Dear parent I met last night at our version of open house,
When you first asked me how safe our school campus is because your daughter is considering our school next year, I thought it was an OK question. The glance at your daughter that seemed to imply, “She’s beautiful - will she be a victim?” was surprising, but I did the best I could to assure you she’ll be fine.
Your questions about our department’s decision to eliminate tracking in order to prepare all students for the rigor of Common Core assessments, didn’t do much to mask your real question: “Does that mean those other kids will be in her advanced class?”
But what really pissed me off, was the comment about the added challenge we teachers have in California because it’s a border state. And I realized you were worried about some brown kid attacking your daughter or dragging down her class somehow.
And what really enraged me, was that when I was thinking about it later that night, I realized that you believed I was complicit in your assumption because I’m white, and well, why wouldn’t I agree that the brown kids are what’s wrong with our community?
And then what made me sad, almost to the point of tears, is thinking about all the students you wouldn’t want in your daughter’s classes, and how much I love having them in mine.
