Teachers present at Friday’s celebration agreed that Juneteenth is a great day for Kentucky schools to recommit themselves to lifting up voices that have often been unheard.
Kentucky Education Association utilizes Juneteenth Holiday to reflect on representation in the classroom
COVINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW via LEX NEWS) — Kentucky Education Association (KEA) teachers came to Covington for the inaugural Juneteenth Celebration on Friday as an opportunity to reflect on the holiday and how representation matters in the classroom.
Speakers at Friday’s event said Juneteenth reinforces the importance of teaching honest history in Kentucky classrooms.
“There’s a lot of history we choose to forget or not teach about, because it’s hard, and the conversations are difficult, and we’re afraid to have those conversations with kids. So, I think we need to be always fact-based and talk to our kids about what really happened in our history,” said KEA Vice President Jessica Hiler.
Covington Independence School Board Member Kareem Simpson on Friday also reinforced the importance of fostering inclusion and making sure every student is seen, valued, and supported.
Simpson said that’s why it’s important for Kentucky schools to have a diverse staff. He added it’s important for kids to see people who look like them in their schools and to read about people of all different backgrounds.
“Seeing yourself in the subject matter in the curriculum that you get every single day, sometimes that gives more motivation for individuals to learn and… it helps students be seen and makes them feel a little more whole,” said Simpson. “And any time that we can help a student feel more comfortable in the classroom, I’m all for it.”
