Tech Education Is Racist—Here’s How to Fix It, Experts Say
(LifeWire | Nov. 4, 2022) It’s often tough getting ahead in the tech industry for members of underrepresented groups in the US.
A new paper finds structural racism in academic STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs. The problems with education often mean obstacles to hiring minorities in STEM fields.
Experts say the results of the report tally with their own experiences …
… Nicole Fonger, a mathematics education professor at Syracuse University who focuses on teaching math in urban public high schools, told Lifewire in an email interview that she frequently sees racism in STEM classrooms. She said students from underrepresented backgrounds are too often “tracked” as the “lower track” in STEM subjects.
“Combating racism in STEM needs to be addressed through antiracist action in STEM,” Fonger added. “This means being able to name, critically interrogate, and change racist policy and practice. There is work to be done at all levels, from the micro level of individual biases and ideologies, to the classroom level of relational interactions among teachers and students, to the institutional level of policies and practices” …