Ep. 38: Racial Equity in AP, IB, and Honors Courses Matters

EQ: Why is educational access and access to rigorous, transformative educational experiences important?

Guest: Kim Thomas, Partnership Director for Equal Opportunity Schools and total badass. “Kimberly is deeply committed to educational access, equity and transformation and to the challenging, but critical work of ensuring that marginalized students have access to rigorous, transformative educational experiences.”

This episode takes a deep dive into equity issues in schools with the incisive, brilliant, and hilarious Kim Thomas. Topics include:

• Kim’s experience growing up on the south and, later, eastside of Tacoma and her enrollment in Lincoln High School’s one and only AP course in the mid-90s.

• Gatekeeping among school staff and within school systems that limits access to rigorous coursework for historically undeserved populations.

  • The Race Gap in High School Honors Classes—The Atlantic

  • The Two Faces of AP —NY Times

  • When i Comes to Advanced Coursework, Equity Matters—Nate Bowling

  • When Educators Act Like Gateways—Art Worrell

  • When You’re the Only Black Kid in a Sea of White Faces—Anjanique Barber

• Defining rigor in the context of AP and IB courses (HINT: it’s not just a ton of work of a fast pace)

• Committing to the work of racial equity in high-rigor coursework by both getting students in the door and supporting them in their context to be successful.

Guilty Favesies (accidental food theme):

• Kim: all manner of delightfully junky food

• Annie: Giant American tortillas

• Hope: late night Taco Bell quesadillas with green sauce

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Kim: Scene on Radio “Seeing White” series

• Annie: for educators - examine academic gatekeeping in your building

• Hope: look at your own workplace and practice with the goal of being more equitable