Are the Schools Educating Our Children? Examining Black Parent Mistrust Toward Urban Public School Systems

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Social Context and Academic Outcomes Across the Educational Pipeline

Abstract

My study examines the trust that New York City Black parents place in the city public system. I develop a framework to study Black parent trust in institutions, drawing on sociological, political science and education research. I found that a history of institutional racism, the impersonal nature of large school district bureaucracy, the lack of response to parent concerns and high levels of competition all fostered a sense of disillusionment and distrust in the New York City public school system among the parents I interviewed. My examination can shed light on how trust in public schools might develop uniquely for Black Americans, and illuminate whether changing urban school systems are deemed legitimate in the eyes of the public.

Author

• Kathryn Hill, Teachers College, Columbia University