How unconscious bias shows up in instructional decision making

Hey,

We are both fighting to disrupt racist outcomes in education. In fact, we are joined by many educators and institutions in this fight. And even if some may not explicitly name themselves as a part of this movement for educational equity, almost no one would declare that they are against educational equity. And they certainly wouldn’t say that they are trying to create and perpetuate racist outcomes.

So then, how is it possible to have racism without racists? Especially when “they” is all of us?

How can we be producing racist outcomes if no one has a racist intention or a racist bone in their body?

Well, that's our unconscious bias, of course.

Here are some examples of racist actions.

Responding to student wrong answers by giving the right answer and moving on. Every. Single. Time.

Impact: Black children never have an opportunity to learn why their answers are wrong or the thought process to get to the right answer. Which means all Black children learn here is that they are wrong.

Lowering the lexile level of a text. By finding an easier text on the same topic. For the entire unit.

Impact: For several months, or the entire duration of the unit, Black children spend their instructional time on a text below grade level. Which means Black children lose the opportunity to grow towards grade level for several months.

Grouping students according to a diagnostic. For the entire quarter.

Impact: When Black students thrive, they lose an opportunity to be pushed. When Black students struggle, they lose an opportunity to be supported, according to their immediate, specific needs.

Accepting data analyses that site silly mistakes as the cause of a misconception. For a entire unit’s enduring understandings.

Impact: The true misconceptions demonstrated in student work are never uncovered. Which means Black children never get taught how to master content they showed they need help with.

Not pushing that teacher with fixed mindsets on what they are putting in front of their kids.

Impact: All 30 Black children (or 100 if middle school) in this teacher’s classroom, lose one year of grade-level education, making it harder to graduate with college and career readiness. The Black students in your school system are still expected to be college and career ready, even though they got less time.

The accumulation of these actions deny Black children access to an education that creates (and not limits) opportunities for them. In a society addicted to the myth of being a meritocracy, this is it’s own kind violence. Which kind of tracks, because our nation’s capacity to deny access and exclude Black people is historic and violent. Literally.

So what makes these actions racist? They produce an outcome, the denial of something (in this case, education that creates access) to Black children, that is racist. Periodt. And until our actions align with our intentions by producing equitable outcomes on a systems level, all of us, educators, school leaders, and system leaders alike, are responsible for the impact of unconscious bias in our professional learning and instructional planning structures. No, you didn’t put it there. But as long as it’s in the room, it’s your business to interrupt.