RACISM IN SCHOOLS
By Jenny Mower Howey
Helping to Stop Racism
◦ There are many stereotypes involved in the local
schooling systems.
◦ When we intergrade different language styled
settings, we then are able to expand the minds of
our students.
◦ For generations, Mormon missionaries from
Utah have crisscrossed the globe and returned
home speaking Tagalog and Xhosa. Now, with
hopes of preparing students for a competitive
world economy, the state is building one of the
largest and most ambitious school-language
programs in the nation. (JACK HEALY)
Chart Title
Review of my
Workplace
5
4.5
4
3.5
Listed on four records of the
Boys and Girls club in Sandy.
Not all of the students
participated in the study.
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
White
Bilingual
Series 1
Spanish
Series 2
Series 3
Other
Out of all the children, they
were asked three questions.
Who speaks English as a first
language, 2 who also speaks
Spanish, and 3 who has a desire
to learn Spanish. Most of the
children who do not speak
Spanish, have a desire to.
Plans for the Future
The dual language programs start in first grade, and will
eventually extend through middle school, with students
taking advanced placement tests in ninth grade and then
studying at a college level through the rest of high school.
Right now, they can take classes in French, Spanish,
Portuguese and Mandarin. German is likely to be next, and
educators have discussed Arabic. ( Healty Jack)
Personal Experiences
◦ Currently I work for the Boys and Girls Club of America.
After beginning my time here, I have seen that many
children are not receiving the proper care that they need
when they are from other Countries. There was a little boy
that I realized in class was not paying attention to me as I
was teaching. He was instead staring downward, and
looking really upset. After I had explained the directions to
the class. The little boys friend turned to him and explained
everything to him in Spanish. I apologized that I did not
speak Spanish, and asked the friend to continue translating.
◦ Recently I had the opportunity to read comments on an
Instagram post by Beyoncé, after reading the horrible racist
comments made by both White Americans, and black
Americans. It was easy to come to the conclusion that we
are not equal in everyone's eyes just yet.
Steps in Place to Help Us Integrate Students
◦ Dual-language classes have existed for years,
but they are now growing fast in many
states as an outcry against bilingual
education fades and educators look for ways
to prepare American students for a polyglot
global job market. But few have embraced
the idea with such unlikely zeal as Utah, a
state that passed an English-only law in
2000 and routinely ranks last in the nation
on education spending ( Jack Healy)
Helping Spanish Speaking Kids Early On
◦ It is important to study ways to increase Spanishspeaking children's English vocabulary while in
early childhood before literacy gaps between
them and English-only speaking children widen
and the Spanish-speaking children fall behind,"
study author (Francisco Palermo)
◦ Preschool is an ideal setting to study how
[Spanish-speaking] children learn language
because learning in preschool occurs mainly
through social interactions, and languages are
learned naturally by engaging in social
interactions. ( Francsico Palermo)
Languages
Spanish
English
Bilingual
Future Predictions
I had 20 family members predict which
language they believed would be the
prominent one in 2050
Other
Other Predictions
◦ By 2030, as many as four in 10 students in the United States will be learning
English as a second language, according to the Center for Research on Education,
Diversity and Excellence
◦ If that is the case, then we should all be working hard at attending our own
Spanish classes, and working on helping our society to grow closer to one another
through language. If we understood and learned about the languages and cultures
of others in our society, then we could hopefully reach a point in our time where
we do not have riots like we have had in Baltimore the last couple days.
Books on Racism
◦ The Skin I'm In: A First Look at Racism (A First Look at...Series) Racial discrimination is cruel—and
especially so to younger children. This title encourages kids to accept and be comfortable with differences of
skin color and other racial characteristics among their friends and in themselves. This story book for children
fits in perfectly with my topic. Especially since I am working hard on getting children to accept one another
at work everyday.
◦ We're Different, We're the Same, Muppets, monsters, and humans compare noses, hair, and skin and realize
how different we all are. But as they look further, they also discover how much we are alike. Another great
example of a simple book with a powerful message behind its title. If we could get all of our children to
accept one another as kids, then we would not be facing such great problems at an older age.
Works Cited
◦ Robert Preidt, Early Exposure to English May Help Spanish-Speaking
Kids in School, Web, Jan. 30, 2015.
◦ Healy, Jack, New York Times, A State Seeks to Be Heard in a New
World Economy, April 19, 2013.