Here’s Why DPS Thinks ‘Separate but Equal’ Works
Denver Public Schools' latest move to improve academic success for Black students has raised concerns about the district's motivations and potential consequences.
On Tuesday, DPS announced the creation of a Black Student Success team, led by Michael Atkins, a former DPS student who remembers the struggles he faced as a Black student in a predominantly white school district.
“When I truly began to understand that I was treated differently than the neighborhood kids, I grew to hate school,” Atkins said in an interview.
Atkins, who is currently principal of Stedman Elementary School in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood, admits that he grew to hate school due to the differential treatment he received from teachers and peers. Now, he says that he’s determined to bring about change and ensure that Black students are not left behind.
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However, some have expressed skepticism about the district's true intentions, questioning whether this initiative is just a Band-Aid solution to the larger issues facing minority students inside DPS. Others have raised concerns about the potential segregation and unequal treatment of black students under this new team.
At the heart of the problem is Denver Public Schools alarmingly low graduation rate for black students, with a 13-point gap between white students. The district has also seen a 46-percentage-point gap in literacy test scores between black and white students.
The graduation rate for Black students in the DPS class of 2022 was 73%, compared with 86% for white students, a 13-point gap, state data shows.
In addition to the existing proposal to develop a distinct curriculum for black students, the district's decision to establish a student success team for Latino and Hispanic students has sparked confusion as to why these groups were not mentioned in the initial plan.
Overall, while the intentions behind the Black Student Success team may be noble, the district must be transparent about their motivations and ensure that all students, regardless of race, are given equal opportunities to succeed. Otherwise, this initiative may do more harm than good in the long run.
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