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Quick thread on race, class, and "accountability" in public education.
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Educational accountability systems are designed to never challenge the value of high-income, white schools (because it would "invalidate" the rankings).
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Instead, they are designed in a manner that persistently identifies the "weakness" of schools serving low-income and racially-marginalized populations. (This aligns with "common sense.")
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They are then deployed without hatred or malice. They operate automatically, "objectively," and devoid of human judgment.
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No one in any state department of education intentionally targets vulnerable populations. Nor do they set out to reinforce and reify privilege.
And yet.
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And yet.
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And yet such systems persistently praise and value the schools attended by majority white, English-speaking, typically-developing, high-income populations. Competition for those schools increases. Home values rise. Property taxes increase (along with school funding). Etc.
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Meanwhile, these race- and class-neutral systems persistently target and devalue the schools attended by majority non-white, English-learning, low-income populations. Those with privilege "flee" such schools, many of which end up closed. Segregation is exacerbated. Etc.
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Accountability regimes, then, are an excellent example of systemic racism (and classism). They are not driven by individual prejudice; they operate "neutrally."
They are colorblind (and class-blind).
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They are colorblind (and class-blind).
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And yet.
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To do nothing is to accept an unequal forever.
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Back to work.
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