Kim Lee is a physics teacher at Pinole Valley High School in West Contra Costa Unified School District. She has been teaching for the last four years. She is the teacher sponsor of the Anti-Racism Club and helps run the Peer Tutoring Program. She is committed to promoting diversity and equity through STEM education, as […]
social justice
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Inhale Adversity, Exhale Hope: Reflections of a Black Educator
I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until I heard the words. “Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.” I let out a slow and deliberate exhale, one full of relief for George Floyd’s family, his friends, and for the brave soul who captured the video of this public lynching. I continued to exhale for my family, […]
Posted inSocial Justice
Teachers, If You Can’t Tell the Truth, You Might Need a Different Job
What Is “Too Political,” Anyway? There has always been a political line in the classroom, though its definition is becoming increasingly obscure. In 2008, I remember asking my teacher who they voted for, and they demurred, saying it wasn’t their place to say. That’s what I thought teachers were supposed to do. And in some […]
Posted inOpinion
The F Word: Feminism in 2020
The F Word: Feminism in 2020 I’ll never forget the moment I explained feminism to a freshman boy. In my first year of teaching, a precocious student asked me why I used “Ms.” in my name. My partner and I are committed to each other without the institution of marriage and childless by choice. But, […]
Posted inSocial Justice
Dear White Teachers, Black Students Matter
Dear White Teachers, Black Students Matter After George Floyd’s murder, I woke up to a string of messages from one of my Black students, M. She poured her heart out to me at three in the morning, releasing the burdens she carries as a young Black woman in America. She said she was desperate to […]
Posted inSocial Justice
Stop Pushing Your Black and Brown Students Out of School
I have always known my place as a white educator – and that place is one of constant growth, reflection, and education. When I was in my teacher prep program, I knew I wanted to teach in a high needs school. Admittedly, I was scared to pursue it immediately even if I knew it was […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Reflections on my 3rd Black History Month Celebration…
I have been teaching social studies for twenty-five years, eight of which I focused on United States History, but February 11, 2020, was my third celebration of black history. Although I am a veteran educator, I am a novice historian. I am a rookie at social justice, and my students are my mentors. My third […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Charter Schools Won’t Bring Us Racial Equity
Earlier this month was National Charter Schools Week, but I was not celebrating. To explain, let me start by saying what equity is, and what it’s not. A common social justice definition of equity is everyone getting what they need to thrive. Equity is not improving outcomes for some, while others get the same or […]