Personal Narrative: Equity In Access

Equity in Access
My mother was determined that all her children graduate high school so we often moved to various counties in the St. Louis area because she knew a high-quality education was based on zip code. In my junior year I was in the sixth high school that my siblings and I attended. This school was unlike the others. Although it is hard to believe, we were surrounded by middle and upper class families that looked like us. I walked into the corridor of this brand-new school and the brightness made me feel alive. The architecture of this school resembled a shopping mall filled with vast resources for students. My obsession with science and mathematics took hold. I immersed myself in this new community, taking part in various clubs, learning,
I worked at Young Achievers Science and Math Pilot School K-8, which had a reputation as an academic powerhouse that provided quality education. However, a merger with the Lewenberg Middle School, one of the district’s lowest performing schools, put Young Achievers through one of its greatest tests. For years, students at the Lewenberg were underperforming and the school was a testament to educational neglect. The building needed repairs and resources were scarce. As a middle school teacher during this transitional time, I found my students craving for learning. I created project-based curricula with a storytelling approach embracing engineering design principles. Students learned about Wangari Mathaai, the Kenyan environmental activist. They built solar cookers, created Android apps, and restored ecosystems. Additionally, students were exposed to experts and various career opportunities in science. I initiated an 8th grade portfolio process required for graduation, that focused on students’ defense of work as change agents. Two years later, a former student invited me to an expedition exhibit at his high school to share a short story he had written about me. In the story he referred to me as a “Freedom Fighter for Education”! When I asked him why he wrote a story about me, he said, “Ms. Brown, you made me feel I could do anything. You taught us that education is about Freedom. Freedom to create, explore, share ideas, make mistakes,