Last May, when I talked to National Education Association President Becky Pringle for Teacher Appreciation Week, she told me the government and families need to support teachers more. But increased pay isn’t the only way to show that support.
“They talk about working conditions, and time to meet with parents, and provide that individual attention, so what they talk about is that we need more,” she explained. Times have changed, Pringle said, and it’s time to find new ways to support teachers and our students.
Throughout 2023 as I reported on everything from strengthening the Black educator pipeline to educating foster children, I often reflected on that conversation. As we start 2024 with the same issues facing Black students and teachers, that interview — and Pringle’s dedication to eliminating inequities — makes me think of all the things I want to see in public education. It’s a long list, but let’s start with these three:
1. Boost Entrepreneurship Education
Studies on teachers working harder for less pay, and the rise of programs funneling students toward higher-paying careers strengthen my desire to see mandatory entrepreneurial courses implemented in middle and high schools. These courses can teach youth how to start a business and provide in-depth training for financial planning for their careers. Plus, with advancements in artificial intelligence predicted to alter 80% of jobs in some way, students should get ahead of the possible threat of unemployment by having the necessary skills to develop, market, and succeed under their own creations.
For example, last fall 14-year-old Hemen Bekele received the “America’s Top Young Genius,” award for his groundbreaking work in SCTS, which stands for skin cancer treating soap. That shows the possibilities Black students possess both inside the classroom, in the greater world of STEM, and in business.
2. Provide Creative Mental Health Support for Students
An interview with Beyoncé’s dancers, Les Twins, about their international mental health tour, shifted my perception of the best way for students to receive emotional, physical, and mental support. The duo made me reflect on how schools can implement more innovative, unconventional methods to support their students — and do so in a way that works best for each student.
Why do we need this? The suicide rate among Black youth has surged to alarming heights. Within this grim statistic lies an even more heartbreaking reality: for Black girls aged 12 to 14, suicide has tragically become the leading cause of death.
Whether it’s allocating time for them to hone a particular craft or express themselves through the arts, there are more ways to reach kids in addition to adding much-needed school counselors and psychologists.
3. Increase the Teaching of Truth
We are 10 months from Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 — the day the nation elects its next president.. One Republican candidate, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, recently backpedaled her inaccurate responses about the cause of the Civil War., Another, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, stands on a platform designed to limit how race is taught in the classroom. Candidates like these mean the commitment to teaching about climate change and accurate history remains crucial.
There is already progress being made on this front: In a landmark move, a new law went into effect on Jan. 1 in California that mandates media literacy be taught in the state’s public schools — essentially that students be taught how to spot “fake news.” And, organizations like the Zinn Education Project, PEN America, and other local coalitions are dedicated to ensuring the truth is taught to students, and often provide free curriculum and content to classrooms.
But community support, and protecting educators who teach the truth is essential to ensuring these resources reach students.
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