"What we believe about young people matters--it informs how we treat them and what they come to believe about themselves," writes Pushout author Monique Morris. Unfortunately, according to recent studies, adults tend to view black girls as less innocent and childlike than their peers. This biased belief can lead to harsher discipline in…

In order to reach black students academically, we must first know where they "live" socially, culturally, and emotionally, says Horace Hall, a mentor in Chicago Public Schools. In his work with Chicago teens, Hall has learned the importance of understanding the significant challenges these youth face, both within and outside of school,…

The author, a consultant on equity in schools, relates how she helped a high school's leadership team become aware of, and begin to overcome, patterns in their interactions that silenced certain voices and perspectives. Aguilar explores the concept of implicit bias--which was likely behind these leaders' harmful patterns and also contributed to…