Celebrating Juneteenth & Reflecting on Racial Equity in Schools

Featured guest: 

Antoinette Miranda, State Board of Education Member - District 6Dr. Antoinette Miranda is Professor and Director of the School Psychology Program at The Ohio State University and holds the Casto Professorship in Inter-professional Education. She has spent well over 35 years in education both K-12 and post-secondary. She has worked as a school psychologist in urban, suburban and rural districts in New York City, Ohio and Kentucky. During her tenure at OSU, she has consistently worked with school districts in a variety of capacities including providing Professional Development and college courses on site. She has had a life-long passion for making schools work for school-age children, especially those most vulnerable. Dr. Miranda earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in School Psychology all from the University of Cincinnati. She resides in Columbus with her husband Jim, a high school teacher, and their two children, Michelle and Jimmy. She was elected to the State Board of Education in November 2016 and was reelected November 2020.

In this episode:

"Equity involves trying to understand and give people what they need to be successful, whereas equality aims to ensure that everyone gets the same thing. Well here's the thing we know in schools: Everybody doesn't need the same thing... If a kid needs glasses, are you going to give everybody in the classroom glasses? No. Only that kid needs glasses. That's equity."1:45 - Defining racial equity and the importance of systems in education that ensure every child has an equal chance for success. 3:10 - "While there's this feeling of 'we don't want to talk about race,' if we don't acknowledge it, we can't put those supports in place because we can't really examine the unique challenges and barriers that are faced particularly by low income students and minoritized students."3:40 - Why the emphasis on "colorblindness" of the 80s and 90s is not the answer: "It is important to acknowledge race because there are students that are experiencing discrimination and racism because of their race."4:15 - Violence and racism against Asian-Americans5:00 - Trying to tackle racial equity issues in schools today: "We need more supports. We need to make sure we're training teachers in culturally responsive practices."7:00 - Equity vs. equality8:00 - The role of educators: "It's time for us to say we know best how to educate our students"10:00 - Having age-appropriate difficult conversations with students to build critical thinkers and problem-solvers with a broader view of the United States: "Education is not about trying to teach people to love or hate our country. It's about truth."11:15 - A school psychology perspective: "If you have racial trauma, how can you think in school?"14:00 - Educational experiences through our own racial lenses and validating the lived experiences of others16:15 - "Black children want Black history. They are begging for Black history. And I find that white students need to learn about this history, too, or again, they're going to be taught in a vacuum."19:15 - The meaning of Juneteenth in 202120:00 - Moving away from fear

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About us:

The Ohio Education Association represents approximately 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. 

This episode was recorded in June, 2021.