Donald Trump’s repeated threats to dismantle the Department of Education are sparking concern among educators—particularly in states like Mississippi, where longstanding issues of unequal funding and racial disparities persist. Some Black teachers in the state recently told the Pulitzer Center they’re feeling added pressure as a result.
Erica Jones, the executive director of the Mississippi Association of Teachers, described the myriad pressures and the weight of being a Black teacher in that state.
“I had the best classroom data and great relationships with my students,” said Jones, who is Black. “Yet a Black parent still asked for their child to be moved to a white teacher’s classroom. It made me question—was it just my skin color?”
Jones continued, “Black teachers understand their job doesn’t stop when the bell rings. We carry the weight of uplifting Black children in a system built to push them down.”
Several studies support Jones’ remarks. Research has examined how the school-to-prison pipeline disproportionately affects Black students, contributing to higher rates of disciplinary action and contact with the criminal justice system. Additionally, a study published in the Economics of Education Review found that Black teachers tend to have higher expectations for Black students compared to white teachers, highlighting potential disparities in how student potential is perceived across racial lines.
Other teachers, like a 35-year-old Mississippi Delta educator, who remained anonymous because of concerns over potential retaliation, described a school administrator she worked under who handicapped the abilities of their faculty because of intense micromanagement.
“She controlled everything—schedules, lesson plans, even how long kids could go to the restroom,” she said. “There was no room to teach. Just surveillance and stress.”
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