“It's not about whether our kids can learn, it’s about how we engage them as critical thinkers and how teachers engage those students,” explains Thom Jackson, Esq, President and CEO at EdisonLearning. In today’s episode host D-Rich sits down with guests Thom Jackson and LaShanda Jackson, Extension Instructor at Michigan State University to talk about the future of public education and how to reduce the achievement gap between white students and students of color.
There are a lot of factors to consider when looking into why students of color often fall behind their white peers in education. In order to truly understand why kids are struggling and turn the tides for them, one must look at their entire learning and home environments. Is the school a safe learning environment where students feel free to engage with their teachers and classmates? Are they getting the proper nutrition? Oftentimes children of color are growing up in situations that are not conducive to learning. For example, they may have repeated exposure to chemicals like lead in their food and water supplies, they may not have access to early education, or they may be held back a grade at a critical time in their development. When kids are more engaged and able to utilize their critical thinking skills, their academic performance improves exponentially. Unengaged kids who constantly have their heads down or don’t care enough to pay attention are more likely to fail, be held back, and ultimately to drop out of school. All kids learn differently and it is important to determine how each student learns best in order to get them fully engaged in their own education.
Join Thom Jackson Esq., LaShanda Jackson, and host D-Rich on this week’s episode of Southern Soul Live Stream - Podshow to learn more about the difficulties facing public education and what needs to be done to ensure better outcomes for children of color.
This episode of Southern Soul Live Stream - Podshow originally appeared on https://www.southernsoulthursdays.com at https://www.southernsoulthursdays.com/the-future-of-public-education-with-thom-jackson-esq-and-lashanda-jackson/#show-notes
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