Not Only in the Deep South

By Nancy Hines DEd

NOT Only in the Deep South is Dr. Hines' attempt to validate the damaging practices she unknowingly engaged in early in her career and adamantly fought against later in her career while working in several different public school settings that are located above the Mason-Dixon line. Her heartfelt account is designed to serve as both a memoir and a primer that will present a clear call to action for those educators and school stakeholders who are committed to equitable student outcomes to satisfy not only their moral obligations but also to help extinguish generational poverty and blight that continues to plague many communities that lack not only privilege but also advocacy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Apr 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9781665756280

Nancy Hines DEd

Dr. Hines accumulated extensive experience working in diverse public school settings and first began her career teaching science to non-college bound students who needed credit to meet high school graduation requirements. She quickly learned that many of these students were highly capable but had minimal foundational knowledge. They also lacked confidence as learners, and traditional grading practices suggested these students had limited potential and promise. As her professional responsibilities increased when she entered public school adminstration, Dr. Hines recognized a phenomenon that included a generational disconnect between the school system and her former students who had now become the parents and guardians of the next generation of marginalized students whose interests were not a priority within the larger school system. Dr. Hines’ lens specific to equity was further extended after her youngest child entered the same system in which she had worked for many years. As she examined this child’s experiences from middle school and beyond in the same educational system and compared them to the experiences of her three older daughters, she concluded that this child’s experiences were distinctly different. Although she felt wiser and more capable as an older and better educated parent, this younger child struggled repeatedly. It became quite apparent to Dr. Hines that the determining factor in the differing school experiences was likely due to race. Unlike her older sisters, Dr. Hines’ youngest daughter identifies as a Black female. This realization inspired Dr. Hines to reflect and revisit the many decisions she had made as an educator and to recognize the many flawed decisions she had made in her career, along with the now-glaring examples of systemic racism she had been oblivious to in the past.

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Copyright © 2024 Nancy Hines DEd.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Archway Publishing

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-5627-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-5629-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-5628-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024902326

Archway Publishing rev. date: 04/04/2024

I would like to acknowledge the support and encouragement

I have received from my friend, colleague, and legal advisor

Will B in the development of this literary project.

I would also like to thank my beautiful and amazing daughters

Allison, Amy, Anna, and Drew for the role each has played in

my ongoing character formation and moral development.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Part One

Interest: Moral, Personal, or Business?

It’s Time

Same or Different?

Venturing Outside the Comfort Zone

Overlooked or Hidden?

More Decisive Action

Silence Isn’t Golden

Glory Days

Sense of Duty

Identifying the Source

Privilege Reframed

Part Two

Missionary Style

Opening the Door Is Not Enough

Controlling the Narrative

The Dangers of a Face

Looking Inward

Undeniable Hypocrisy

More Lessons Learned on the Battlefield

Part Three

Final Reflections

INTRODUCTION

Good teaching relies on an effective hook that draws in the audience and prompts interest in learning more. Storytelling, another strategy, helps engage the learner and makes the topic come alive. And, certainly, hearing from someone in the trenches who is willing to share intimate details about what really happens behind the scenes also prompts curiosity.

Although I have been in the trenches for more than twenty years, I choose to begin my story with more recent experiences. I have always felt a close connection with my students and their families; however, more recent events, and maybe even having more authority now too, have prompted deeper reflection. This reflection has been powerful and even painful. It has generated personal guilt for not having had the courage to do more when evidence of inequity and racism were staring me in the face as I served in the position of teacher up through and including superintendent in urban school settings.

Despite our attempts as school officials to plug an alternate reality, I contend our alleged reality presents a false narrative and is really an illusion that is relied upon because it makes us feel good. We think our traditional, rose-colored-glasses approach even absolves us from full accountability for looking the other way or rationalizing current school conditions as just being how it is. That makes sense, right? Isn’t it true that much hasn’t really changed in our schools? Certainly, families in urban school settings can validate that too, right?

For those who choose to look more deeply at the authentic student and family experience, this disparity in reality becomes quite obvious. While certainly uncomfortable, I have reached an eventual conclusion that our school systems help perpetuate racism within our larger society. Yet we rarely blame the actual school system for what happens to our kids once they leave us. Are we really that naïve to believe that things are perfectly fine until our kids reach the age of eighteen, and it is the outside world that crushes their spirit and forces them into a life of poverty and underachievement?

Similar to the age-old discussion of which came first, the chicken or the egg, systemic racism has no true start or end point. Systemic racism has been in place for hundreds of years. No single act from me, you, and/or our allies will eradicate this evil from our schools, but we must hold on to our targeted mission of improving the student experience for as many children as we can while they are under our care.

Systemic racism is a vicious cycle that obviously was created by some person or persons of privilege initially; however, racism lives on through the action or inaction of present-day people, and it is alive and well in our schools and within our communities. While it is impossible to identify who these original creators of racism were, and I am not sure any of that matters now, I offer a belief that we all have helped in some way to preserve this system of privilege and its inequitable practices.

The larger issue is that inequitable and even abusive practices persist, and when someone dares to challenge them, the reaction from those defending these practices generally takes on a theme of moral code and/or business operations when the reality is that preservation of these systemic evils is more closely aligned with personal interest. I will provide numerous examples of how racism manifests in our schools based on my firsthand account, and only a few of these examples will reference the N-word, which continues to be the single measure of racism for many who are oblivious to systemic racism and its long-term effects. These memories serve as both a measure and motivator for me as I continue to look honestly at my own oblivion, my own missteps, and my own need for continued growth in the professional and personal roles I play. Some memories are especially tough for me. You’ll soon understand why.

While I focus mostly on race, you will recognize purposeful references to marginalized groups that do not directly involve race. It’s important that the reader, while honing eyes and ears regarding systemic racism, does not forget about the plight of these other human beings who are being denied their fair share due to sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, or some other distinguishing characteristic that is not readily accepted by the system’s majority or prevailing clique.

I also purposely include only certain details that I feel are relevant and/or most powerful, and I purposely exclude personally identifiable information that might compromise me—or others—legally. I have taken some liberties, however, to directly identify certain mentors (in some cases, by first name only) who have supported my learning and helped bolster my effectiveness as both a parent and a professional educator—but only those mentors who I feel will not be compromised. My references to these amazing people are to pay homage and seek forgiveness for those times when I didn’t immediately understand or appreciate the value of their wisdom. Please trust that the unnamed mentors are equally valued and important. Similarly, they deserve homage and apologies too. I just can’t risk introducing harm by calling them out directly.

Generally, reform efforts begin with individuals who serve in the role of moral compass. At this point, you have no confusion about what is right and what is wrong. You are not spellbound by peer pressure either—even if you haven’t made any bold moves yet. You may still be defining your principles, but most in your system already know you don’t generally buy in to nonsense. You aren’t likely to engage in off-color jokes or gossip, and you are not likely viewed as fun either. Still, you are probably not yet on the radar of those who will likely oppose your views and possibly sabotage your future actions in public and/or in private.

Accordingly, if you are white like me, I’ll bet you have seen and/or heard some pretty graphic things before you were considered a potential threat. If you are not white like me, I am guessing you might have sensed some of these behind-the-scenes activities but probably never had your suspicions confirmed. I hope these accounts are helpful to those who are skeptical about systemic racism and/or to those who don’t know where to begin in helping to right the many wrongs that exist in their local setting.

My hope is that once you reach consensus among the voices in your head and/or the voices within your organization, there will exist a reason to do more. At some point, there is the hope that you will move from moral compass toward more decisive action based on recognized interest (moral, personal, or business), but that will likely take time to develop. As long as there’s movement, even if it’s only mental and within yourself and/or a small number of like-minded colleagues, I encourage you not to concern yourself with individual reasons and motivations for this initial movement. Rather than dissecting, I think you should capitalize on this opportunity and focus exclusively on who will benefit from this movement: our kids. For these innocents, a win is a win because you are moving toward decisive action, which is the next step in trying to move this mountain.

Depending on your own spirituality, you can pray for a conversion of heart later for whomever needs it within your flawed system. If you’re someone who prays, you should also probably pray for endless energy and the ability to focus in those times when you will likely lose heart and question your own capacity to make any difference at all. Within my authentic accounts, I have tried to embed hints of practical strategies to assist you as you travel back and forth between reflection and decisive action. Accordingly, I hope this memoir is also viewed as a primer.

If you are able to maneuver some form of intentional movement, your reputation may morph to that of thorn, which offers you less cover and protection. Your treatment from both coworkers and supervisors will change too. To assist you in this stage, I offer considerations to help you maneuver and make those tough decisions no one else but you can make in those moments. Once enlightened, you will want to do more. We are pretty sure we see inequity, but we likely have no absolute proof. That doubt remains an enemy. We aren’t necessarily sure how to handle our new visual acuity, especially when allies seem to be in very low numbers, and our critics start mumbling, first under their breaths and then on social media, about how we’re fixated on a problem that doesn’t even exist. Is it illogical that inequities within our system could be the root cause of low student performance, aggression among stakeholders, low student and staff morale, poor student and staff attendance, and all those other issues that plague our organizations? These bulleted lists can also be used as a sort of accountability tool, whereby we can ask ourselves regularly, Am I doing the right thing in this moment—–or am I trying to justify a behavior that might be perpetuating inequity and hurting the kids who I have promised to protect and serve?

I must warn you in advance that you will likely notice shifting tones throughout this collection of experiences and reflections. I considered adjusting and manipulating language throughout for the sake of alignment; instead, I chose to show my true feelings in various moments. Remember, these stories took months to revisit and reframe for an audience of readers. In those months, I had my own professional and personal ups and downs as I lived out these topics. The tones reflect my true attitudes and frustrations along the way.

Some tones and word selections were purposely left harsh to avoid losing sight of the high stakes. You may also recognize that I advocate for education as a remedy when transgressions are committed by children, but not so much when adults are the main actors, and even less frequently when the adults continue to commit the same transgressions. Throughout my career, I have lost patience for school staff and decision-makers who I feel should know better by virtue of their age, education, professional credentials, etc. When I consider the resulting damage to our kids and communities, I can easily become heartless. In these moments, I have to reign myself in and recommit to refusing to be a hypocrite and refusing to live contrary to what I teach about the transformational power of education. We have to teach our colleagues to do better!

Before I typed a single word, I seriously reflected and asked myself, Why am I sharing my experiences and my ongoing reflections? What is the real purpose of this message I am formulating?

To educate (always acceptable)? To validate (always acceptable when an innocent’s account is being ignored or distorted)? To seek revenge (never acceptable—even when more than deserved)? To exploit (only acceptable when closely controlled and for the purposes of protecting an innocent and/or for promoting a worthy cause, such as bringing to light a serious transgression that might have otherwise been swept under the rug)? To vent (always acceptable when the confidant is far removed, not a subordinate, and has no vested interest beyond moral support)? As I continued to write, I frequently revisited this same list of whys as a sort of lemon test to keep my intentions mostly pure. In the end, the reader will have to determine what level of purity I was able to maintain.

At this point, I need to offer a clear and distinct disclaimer. To date, I have never created or launched a flawless plan that has been implemented with complete fidelity under my leadership. However, in many instances, I have taken decisive action against racism and associated inequities, and these actions have afforded me valuable lessons, including explanations of why some attempts at reform likely failed, along with evidence to suggest why some attempts have yielded at least moderate success, although, admittedly, accurate measurement of that success remains problematic.

Still, I remain invested because I firmly believe many kids who represent marginalized populations will only have a fighting chance in society as adults when we level the playing field in our classrooms and provide equitable funding for schools that is not related to zip code. Increasing equity within the classroom and within the school funding formula will allow these kids, our kids, to compete for gainful employment that has been controlled traditionally by decision-makers who do not look like them and who may not immediately recognize the value our kids bring. Accordingly, our work is noble work and necessary work; however, it is never done, even we are forced to move on, or when we choose to move on.

Finally, I ask for some level of commitment from fellow practitioners who take the time to read this work. Once I started writing, I would ask one of my daughters to review certain sections in the early stages, not because I wanted her approval, but because I wanted to verify the accuracy of how I portrayed certain situations with which she had firsthand knowledge. She became very excited early on and started asking, When are you going to be finished, Mom? My sense was that she holds hope my words will have some level of positive impact. Given the state of current affairs, I also feel a great sense of urgency and feel we can’t waste another minute of precious time. Still, I must face a grim reality that many readers won’t be surprised by anything I’ve described as life behind the scenes in our schools. Even if you’re in this category, please decisively choose—or even dare—to do one thing different in your daily practices as a professional educator to improve the learning conditions of children who are being undervalued and underserved in your school system.

PART

ONE

INTEREST: MORAL,

PERSONAL, OR BUSINESS?

I N FEBRUARY 2020, shortly before the COVID -1 9 pandemic hit, I took my teenage daughter and one of her classmates to an informal meeting being hosted by the Pittsburgh chapter of Black Women for Positive Change. Taking Drew with me had become the norm. By this time, I had become fully immersed in their conversations and activities. This exposure and access to meaningful conversation became valuable in my quest to counter the lack of trust that results and carries over into schools when authority figures overstep boundaries and abuse power, especially when authority figures (police officers, teachers, and school administrators) share a common denominator of being in a group that is mostly w hite.

It had been about five years since Diane Powell, the Pittsburgh chapter president, had reached out to me as a school superintendent working in an urban/suburban setting that included an enrollment of about 3,200 students—with about two-thirds of these students being black or brown. At the time, Diane was approaching various school districts in our area and not just mine. Her goal was to increase participation in their annual Week of Nonviolence, which Black Women for Positive Change sponsors across the United States every October.

Diane explained how the organization was formed at the national level following the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. Local chapters sprung up shortly thereafter. Diane made it clear the group’s mission is to work collaboratively to eradicate violence in our communities, and the group is not about blaming any particular individual or group for the current state of affairs. They are also involved in advocacy at all levels of government, which includes a clearly defined systems approach to changing present circumstances for so many in various marginalized groups. To me, that meant the group was safe and wouldn’t likely recommend action that might be viewed as radical by those who do not appreciate my commitment to protecting and serving all kids. Still, I had to be mindful that the group’s name might alarm some in my school system. I decided I didn’t care about any of that.

Encouraging our K–12 students to sign pledges and write poems about peaceful coexistence seemed a lot less risky than when I took my biology students many years earlier to our local coroner’s office. During this very meaningful field trip, we learned about human anatomy and physiology, and we also engaged in serious discussion about the number of young black males in our area who are dying early deaths due to violence. At the time, the numbers were staggering, and equally disturbing were the statistical odds that many in my class might not live past thirty years of age. I had to seize this teachable moment. Maybe it would make a difference. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that many of the students from those days are no longer with us.

I must admit that the reference to Trayvon Martin served as another hook for me. That reference hit a nerve and took me back to when one of my older girls started crying after hearing about the circumstances surrounding his tragic death in 2012. While this same daughter has always been my most sensitive child, I did not expect such a strong reaction from her at the age of twenty-one, which was something like, Mom, that could happen to Drew someday. What if she’s in a gated community on a summer night with your Volvo, her hair is braided, and she is fumbling to unlock the car doors? No one will ever consider that her mom has a doctorate, and the car belongs to you. Instead, they’ll think she’s trying to steal it!

To be honest, I thought Anna was being overly dramatic at the time because I didn’t really think that scenario was likely. Following the death of Antwon Rose in 2018 in a location that was only minutes away from our home, I now think differently, especially since the police officer who shot him lived even closer to us at the time. For clarification purposes, it’s important to note that the youngest of my four daughters, Drew, unlike her sisters, is a biracial child. I sort of have two sets of children. The first set is the result of an eight-year marriage that produced three daughters. Drew came much later and was the product of a subsequent marriage that lasted fourteen years. In most crowds, Drew may be viewed as white—unless she has been in the sun and opts to wear her hair out. Unfortunately, the marriage to Drew’s father did not end amicably, and I am now navigating motherhood as an older mother and a true single parent. Our family situation is further complicated by the fact that Drew’s teenage experiences are playing out to be very different from my own and those of my older daughters.

I remember feeling surprised after learning later that my district was the only one that responded to Diane’s initial invitation to become more involved with Black Women for Positive Change. I had just assumed other districts would have the same concerns about youth violence and untimely deaths, but my sense is that the group’s name was just too much to risk and likely created a fear that the group might include a bunch of radicals who would make demands and upset the local balance.

From this initial contact, both my affiliation with Diane and my district’s collaboration with this group grew beyond the annual Week of Nonviolence. Diane eventually invited me to become an official member of Black Women for Positive Change, which completely shocked me, I must say. I remember asking Diane if she was sure it was okay for me to join, given that I am white. She assured me it was okay, and she even provided me opportunities to have direct contact with the national chair, Dr. Stephanie Myers. These engagements with Dr. Myers were restricted to phone calls because she was in Washington, DC, and I was in Pittsburgh, but they were very meaningful nonetheless.

During one of these calls, I made it a point to verify that Dr. Myers knew I was white. I remember her laughing in a very kind way and telling me she didn’t care about any of that. She followed up by telling me about the mixing of races within her own family. She did her best to assure me she had no concerns whatsoever about me being white. I still wasn’t convinced though. At the time, I viewed myself as a liability to the group. If I had to guess, that sense of liability likely stems from a bitter custody battle that centered at times around my whiteness and alleged inability to raise a child who identifies as black.

At one point, Dr. Myers donated a copy of a book that she had recently authored on Queen Charlotte (Invisible Queen: Sophia Charlotte, Queen of Britain and Ireland), the first known British royal of