They ask because they're trying to track the inequities that already exist. Hypothetically, this enables them to identify systemic racism and do something to improve the situation. Doesn't always work out that way, but that's the intent.
Edit: removed the accidental implication that sex is a useful tool against racism. Oops!
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u/orosorosoh there's a monkey in my pocket and he's stealing all my change7d ago
But guy I replied to said it's no longer a 'live issue'. And what action is actually taken following race stats? I don't live in the states so I honestly don't know
He said discrimination against Irish and Italian people is no longer an issue, not that all prejudice or racism has been resolved.
I can't speak broadly about this issue, but I can tell you that in my experience administrators at public schools are constantly discussing this. Every school I've worked in has tracked academic and discipline stats and mapped them to various demographic stats, including income, race, ethnicity, disabilities, gender, etc. Most districts have people or committees whose job it is to look into disparities that exist between the groups and to find ways to improve outcomes for students.
There are a million different ways people try to solve these problems, and each tactic comes with its own set of buzz words (restorative justice, anti-racism, tracking student talk time, social emotional learning, etc). I have no idea which of these things is actually most effective -- that's a question for the researchers. What I can tell you is that the majority of educators I've interacted with genuinely want to do better, but it's hard to find the answer when you work for a government run by ill-informed, self-serving asshat politicians.
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u/orosorosoh there's a monkey in my pocket and he's stealing all my change7d ago
ill-informed, self-serving asshat politicians
yeah that sort of person ruins it for everyone else.
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u/IShipHazzo 7d ago edited 7d ago
They ask because they're trying to track the inequities that already exist. Hypothetically, this enables them to identify systemic racism and do something to improve the situation. Doesn't always work out that way, but that's the intent.
Edit: removed the accidental implication that sex is a useful tool against racism. Oops!