by Guybe Slangen

"You get to travel, and get PAID for it?!" This is usually the reaction that I get from people after I explain what I have been doing during my summers "off." As the saying goes, "The top three reasons for being a teacher are June, July, and August." and I have taken advantage of that precious time by taking groups of students all over the globe. I teach at a private school in Oakland, CA and for the past seven summers I have taken my students on three-week adventures through China and Thailand. Although draining at times, these trips are an incredible learning experience for all. Many people also wonder how I can keep going back to the same places year after year. To that I always reply, "Because of the students." It sounds cliché, but it is the look on their faces when they try new food, or make friends with locals without speaking the same language, or when they feel the quiet intensity of a Buddhist temple, that has kept me going all these years. These are all things that need to be experienced first hand, and are impossible to replicate in the traditional classroom setting. After organizing these trips for so long, however, it’s hard not to begin seeing them as routine at times, or to lose perspective on what an amazing opportunity this is - one many students and adults alike can only dream of taking. For many in private schools, trips like these are just one of many privileges that come with the territory, and often it is these privileges that can open many doors in the future. At the same time though, these privileges can blind us to the experiences of others much less fortunate. One night a few years ago, I was reminded of this privilege we enjoy as members of the private school world, and it stands out as a defining moment for me, both personally and professionally.

I had just returned from yet another summer adventure traveling with students around Asia, and met with a good friend who at the time worked with a local charter school. I shared some of my "greatest hits" of the trip and showed off some of my photos - our group on the Great Wall, riding elephants through the rain forests, and volunteering at local schools. He was in awe of all the wonderful things we got to see and do. I then asked what he had been up to, and he shared some of the drama he recently experienced at his charter school: overworked and underpaid teachers are leaving on a regular basis; poor test scores which threaten the survival of the school; budget and funding issues; struggling enrollment – the list seemed endless. He mentioned how lucky I was to not have to deal with any of those issues in my private school world. I paused momentarily, but then I merely echoed his sentiment, stating that yes, I am indeed privileged to teach where I teach.

On my way home, I thought long and hard about that conversation, about all the privileges that I have as a teacher in a private school and that he doesn't. Not just taking kids to far off "cover shot" destinations, but also the simple things such as school supplies, or clean restrooms, things that I take for granted, but are luxuries for many in the public school world. As I started going down my list of privileges, I was reminded of yet another list of privileges written in similar context over two decades prior.

In 1986, Peggy McIntosh presented a paper where she introduced the term "white privilege." As a professor of Women's Studies she drew connections to male privilege - unearned benefits males are afforded purely because they are males - and stated that she sees, "…white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that [she] can count on cashing in each day, but about which [she] was 'meant' to remain oblivious." She went on to state that according to her, "White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks" (McIntosh). I couldn't help but draw connections between her observations about white privilege, and ones I enjoy working in private schools.

In her piece, McIntosh goes through her list of 50 ways she experiences rewards on a daily basis both personally and professionally just because of the color of her skin. Seemingly simple rewards related to her job, her family, or even her language and culture all give her the piece of mind that allows her to live what she considers a safe, comfortable life. She is quick to state though that, "Others can make their own lists from within their own life circumstances" (McIntosh). During my drive home from my friend's place that evening I examined my own daily experiences in the world of elite, private schools. The next day I began to jot down my own list of benefits and rewards that many in private schools experience and many in public schools do not.

I am not suggesting however, that the privileges experienced in private schools are entirely unearned - quite the contrary. These institutions work incredibly hard to maintain and support who they are. The very nature of being private means that public funds are not (or are rarely) available, therefore fund raising and tuition are critical for their survival. That said, with tuition in the tens of thousands (ours is at $27,000 for high school), and endowments in the tens of millions, many private schools are often well funded and as a result can offer things that many of their public counterparts (either across town or down the street in our case) can only dream of. In looking at my life in private schools, I echoed the same question McIntosh raised - what is it like to have this privilege?

Before revealing my "list," it may be helpful to examine the enormous gap between many public and private schools. The differences can be stark and glaring. Here is a brief snapshot of what many public schools in America look like today:

• The federal No Child Left Behind policy instituted in 2002 calls for every state to set standards in reading and math, and for every student to be proficient at those subjects by 2014. Students in Grades 3 through 8 are tested yearly, and reports are issued as to whether schools are making "adequate yearly progress'' toward that goal. (In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg is starting a pilot program to begin testing students as early as kindergarten). Schools that fail to make "AYP'' face a mounting scale of sanctions, from being required to provide tutoring to students in poor-performing schools, to the threat of state takeovers or the shutting down of individual schools (Gootman). As a result, schools are under tremendous pressure to excel in these high stakes test, and many have lost funding or even closed their doors for good. In Connecticut alone for example, recent test results showed that 40% of the state’s schools did not meet their required mark (Hussey). The policy has been highly criticized as being under funded and far too stringent, with questionable effectiveness.
• According to the New York Times, "An American kid drops out of high school every 26 seconds. That’s more than a million every year, a sign of big trouble … in an era in which a college education is crucial to maintaining a middle-class quality of life…" (Herbert). For the 2003-04 academic year, Oakland Unified School District’s high school graduation rate was 45.6% (Toppo). The article went on to state that "A recent survey of teenagers by the education advocacy group Common Core found that a quarter could not identify Adolf Hitler, a third did not know that the Bill of Rights guaranteed freedom of speech and religion, and fewer than half knew that the Civil War took place between 1850 and 1900" (Herbert).
• A 2007 study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics found that teachers in urban public schools were at least five times more likely to be threatened with personal injury than their colleagues in private schools -12% vs. 2% - and at least four times more likely to be physically attacked – 5% vs. 1% ("Indicators of School").
• Record state budget deficits around the nation threaten deep cuts to public education. Here in California, Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing $2.5 billion in cuts to education alone in an attempt to address the $11 billion state deficit this year. This will result in the loss of programs such as arts and sports, in addition to potential school closures with many teachers losing their jobs (Jacobson). This is all put into perspective when compared with the amount California projects to spend on its prison system. In 2007 analysts forecasted that "…over the next five years, the state's budget for locking up people will rise by 9 % annually, compared with its spending on higher education, which will rise only by 5 %. By the 2012-2013 fiscal year, $15.4 billion will be spent on incarcerating Californians, as compared with $15.3 billion spent on educating them" (Harris).
• A remarkably high teacher turnover rate in many public schools across the country has greatly impacted students. The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future calculated that currently nearly a third of all new teachers leave the profession after just three years, and that after five years almost half are gone. Teaching is now considered by many to be a "revolving door" occupation. Poor preparation, lack of support, intense pressure to raise student achievement, and an overwhelming classroom experience are all reasons for this mass exodus of teachers (Dillon).

This is only a glimpse of the uphill battle that many public schools have to fight everyday in order to obtain things that are considered to be the norm in many private schools. Talking with my friend that night made me keenly aware of my privileged world. Graduating from high school while enjoying a safe learning environment and reliable teachers – shouldn’t these all be the norm and not the exception?

Taking all this into consideration, here is a partial list of privileges that I receive as a teacher in a private school. Like the McIntosh piece, this is by no means a scholarly analysis of the institution of private schools, but rather personal observations in my daily experiences and particular circumstances. I feel that I personally did not earn many of these privileges, but rather others earned these for me and I benefit from them everyday.

1. I can go to my school and feel confident that it is a safe place to learn and work.
2. I work in buildings and facilities that are in impeccable condition.
3. The school has two fully equipped libraries (lower and upper schools).
4. Our 15-acre urban campus also has a variety sports fields (soccer, baseball, tennis), a gymnasium (basketball, volleyball), and a pool.
5. We have a maintenance team in charge of upkeep of our facilities.
6. We have a very effective development team in charge of raising funds for both long and short-term campaigns to support the school.
7. My classroom has enough seats for all of my students.
8. My classes are small: 12 - 16 students.
9. All students have basic supplies and current textbooks.
10. Almost all students have access to a computer at home.
11. I have the time, freedom, and resources to cater to a variety of different learners and learning styles. We have full time school counselor and learning specialist. We also have free on-campus tutoring for students.
12. I have access to almost any technological resources I want.
13. We have regular assemblies to which we invite performers, speakers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, politicians, authors, etc. Some notable figures that have spoken to our students are John Glenn, Arriana Huffington, and Jared Diamond.
14. We have a community garden that serves not only as a source for organic food served in our café, but also as a working classroom for all grades.
15. Our café serves healthy food using local and organic ingredients whenever possible. The food is fresh, varied, and nutritious.
16. We have top-notch music and art programs.
17. We have co-curricular and extra-curricular programs such as debate, service learning, and global education designed to enhance and enrich the student experience.
18. We have rigorous admissions standards to ensure that we have the most capable, qualified, diverse, and committed students and families.
19. Our faculty consists of highly trained professionals with a wealth of experience in not only their fields, but also in teaching their fields. Many have advanced degrees, some even with PhDs.
20. I am not held to either federal or state testing standards such as NCLB.
21. I am certain that my students are both challenged and supported.
22. I can assign homework and be confident that students will complete the work in safe and encouraging environments.
23. I am confident that parents are actively involved in their child's education, and do what they can to help them succeed.
24. Many of our students come from homes where their parent(s) went to college.
25. Many of our students come from financially well-off families. For those that struggle to afford the tuition and expenses, we make every attempt to provide financial aid.
26. We have a 100% graduation rate. College is the norm, not the exception. I am confident that my students will be successful in college and beyond.
27. I can choose to ignore the issues that public schools encounter everyday (for example mounting budget cuts, high stakes testing, and constant faculty turnover to name a few).

So what, and now what?

In unpacking my invisible knapsack, I have listed "conditions of daily experience that I once took for granted, as neutral, normal, and universally available to everybody…" (McIntosh). This privilege protects me from problems that others face on a daily basis. To some though, my list may seem obvious, or banal. To the critics, I contend that if we want to change the way things are we must first become aware of what we have, and what others do not. Some people have described the process of unpacking privilege to be like "a fish discovering water" (Teach For America). While coming face to face with our unearned advantages can be eye opening and incredibly profound, it is often a difficult and uncomfortable process, one that can make you feel guilty, ashamed, and overwhelmed. I certainly experienced all of this as I went through my list. However, as challenging as it may be, this process is critical for educators, since we are charged with molding the minds of tomorrow’s leaders. Raising one’s awareness, though, is only the first step in the process of change. In concluding her piece, McIntosh asks a deeper question, "What will we do with such knowledge?" (McIntosh). Driving home that night from my friend’s place and pondering my list of privileges, I asked myself this very question. Now that I have recognized all these advantages what should I do with them, if anything?

One choice is simply to do nothing. I often hear my students say, "What can I really do to solve these problems? They have been going on forever!" Overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the crises, many choose to ignore reality and accept inequity. This path of least resistance has been taken by even some of the seemingly most privileged in our society. When asked about the responsibility that comes with fame, the legendary basketball star Charles Barkley stated, "I am not a role model... Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids." Mr. Barkley clearly chose to see things through a very narrow lens, and he is certainly not alone in this regards. It is so easy to just turn the other way, and shift the burden of change on to someone else shoulders. Clearly, doing nothing is just as detrimental as perpetrating the injustice. In his Letter from a Birmingham City Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people" (King).

As a member of the privileged elite, I feel it is critical for educators at private schools (or whatever privileged group you call your own) not only to be aware of their power, but also the responsibility that this power holds. I subscribe to the old adage, "To those whom much is given, much is expected." Or, to put it in a more contemporary context, in the words of the great Peter Parker (a.k.a: Spiderman), "With great power comes great responsibility." The very nature of having privilege means that you have both the ability and choice to do certain things that may be inaccessible to others. You also have the ability - or as I see it the obligation - to change this paradigm. When we are aware of what we have, it is our responsibility to work on the behalf of those that are not as fortunate. This is not something that we should choose to do, but rather it is something we have to do. Acting otherwise will only maintain the status quo and perpetuate the cycle of inequity.

So, what does that change look like in my privileged world of private schools? Back at school that September I began to look for ways to make a difference in my particular sphere of influence. As mentioned previously, change cannot take place without awareness, so I began to work on raising the collective consciousness of my school community, from parents to colleagues, and from teachers to administrators. I went out of my way to have conversations with people about these topics to try and get their perspective, input, feedback, and analysis. Seemingly insignificant steps in the big scheme of things, but as we know change does not happen overnight. Through meaningful dialog and relationship building, a critical mass of both awareness and support can be created, day by day and person by person.

Next, I incorporated this "awareness to action" model into my classroom, making my students more informed about the world around them (and the inequities that exist) both down the street and across the globe. In my history course, we examine the theme of revolution through three different case studies - Russia, China, and India - establishing that when people’s basic human needs are not being met, the ingredients for revolution exist (expanding on Maslow’s "Hierarchy Of Needs" theory). At the end of the course, I ask the students to look at the world and see if those ingredients exist today, and if so, what can or should we do to change things?

In addition, I oversee our school’s Service Learning program. Guided by the vision of creating a "private school with a public purpose," the four-year program allows students to examine social issues in the classroom and to experience their own power to positively impact the world around them. One example of this takes place during their freshmen year. Students examine a variety of social issues in a yearlong service-learning seminar. The essential questions for the course are simple: 1) Why should I care about this issue, and 2) What can I do to help solve/alleviate it? During the first semester they study the issues and gain essential background information that prepares them for the second semester when they volunteer with organizations related/linked to the issues they have examined. In my course I teach students about hunger, homelessness, and poverty, and I take them to prepare and serve meals at our local homeless shelter every month. Other courses focus on international human rights, developmental disabilities, the crisis in public education, and the democratic system here in the U.S. all with corresponding service projects. These are a few ways I have worked both in and out of the classroom to give students the knowledge – and awareness - about themselves and the world around them, while at the same time inspiring them to take positive action.

I am certainly not alone in this campaign. There are others doing the same, if not more, both at my private school and at others across the nation. But I feel this is just a start. There are numerous ways for our school community, and for private schools in general, to become more informed and engaged in making a difference. The potential for change is as great as the need itself. "Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments," the U.S. Supreme Court stated in its landmark 1954, Brown vs. Board of Education decision. "It is the very foundation of good citizenship... In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education" (Harris). Here we are, more than fifty years later, and it is hard not to question how far have we really come.

By coming to grips with our privilege, we can recognize both the power we have and the responsibility that comes with it. In a just society, shouldn’t the privileges possessed by any dominant group in power – private schools, males, heterosexuals, etc. - be shared equitably with all people? What if all graduates from private schools worked to change the existing power structure so that all students can receive the benefits that they have been blessed with? Or, if all educators in private schools worked to inform their students about the injustice that surrounds them and inspire - or even require - their students to make positive contributions for the greater good? Or, what if private schools as institutions worked to bridge the gap between our public school counterparts and us? Taking this vision even further, imagine a society where men worked on behalf of women’s rights, or where heterosexuals worked on behalf of homosexuals, or those of us with a home worked on behalf of those without one. I am reminded of the words of John Dewey who stated, "What the best in society wish for their children, we should strive to achieve for all children." I can think of no better way to bring about this paradigm shift than through education. Dewey echoed this sentiment by providing one simple answer to address these injustices stating, "I believe education is the fundamental method for social progress and reform." Perhaps I am a utopian dreamer, but I look forward to the day when all schools are as fortunate as mine, and the advantages of a few are made accessible to all, and the conversation I have with my friend will be about what far off destination he took his students to over the summer. Until that day comes, I will continue to use my privileges on behalf of those who should have the same.

Works Cited

Dillon, Sam. "With Turnover High, Schools Fight for Teachers." New York Times 27 Aug. 2007. 4 Jan. 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/27/education/27teacher.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Gootman, Elissa. "A Plan to Test the City's Youngest Pupils." New York Times 26 Aug. 2008. 4 Jan. 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/education/27test.html?_r=1

Harris, Maya. "Prison vs. education spending reveals California's priorities." Editorial. San Francisco Chronicle 29 May 2007. 5 Jan. 2009
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/29/EDGGTP3F291.DTL

Herbert, Bob. "Clueless in America." Editorial. New York Times 22 Apr. 2008. NYTimes.com. 3 Jan. 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/opinion/22herbert.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Hussey, Kristen. "More Schools Miss the Mark, Raising Pressure." New York Times 10 Oct. 2008. 4 Jan. 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/nyregion/connecticut/12nochildct.html

"Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007." National Center for Education Statistics. Dec. 2007. U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences.  4 Jan. 2009
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/index.asp

Jacobson, Linda. " State Budget Chills Send Shivers Through K-12 Circles." Education Week 11 Nov. 2008. 4 Jan. 2009

King, Martin Luther Jr.  "Letter From Birmingham City Jail," 1963

McIntosh, Peggy. "White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women's Studies." Race, Class and Gender: An Anthology. Ed. Anderson and Collins. N.p.: Belmont, 1992. 70-81.

Osterman, Karen F., and Robert B. Kottkamp. Reflective Practice for Educators: Improving Schooling through Professional Development. Newbury Park CA: Corwin Press, Inc., 1993.

Teach For America, ed. Diversity, Community, and Achievement. 2005. Electronic.

Toppo, Gregg. "'Crisis' graduation gap found between cities, suburbs." USA Today 1 Aug. 2008. 4 Jan. 2009
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-04-01-cities-suburbs-graduation_N.htm

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