263 - Kaleb Rashad on Race and Education in America

In this special episode, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Kaleb Rashad, a leading voice in education and the Director of Creative Leadership at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education.

Over the past 10 years, Kaleb has worked with diverse communities to co-create equity-driven, liberatory school cultures characterized by student-centered pedagogy, trust-rich relationships, and creative leadership practices. Prior to High Tech High, Kaleb taught middle school math and science and served as the site administrator in two middle schools and two elementary schools.

In their discussion together, Tom and Kaleb speak about race and education in America. They center their discussion around the current Black Lives Matter movement and the inequity many young black Americans face in regards to their education. Kaleb shares his thoughts around the racism problem in America, the inequality black people are facing in accessing health care and education, the power of place and the intersectionality of justice in education, current sources of inequity in education, and more. Kaleb and Tom also briefly touch on the important decisions education leaders will have to be making in the next 60 days with the schools opening up back in the fall.

Key Takeaways:

[:10] About today's episode with Kaleb Rashad.

[:36] Tom welcomes Kaleb to the podcast and Kaleb shares his thoughts around the current goings-on and how he has been educating his children on these topics.

[2:35] Kaleb speaks about BLM, white supremacy, and the history of racism in America.

[9:05] The inherent and systematic racism in how we fund schools.

[11:47] How tech and AI are being used to further human racist biases and how, instead, they could be used to benefit everyone and eliminate these biases. Kaleb also highlights the importance of teaching a deeper sense of literacy skills and helping children build a deeper sense of purpose within a community.

[15:40] Kaleb and Tom briefly discuss the inequality for black people in accessing the health care system and the built-in economic disadvantage that they're facing.

[16:28] Kaleb sheds some light on some of the current sources of inequity in education and what the work ahead may look like for education leaders. He also sheds light on an incredible author, Michelle Alexander, and how she is shedding light on how race was constructed in America and why.

[23:40] Kaleb discusses the power of place and the intersectionality of justice in education.

[26:55] Kaleb provides some closing thoughts on some of the important decisions education leaders will have to be making in the next 60 days in regards to what school will look like in the fall.

[30:05] Tom thanks Kaleb for joining the podcast!

Mentioned in This Episode:

High Tech High Graduate School of Education

Kaleb Rashad

"The White Woman Who Called Police on a Black Man Bird-Watching in Central Park has been Fired," by Amir Vera and Laura Ly, CNN

"Ahmaud Arbery: Third Man Charged Over Death of Black Jogger," BBC

"This is How Loved Ones Want Us to Remember George Floyd," by Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN

Michelle Alexander — The New Jim Crow

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