Working Toward Ending Inequity in Education: A School Administrator’s Journey
Errica Dotson-Hooper, Assistant Principal
“No matter how high or how far you go, don’t ever forget where you came from.”
These words were whispered to me by my sixth-grade teacher after being accepted to A Better Chance, an organization that places students of color into prestigious independent schools throughout the country on full academic scholarship. Of the four students who Saint Bernadette Elementary School recommended for this program, I was the only one who was selected.
Mrs. Ima Jean Lawrence’s quiet whisper was stirring — exciting yet intimidating, because I knew that deeply embedded in her words was a great challenge with an even greater responsibility. She saw the potential and the ability to succeed within me that I had yet to uncover. But more importantly, she saw the bigger picture because she knew that my coming achievements would mean more in a larger context than they could ever mean to me alone. It was not enough for me to complete my studies at Windward School, attend college, have a fantastic career, and live a great life. I had to take full advantage of this exceptional educational opportunity and use it to empower others who may never have such a chance, so that we would all grow together as a community and as a society. Later, I would come to fully understand that the key to ensuring that every young person has a chance to succeed is by empowering them with an excellent education.
The Promise of Education
Education is a key that unlocks the door of opportunity and promise. It enhances possibility and provides hope to those whose present condition tells them that their future has already been predetermined. I have seen firsthand how an excellent education can change a family’s story, inspire a community, and impact future generations. I do not believe this should be the testimony of a few — but the norm for every child, regardless of their race, creed, religion, or socioeconomic standing. It is for this reason that I am committed to serving inner city schools as a Campus Administrator.
Growing up in South Los Angeles, I was raised by a single mother who truly valued education. She wanted the best for her children and made every sacrifice to ensure this. She always stressed that with an excellent education comes freedom and choices, which is why she daily reminded me how blessed I was to attend Windward School. In this environment, I had the advantage of small classrooms, excellent resources, and an innovative and dynamic teaching staff, which prepared me to excel at the collegiate level. However, while preparing for college, I realized that my peers who attended the public schools in our community lacked the solid academic foundation needed to be successful in college. Some of them had never met their college counselor, written a personal statement, or taken the SAT. This saddened me because though they were gifted, I knew they were greatly limited because of the poor quality of education they received. This truth began to ignite my passion to change this problem.
Education as Empowerment
After graduating from Howard University, I became a Teach For America (TFA) Corps Member, serving 6th grade EL (English Language) students in Houston, Texas. After the Summer Institute, I began my assignment with great enthusiasm. However, when I arrived on campus and discovered there were no course books assigned to me for my students, I knew that I was facing a difficult task. To be the best at what I was doing, I sought the help of my Program Director, other corps members, and successful teachers who had a track record of proven success. From there, I began to create a strategic plan of action so my students would not suffer due to a lack of resources. The first year, though difficult, was a success, with 85% of my students passing the state exam. The next year, I developed a more fluid plan to track student achievement and plan for their success. I created a file on each of my students which included their grades and test scores from the previous year, the grade level on which they were performing, and the diagnostic test results from the beginning of the school year. I scheduled 10-minute conferences with each student to show them where they were, and to set goals on where they wanted to be by the end of the school year. I pushed each of my students to aim for advancing themselves two grade levels. Some of them where nervous about setting such goals, but I assured them that I would be there to assist them in making their goals become their reality. At the end of each grading period, I updated students on their progress and would also assign enrichment activities to assist them in improving in their problem areas.
By the end of the school year, over 90% of my students had improved at least one grade level and over 50% of them improved two. At the conclusion of this year, I fully understood the value of data-driven instruction and how using this approach revolutionizes teaching.
United in Purpose
In 2005, I became the High School Instructional Leader at CEP, an alternative school. This school offers students who have been expelled from the school district an opportunity to get back on track in their learning and behavior. After successful completion of the program, the school recommends the student be allowed to return to their home school. While there, I was responsible for the girls’ high school. In this capacity, I mentored teachers — motivating them to think outside of the box with their instruction to capture the interest of the students. Many of our students did not believe in themselves and had low expectations. I encouraged teachers to push students forward, by letting them see that we believed in them and wanted to see them succeed. Establishing this culture was quite difficult. However, I continued to push and model this thinking in my training and with my interaction with students. This experience helped me to realize how important it is to develop a team ideology. It is not about pitting teachers against the administration or vice versa, but a group of educators working together to ensure the best outcomes for the students we serve.
Following that experience, I served as a 7th grade Writing teacher at KIPP in New Orleans. To work in an environment where everyone is united in their philosophy of making the educational success of each student the paramount concern — by any means — was incredibly rewarding. I witnessed what happens when teachers work hard, stay late, think outside of the box, and relentlessly seek ways to improve their instructional practices to become excellent educators. These actions resulted in the success of its students as well as KIPP being named the number one open enrollment charter school in the city. I also learned that when a team of committed individuals work hard together with a single focus in mind, there is no limit to what can be done.
Finding Hope Despite Persistent Inequities
My aforementioned experiences as an educator highlight just a fraction of the work that I’ve been privileged to take part in. The past 17 years have been both exciting and frustrating; challenging yet rewarding. I have seen growth and change amid stagnation and pain. I have seen students overcome insurmountable odds, wade through oceans of injustice, and ride waves of racism, sexism, and poverty — to become the first in their family to earn a college degree. I’ve witnessed students arrive in the US as refugees, speaking little to no English, now sitting at tables with heads of state, advocating for fairness and equality for all. I have also seen multiple students gunned down senselessly, as simply a tragic casualty of the seemingly never-ending war for territory and prominence; the victims of unanswered cries for equality, justice and most importantly, freedom.
Despite all this, I am overwhelmed with hope. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so eloquently put it, “we are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.” In a speech urging fellow clergyman to speak out against the war in Vietnam, King states “…In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there ‘is’ such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” His words ring true in my heart today as I reflect upon the work still set before us: to bring down oppressive systems in education. And knowing that there are many serving alongside me in the trenches, to improve outcomes for students, brings me some relief — as we work together tirelessly to bring an end to this war on oppression, poverty, and inequity in education.
This journey has not been an easy one. Yet I am even more optimistic today than I have ever been about the possibilities that lie before us to effectively enlighten, encourage, and equip the students that are in classrooms right now to reach beyond their circumstance, and press forward towards the prize and promise of a better tomorrow.
Because I feel so passionately about each student having the opportunity to achieve greatness, I am committed to working at the ground level to ensure that every child receives an excellent education. It will not be easy, as no great movement ever is. But it will be meaningful and influential, both today and for many generations to come — as each educated child changes his family, his neighborhood and his community — one lesson at a time.
Errica Dotson-Hooper is a native of Los Angeles, CA. She is a graduate of Howard University (BA), Stephen F. Austin State University (MEd) and Dallas Theological Seminary (CGS-Christian Education). The Teach for America alum (Houston ’02) has worked in education for over 16 years in a variety of capacities serving staff and students in HISD, CEP, KIPP New Orleans and KIPP Houston. Currently, she is the Assistant Principal at MC Williams Middle School in the Acres Homes community. She is also church and organizational leadership strategist with her own company, Empowered to Inspire for Him. She is a loving wife and a mother to a 4 year old daughter, Krista Monet.
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