Op-Ed: Inclusive Classrooms in Orange County Schools Benefit All Kids
Inclusive classrooms benefit students’ mental and physical well-being, their academic success, and their inter-personal relationships beyond their K-12 years.
Carrie Doyle serves on the Orange County school board and is not currently running for reelection. This piece reflects her personal opinion and not the opinion of the OCS Board of Education.
Inclusive classrooms are vital in protecting kids struggling with a myriad of challenges to their mental and physical well-being.
Well before the pandemic, mental health challenges in children were rising. In December 2021, the Surgeon General stated, “an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide – and rates have increased over the past decade.” However, youth mental health challenges are never felt equally. Black and Brown students, LGBTQ students, and female students experience poor mental health disproportionally to their White, straight, and male peers. A recent CDC survey concluded “students who reported racism were also more likely to experience poor mental health and less likely to feel connected to people at school.” Students identifying as BOTH students of color and LGBTQ experience compounding challenges. Black LGBTQ youth experience more bullying at school. Bullying damages a sense of safety in school—discouraging these students from even coming to school. LGBTQ youth experience increased homelessness because of rejection by their families. Fortunately, welcoming and inclusive classrooms provide protective factors against these threats to well-being.
For students of color, having classroom teachers who look like them greatly impacts whether they will graduate and go on to college, yet the teaching profession is predominantly White. Black teachers serve as positive role models for students of color and tend to hold higher expectations of Black students. Diverse staff also benefit White students who otherwise may have limited relationships with people of color or LGBTQ people in communities outside of school; White children learn from the perspective and life experiences of their Black, Brown or LGBTQ teachers. Recruiting and maintaining diverse staff indicate to our ever more diverse community that our schools are healthy and expansive places, fostering mental and emotional well-being. However, we cannot keep diverse staff if they don’t feel welcomed and supported in our school communities.
Learning to value peers with different identities prepares OCS students for the world beyond K-12 education.
Students in Orange County Schools often participate in programs at other institutions—institutions unequivocally committed to addressing racism and bigotry. For example, “dually enrolled” OCS high school students attend Durham Tech and Alamance Community College for some classes, earning college credit and high school diplomas simultaneously. Both institutions prioritize equity and inclusion on their campuses. The ACC DEI office works with campus “stakeholders to create and maintain an environment where diversity and inclusion is the norm.” Durham Tech’s Equity and Inclusion Action Plan incorporates: Racial Equity Institute training for campus leaders; a SafeZone committee supporting the LGBTQ community; a Men of Color Scholars Institute addressing systemic gaps; and institutional accountability through an Equity Scorecard. Students graduating OCS and continuing to state schools will find similar value commitments. Wolfpack students will learn “NC State values diversity, inclusion and justice…a stronger and more inclusive institutional culture is enshrined in our strategic plan.”
Inclusive and welcoming classrooms demonstrate care for our most vulnerable students. Safe spaces where racism is not tolerated, where LGBTQ youth can be themselves, indicate a community committed to health and well-being for all. Supportive, welcoming schools attract and maintain diverse staff, vital for all children to develop healthy and accurate perspective on themselves and others. Our forward-looking, equity-centered approaches in OCS are just now bringing us into alignment with our educational and community partners. Please support the OCS commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. If our students are prepared for the world outside Orange County, we can be confident they will find opportunity and success.
Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.
Op-Ed: Inclusive Classrooms in Orange County Schools Benefit All Kids
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Carrie Doyle serves on the Orange County school board and is not currently running for reelection. This piece reflects her personal opinion and not the opinion of the OCS Board of Education.
Inclusive classrooms are vital in protecting kids struggling with a myriad of challenges to their mental and physical well-being.
Well before the pandemic, mental health challenges in children were rising. In December 2021, the Surgeon General stated, “an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide – and rates have increased over the past decade.” However, youth mental health challenges are never felt equally. Black and Brown students, LGBTQ students, and female students experience poor mental health disproportionally to their White, straight, and male peers. A recent CDC survey concluded “students who reported racism were also more likely to experience poor mental health and less likely to feel connected to people at school.” Students identifying as BOTH students of color and LGBTQ experience compounding challenges. Black LGBTQ youth experience more bullying at school. Bullying damages a sense of safety in school—discouraging these students from even coming to school. LGBTQ youth experience increased homelessness because of rejection by their families. Fortunately, welcoming and inclusive classrooms provide protective factors against these threats to well-being.
Inclusive classrooms positively affect student academic success.
For students of color, having classroom teachers who look like them greatly impacts whether they will graduate and go on to college, yet the teaching profession is predominantly White. Black teachers serve as positive role models for students of color and tend to hold higher expectations of Black students. Diverse staff also benefit White students who otherwise may have limited relationships with people of color or LGBTQ people in communities outside of school; White children learn from the perspective and life experiences of their Black, Brown or LGBTQ teachers. Recruiting and maintaining diverse staff indicate to our ever more diverse community that our schools are healthy and expansive places, fostering mental and emotional well-being. However, we cannot keep diverse staff if they don’t feel welcomed and supported in our school communities.
Learning to value peers with different identities prepares OCS students for the world beyond K-12 education.
Students in Orange County Schools often participate in programs at other institutions—institutions unequivocally committed to addressing racism and bigotry. For example, “dually enrolled” OCS high school students attend Durham Tech and Alamance Community College for some classes, earning college credit and high school diplomas simultaneously. Both institutions prioritize equity and inclusion on their campuses. The ACC DEI office works with campus “stakeholders to create and maintain an environment where diversity and inclusion is the norm.” Durham Tech’s Equity and Inclusion Action Plan incorporates: Racial Equity Institute training for campus leaders; a SafeZone committee supporting the LGBTQ community; a Men of Color Scholars Institute addressing systemic gaps; and institutional accountability through an Equity Scorecard. Students graduating OCS and continuing to state schools will find similar value commitments. Wolfpack students will learn “NC State values diversity, inclusion and justice…a stronger and more inclusive institutional culture is enshrined in our strategic plan.”
Inclusive and welcoming classrooms demonstrate care for our most vulnerable students. Safe spaces where racism is not tolerated, where LGBTQ youth can be themselves, indicate a community committed to health and well-being for all. Supportive, welcoming schools attract and maintain diverse staff, vital for all children to develop healthy and accurate perspective on themselves and others. Our forward-looking, equity-centered approaches in OCS are just now bringing us into alignment with our educational and community partners. Please support the OCS commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. If our students are prepared for the world outside Orange County, we can be confident they will find opportunity and success.
Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.
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