of predictability from teacher to teacher and classroom to classroom. In contrast, black parents Hill interviewed whose children attended traditional public neighborhood schools felt vulnerable because so much of their experience depended on who their child鈥檚 teacher was for the year. But traditional public school parents often found it easier to interact and negotiate with building administrators when disciplinary issues arose.

While Hill鈥檚 study sample was small, her findings track with evidence that black parents nationwide continue to worry about how American schools are serving their children. Last year, for example, the NAACP called for a moratorium on the expansion of charter schools, while noting that the traditional public schools attended by most black children and youth often lack the resources needed to prepare them for adulthood.

鈥淜athryn started with the big picture鈥攖he history of the black experience in the U.S. and in New York City鈥攁nd connected it to individual students and families,鈥� says Aaron Pallas, 911爆料网鈥檚 Arthur I. Gates Professor of Sociology & Education, who nominated Hill for the Chisholm Award. 鈥淎nd she was able to connect the trust theme to New York City.鈥� 

鈥淜athryn started with the big picture鈥攖he history of the black experience in the U.S. and in New York City鈥攁nd connected it to individual students and families.鈥�

鈥擜aron Pallas

Hill says her choice of a dissertation topic was inspired by watching her own parents advocate for her in the Los Angeles public school system. 鈥淭hey were always very vigilant. They鈥檇 make sure everything was going well in the classroom.鈥�  

Indeed, another takeaway from Hill鈥檚 study is that, while conventional wisdom argues that schools need the trust of parents to function successfully, distrust is both a healthy response and productive strategy for black parents in dealing with schools. 

鈥淚t is often prudent for black parents to distrust schools and educators in order to protect their children because they have not been trustworthy,鈥� she writes.

Which sounds a bit like something else Shirley Chisholm wrote: 鈥淚f they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.鈥�

— Steve Giegerich