The Importance Of Seeing Your Culture Reflected In The Classroom

June 29, 2018 – New Mexico is a diverse state and that includes our schools. But do students who identify as Latino, African American, Native American or Asian see themselves and their community reflected in textbooks, lessons and images in their classroom?

New Mexico PBS worked with Generation Justice and KUNM to conduct listening sessions with students from the Youth Employment Summer Institute in 2017. High school students and recent graduates expressed concerns about teachers, curriculum, and testing. They also shared ideas for improving the experience of students, including better incorporating culture in the classroom and creating more opportunities for students to work with mentors.

Producer Sarah Gustavus sits down this week with some local education leaders to talk about current efforts and potential changes that might better reflect culture and community in our schools

Guests:

And Kara Bobroff, founder/principal of the Native American Community Academy, or NACA, and executive director of the NACA Inspired Schools Network 

Christopher Ramirez, co-director of Together for Brothers 

Mandisa Routheni,a fellow with the Institute for Policy Studies

Diane Torres-Velásquez, professor at UNM and head of the Latino Education Task Force