Department of Education Mission Statement

Students in schools need and deserve educators who teach, learn, and lead the way toward equitable schools and a just society. As teacher educators, we see the impact of racist and discriminatory policies, laws, and beliefs. We are responsible for confronting racism, bias, and privilege, including our own. We commit to change in ourselves and will advocate for change in schools. We must engage in on-going, critical conversations and listen to and learn from voices in marginalized communities to fight systemic racism and injustice in all its forms.

Therefore, a Meredith Teacher is prepared to work continuously toward…

• Learning and evaluating histories that have created inequitable policies and practices in schools and society.
• Critically examining their own identities, advantages, and biases. 
• Developing an asset-based mindset to interrogate and change educational practices and systems that blame students, families, and communities. 
• Building connections with students and their communities to center instruction on students’ lived experience.
• Designing and implementing instruction that challenges, connects to content knowledge, and ensures all students learn and thrive academically.
• Listening to, reflecting on, and acting in response to feedback from colleagues, students, and communities.
• Courageously leading and advocating for justice in the school, community, and profession.