Teachers’ perception of parents’ opinions affects how they approach discussions of race, finds a study.
The University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Urban Education surveyed 500 current and preservice teachers about discussing race and racial violence in class. About 80 percent of the respondents were white, mirroring the national teaching population.
Of those surveyed, 85 percent said race and racial discrimination were important topics to cover with students. But only 30 percent said they felt their students’ families would support a decision to take those topics up in class. Sixty percent of teachers said they weren’t sure how parents would react, while 10 percent said they thought parents would be opposed.
