00:01:55Personal Experiences with School Bias
00:05:40Introduction to K-12 Podcast Mission
00:08:08Topics Covered in the Podcast
00:10:34Personal Development for Parents
00:12:05Call to Join the Community
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What happens when a mother discovers her son's desk placed in the hallway outside his classroom? For me, that moment—along with an unfounded accusation of theft years later—sparked a personal mission to decode the implicit racial structures affecting children of color in our public education system.
Drawing from my powerful personal experiences in predominantly European-American schools, I take listeners into the heart of educational advocacy. After facing frustrating interactions with educators and experiencing microaggressions as an African-American mother, I pursued a doctorate in education to understand teacher training and research-backed solutions. Now, I transform complex educational theories into practical, actionable strategies for parents navigating similar challenges.
The K-12 Public Education Insights podcast stands at the intersection of educational research and parental action. Each weekly episode unpacks critical topics, including the rise of racism in today's schools, academic gender disparities, navigating IEP meetings, advocating for 504 services, digital device impacts, career readiness, and effective district navigation.
The upcoming fourth season promises to explore the closing of the Department of Education, the concept of productive struggling, white backlash to African-American educational progress, and more essential subjects for parents of color.
Beyond educational content, monthly episodes address personal development topics to support parents holistically, because advocacy requires both information and resilience. As I like to remind you, "No one knows your child better than you."
Together, we're building a community that ignites a movement to transform what our children learn, why they need to learn it, and the value of becoming lifelong learners.
Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Echo, or YouTube so you don't miss a single insight as we empower parents with the knowledge to confidently advocate for their children's academic achievement, well-being, and equitable treatment in public education.
Get ready for Season 4! This season will continue uncovering themes, topics, and tactics of K-12 public education and how they impact you and your family.
Stay tuned… And be sure to subscribe!
Love my show? Consider being a regular subscriber! Just go to https://tinyurl.com/podcastsupport.
- Thanks for listening! For more information about the show, episodes, and ways to support, check out these websites: https://k12educationinsights.buzzsprout.com or https: //www.liberationthrougheducation.com/podcast
- Subscribe on Buzzsprout to receive a shout out on an upcoming episode
- You can also support me with ratings, kind words of encouragement, and by sharing this podcast with friends and family
- Contact me with any specific questions you have at: kim@liberationthrougheducation.com
English
United States
SHOW NOTES 🔗
TRANSCRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:01:11.382 --> 00:01:16.147
I'm on my way to pick up my son from his second grade classroom.
00:01:16.147 --> 00:01:27.969
As I approach the classroom, I notice that a desk has been placed outside in the hall on the wall adjacent to the classroom.
00:01:27.969 --> 00:01:38.305
As I entered the classroom, I noticed my son standing in the spot where his desk would have been.
00:01:38.305 --> 00:01:47.504
I asked his teacher, a European-American middle-aged woman, why his desk was not in the classroom.
00:01:47.504 --> 00:01:54.884
She commented that his desk was so messy that it became dangerous for her to walk down his aisle.
00:01:54.884 --> 00:02:04.463
I asked her if she realized the implication on the child my son by placing his desk outside the classroom.
00:02:04.463 --> 00:02:10.473
She replied that, frankly, she had not thought about that.
00:02:10.473 --> 00:02:13.842
She was mainly concerned with safety and order in her classroom.
00:02:13.842 --> 00:02:30.996
I strongly conveyed to her that when I returned to retrieve my son from her classroom the next day my son from her classroom the next day that his desk be placed back inside the classroom in its assigned position.
00:02:30.996 --> 00:02:36.925
The next day his desk was in the classroom in its usual place.
00:02:38.170 --> 00:02:41.676
Three years later, my son is in the fifth grade.
00:02:41.676 --> 00:03:00.277
His teacher, a young European-American woman, has sent a note home that indicated that my son had stolen a pen off her desk, although she had not seen him actually remove any items from her desk, as she indicated in her note.
00:03:00.277 --> 00:03:09.331
Apparently, his proximity to her desk allowed her to assume that he had absconded with her pen.
00:03:09.331 --> 00:03:15.084
I met with this teacher the following day and she recounted the incident to me.
00:03:15.084 --> 00:03:21.780
I asked her whether her accusations were based on fact or assumption.
00:03:21.780 --> 00:03:35.281
I further inquired how my son, one of 25 students in the class, would have been the only one she chose to accuse of stealing.
00:03:35.281 --> 00:03:43.100
Looking surprised by my questioning, she had no reasonable explanation for her accusation.
00:03:43.100 --> 00:03:46.614
We both knew why she had done so.
00:03:46.614 --> 00:04:00.790
As I quite vocally conveyed my angst with this incident to the vice principal of the school, she listened politely and responded only a little bit.
00:04:00.790 --> 00:04:07.288
I simply became another detailed reporting of apparent interaction.
00:04:07.288 --> 00:04:11.314
There was no real resolution.
00:04:11.314 --> 00:04:15.455
There was no real resolution.
00:04:15.455 --> 00:04:39.183
Incidents such as these have propelled my quest to understand the underlying implicit racial structures within the school setting.
00:04:39.183 --> 00:04:55.266
Life experiences which occurred at two different middle-class elementary schools that were comprised of predominantly European American staff and teachers in an urban Southern California school district are a very small sample of the types of issues faced by many African American parents in similar school settings.
00:04:56.134 --> 00:05:15.670
My name is Dr Kim J Fields and I'm the host of the K-12 Public Education Insights Empowering Parents of Color podcast, the podcast that converges at the intersection of educational research and parental actions.
00:05:15.670 --> 00:05:30.527
It's about making the trends, topics and theories in public education understandable so that you can implement them into practical, actionable strategies that work for your children's academic progress.
00:05:30.527 --> 00:05:48.283
I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators, as well as experiencing the microaggressions that I faced as an African-American mom raising my two kids, who were in the public school system.
00:05:48.283 --> 00:06:05.986
I got a bird's eye view of how teachers were trained when I worked on my doctorate in education, because I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system.
00:06:05.986 --> 00:06:18.269
Once I gained the information and insights that I needed, I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their educational progress.
00:06:18.269 --> 00:06:25.709
This battle-tested experience is what I provide as action steps for you to take.
00:06:25.709 --> 00:06:33.193
It's like enjoying a bowl of educational research with a sprinkling of mother wisdom on top.
00:06:33.193 --> 00:07:25.620
This podcast is all about the convergence of educational research with parental action, so if you're looking to find out more about the current trends, tactics and topics, as well as relevant issues in K-12 public education that could affect you or your children, and the action steps that you can take to give your children the advantages they need, then this podcast is for you, especially if you've had similar experiences and frustrations in your interactions with your child's teachers, administrators and staff teachers, administrators and staff and you want to know what you can do about it in an assertive way.
00:07:25.639 --> 00:08:14.885
Each episode of the K-12 Public Education Insights Empowering Parents of Color podcast explores relevant topics such as the rise of racism in today's public schools, how boys are lagging behind girls in academic success, the critical skills needed for students to succeed in the 21st century, the rise of micro schools, making the best of IEP meetings advocating for 504 services, the impact of digital devices on student achievement, cte and career readiness, navigating the school district, and more.
00:08:14.885 --> 00:08:23.197
These were just some of the topics I discussed in season three.
00:08:23.197 --> 00:08:33.359
Each week, I share the latest discourse on K-12 public education research, how it affects you and your kids, and what you can do to practically implement a particular topic.
00:08:33.359 --> 00:08:55.125
My aim is to arm you with the information and or resources you need to confidently advocate for your child's academic achievement, well-being and equitable treatment in the K-12 public school environment, because you are your child's best advocate.
00:08:55.125 --> 00:08:59.966
After all, no one knows your child better than you.
00:09:01.394 --> 00:09:50.875
Season four is set to explore updates on these issues, as well as other areas, including how the closing of the Department of Education impacts families of color and what to expect from states now that education policy and accountability have been placed in their laps, the value of productive struggling, the white backlash of African-American educational progress and other subjects that are a priority for you to understand are a priority for you to understand Because I know that being a parent is a never-ending full-time job.
00:09:50.875 --> 00:10:03.625
I provide one episode at the end of each month that helps to personally support you by addressing a personal development topic, such as managing multiple roles, defining success at different life stages and staying motivated in spite of circumstances.
00:10:03.625 --> 00:10:16.168
These episodes tend to be quite popular because based on download metrics, and part of the reason for that is because of the personal stories that I share in these episodes.
00:10:16.168 --> 00:10:23.086
You get a better picture of who I am and what I'm about from these episodes.
00:10:26.449 --> 00:10:57.285
Whether you're a first-time listener to the K-12 Public Education Insights Empowering Parents of Color podcast, or you've been a listener since season one, the goal and mission of the podcast remains the same to provide pertinent information that affects parents of color with children in the K-12 public education system, so that you stay informed and motivated into taking action.
00:10:57.285 --> 00:11:07.319
All previous episodes are freely available at k12publiceducationinsightsbuzzsproutcom.
00:11:07.319 --> 00:11:21.085
Together, let's build a community that ignites a movement that transforms what our children learn, why they need to learn and the value of becoming lifelong learners.
00:11:21.085 --> 00:11:35.281
So be sure to subscribe on whatever service you listen to my podcast, including Apple, spotify, amazon, echo and YouTube, so that you don't miss a single episode.
00:11:35.281 --> 00:11:41.750
It's going to be another insightful and exciting season, so stay tuned.
00:01:11.382 --> 00:01:16.147
I'm on my way to pick up my son from his second grade classroom.
00:01:16.147 --> 00:01:27.969
As I approach the classroom, I notice that a desk has been placed outside in the hall on the wall adjacent to the classroom.
00:01:27.969 --> 00:01:38.305
As I entered the classroom, I noticed my son standing in the spot where his desk would have been.
00:01:38.305 --> 00:01:47.504
I asked his teacher, a European-American middle-aged woman, why his desk was not in the classroom.
00:01:47.504 --> 00:01:54.884
She commented that his desk was so messy that it became dangerous for her to walk down his aisle.
00:01:54.884 --> 00:02:04.463
I asked her if she realized the implication on the child my son by placing his desk outside the classroom.
00:02:04.463 --> 00:02:10.473
She replied that, frankly, she had not thought about that.
00:02:10.473 --> 00:02:13.842
She was mainly concerned with safety and order in her classroom.
00:02:13.842 --> 00:02:30.996
I strongly conveyed to her that when I returned to retrieve my son from her classroom the next day my son from her classroom the next day that his desk be placed back inside the classroom in its assigned position.
00:02:30.996 --> 00:02:36.925
The next day his desk was in the classroom in its usual place.
00:02:38.170 --> 00:02:41.676
Three years later, my son is in the fifth grade.
00:02:41.676 --> 00:03:00.277
His teacher, a young European-American woman, has sent a note home that indicated that my son had stolen a pen off her desk, although she had not seen him actually remove any items from her desk, as she indicated in her note.
00:03:00.277 --> 00:03:09.331
Apparently, his proximity to her desk allowed her to assume that he had absconded with her pen.
00:03:09.331 --> 00:03:15.084
I met with this teacher the following day and she recounted the incident to me.
00:03:15.084 --> 00:03:21.780
I asked her whether her accusations were based on fact or assumption.
00:03:21.780 --> 00:03:35.281
I further inquired how my son, one of 25 students in the class, would have been the only one she chose to accuse of stealing.
00:03:35.281 --> 00:03:43.100
Looking surprised by my questioning, she had no reasonable explanation for her accusation.
00:03:43.100 --> 00:03:46.614
We both knew why she had done so.
00:03:46.614 --> 00:04:00.790
As I quite vocally conveyed my angst with this incident to the vice principal of the school, she listened politely and responded only a little bit.
00:04:00.790 --> 00:04:07.288
I simply became another detailed reporting of apparent interaction.
00:04:07.288 --> 00:04:11.314
There was no real resolution.
00:04:11.314 --> 00:04:15.455
There was no real resolution.
00:04:15.455 --> 00:04:39.183
Incidents such as these have propelled my quest to understand the underlying implicit racial structures within the school setting.
00:04:39.183 --> 00:04:55.266
Life experiences which occurred at two different middle-class elementary schools that were comprised of predominantly European American staff and teachers in an urban Southern California school district are a very small sample of the types of issues faced by many African American parents in similar school settings.
00:04:56.134 --> 00:05:15.670
My name is Dr Kim J Fields and I'm the host of the K-12 Public Education Insights Empowering Parents of Color podcast, the podcast that converges at the intersection of educational research and parental actions.
00:05:15.670 --> 00:05:30.527
It's about making the trends, topics and theories in public education understandable so that you can implement them into practical, actionable strategies that work for your children's academic progress.
00:05:30.527 --> 00:05:48.283
I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators, as well as experiencing the microaggressions that I faced as an African-American mom raising my two kids, who were in the public school system.
00:05:48.283 --> 00:06:05.986
I got a bird's eye view of how teachers were trained when I worked on my doctorate in education, because I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system.
00:06:05.986 --> 00:06:18.269
Once I gained the information and insights that I needed, I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their educational progress.
00:06:18.269 --> 00:06:25.709
This battle-tested experience is what I provide as action steps for you to take.
00:06:25.709 --> 00:06:33.193
It's like enjoying a bowl of educational research with a sprinkling of mother wisdom on top.
00:06:33.193 --> 00:07:25.620
This podcast is all about the convergence of educational research with parental action, so if you're looking to find out more about the current trends, tactics and topics, as well as relevant issues in K-12 public education that could affect you or your children, and the action steps that you can take to give your children the advantages they need, then this podcast is for you, especially if you've had similar experiences and frustrations in your interactions with your child's teachers, administrators and staff teachers, administrators and staff and you want to know what you can do about it in an assertive way.
00:07:25.639 --> 00:08:14.885
Each episode of the K-12 Public Education Insights Empowering Parents of Color podcast explores relevant topics such as the rise of racism in today's public schools, how boys are lagging behind girls in academic success, the critical skills needed for students to succeed in the 21st century, the rise of micro schools, making the best of IEP meetings advocating for 504 services, the impact of digital devices on student achievement, cte and career readiness, navigating the school district, and more.
00:08:14.885 --> 00:08:23.197
These were just some of the topics I discussed in season three.
00:08:23.197 --> 00:08:33.359
Each week, I share the latest discourse on K-12 public education research, how it affects you and your kids, and what you can do to practically implement a particular topic.
00:08:33.359 --> 00:08:55.125
My aim is to arm you with the information and or resources you need to confidently advocate for your child's academic achievement, well-being and equitable treatment in the K-12 public school environment, because you are your child's best advocate.
00:08:55.125 --> 00:08:59.966
After all, no one knows your child better than you.
00:09:01.394 --> 00:09:50.875
Season four is set to explore updates on these issues, as well as other areas, including how the closing of the Department of Education impacts families of color and what to expect from states now that education policy and accountability have been placed in their laps, the value of productive struggling, the white backlash of African-American educational progress and other subjects that are a priority for you to understand are a priority for you to understand Because I know that being a parent is a never-ending full-time job.
00:09:50.875 --> 00:10:03.625
I provide one episode at the end of each month that helps to personally support you by addressing a personal development topic, such as managing multiple roles, defining success at different life stages and staying motivated in spite of circumstances.
00:10:03.625 --> 00:10:16.168
These episodes tend to be quite popular because based on download metrics, and part of the reason for that is because of the personal stories that I share in these episodes.
00:10:16.168 --> 00:10:23.086
You get a better picture of who I am and what I'm about from these episodes.
00:10:26.449 --> 00:10:57.285
Whether you're a first-time listener to the K-12 Public Education Insights Empowering Parents of Color podcast, or you've been a listener since season one, the goal and mission of the podcast remains the same to provide pertinent information that affects parents of color with children in the K-12 public education system, so that you stay informed and motivated into taking action.
00:10:57.285 --> 00:11:07.319
All previous episodes are freely available at k12publiceducationinsightsbuzzsproutcom.
00:11:07.319 --> 00:11:21.085
Together, let's build a community that ignites a movement that transforms what our children learn, why they need to learn and the value of becoming lifelong learners.
00:11:21.085 --> 00:11:35.281
So be sure to subscribe on whatever service you listen to my podcast, including Apple, spotify, amazon, echo and YouTube, so that you don't miss a single episode.
00:11:35.281 --> 00:11:41.750
It's going to be another insightful and exciting season, so stay tuned.
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