Partners in Change: Using Literature to Activate Student Activism (Poster 72)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Seven
  In Poster Session: Youth Teams in Education Research Poster Session

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the reflect upon how curriculum encourages student activism and the role of students in resisting and confronting racial inequity in their suburban public school. In order to come to a greater understanding of how and why such inequities are prevalent in public education, students studied “Toward a Critical RaceTheory of Education'' (Ladson-Billings and Tate, 1995) and “Whiteness as Property” (Harris, 1993). To apply their new learning to the school, student researchers held open invitation “listening rooms” to hear students’ concerns and have organized petition campaigns, seminars, and round table discussions. Additionally, students have conducted interviews about particular concerns to gather data to present to the Board of education. As new concerns arose students continued to research methods of organizing, tactics used by other schools, and alternative methods of schooling and discipline. A research partnership with Radically Imagining School Equity (RISE), a project of Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) offered students access to school data and allowed students to converse with other high school students as well as professors about the circumstances in their school. Students have found that there is resistance to merely acknowledging the property function of Whiteness, let alone dismantling it. Their decision outlined in the original proposal to make public comments at Board of Education meetings has been actively discouraged, but has encouraged them to involve their parents in their struggle. Parents have recently been in conversation with one another about how to best support their students and join in their fight for a racially just school. While detoured from their original goal, students hope their project will inform practices on equity initiatives in similar schools. For example, student activist groups might seek to immediately enlist the support of parents in working toward equity.

Authors

• Guadalupe Ramirez
  Non-Presenting Author

• Steven R. Flores, Thornton Fractional School District 215
  Non-Presenting Author

• Breanna Lopez, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author

• Kyndall Jackson, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author

• Makalah Simpson, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author

• Dulce Gonzalez, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author

• Aayla Holiday, Thornton Fractional District 215
  Presenting Author

• Isis Barrett‐Rogers, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author