Astoria preschool director changes
curriculum amid pivotal racial climate
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.12 COM | JULY 10-JULY 16, 2020
You can, however, listen
to them. Ask them
what they think about,
what they see and hear?
If they ask, ‘What is
racism?’ ask what they
think it means.’”
Chin, who has 20
years of experience as
the education director
of Kid Krazy Preschool,
said she believes a “tide
of change is here and we
all need to ride it.”
“I believe we must
broaden our teaching
not to be afraid to
explicitly talk about
something that is uncomfortable
and raise
our children with ‘color
blinders on,’” said
Chin, who is also the
vice chair of Our World
Neighborhood Charter
School and chair of the
Education Committee
of OWNCS. “Parents
and teachers alike must
make the commitment to
listen to their children,
address the changes, the
injustices and to answer
the tough questions
from our children.”
According to Chin,
she believed that they
promoted diversity and
acceptance by having
children and staff from
diverse backgrounds at
Kid Krazy Preschool.
“We value each
child and love and hug
them all the same. We
told each of them how
wonderful and special
they were,” Chin said.
“Wasn’t that teaching
‘diversity and acceptance’?
In an implicit
way, yes. But is that
enough? A big no!’”
The preschool will
be removing the “blinder”
of racism and bias
which were lifted in
the research by Phyllis
Katz, a professor at the
University of Colorado,
who studied over a sixyear
span of 100 Black
and 100 white children
beginning at 6 months.
Katz’s research
showed many parents
believed they were raising
“color blind” children,
it was evident
from the testing results,
their children not only
noticed color but would
determine that somehow
white was better.
As well as Brigitte
Vittrup, a professor of
Early Childhood Development
and Education
at Texas Woman’s University,
whose study
showed the impact of
explicit language used
by adults and its effect
on the attitude of the
children on racism.
Kid Krazy’s curriculum
has always embraced
diversity, however, its
newly revised curriculum
will engage students
in the explicit language
of race and racism.
Through their curriculum,
students will
be given permission to
say and inquire about
the identity of race, racism,
bias, fairness and
unfairness. They will
direct their own learning
with the guidance
of their teachers. Additionally,
teacher training
and parent workshops
will be part of
Kid Krazy’s investment
in their students.
For Chin, it’s about
teaching children to see
color, and having a discussion
about color and
what it means to be of a
race.
“As an example, during
our ‘all about me’
unit, children learn
how to talk about themselves.
They talk about
their eye color, hair
color. If their hair is
straight or curly. What
their favorite food is.
How many letters are
in their name? What we
never asked them in the
past was, ‘What color
is your skin?’ That explicit
question is powerful
and will lead to
further inquiry by the
children,’” Chin said.
It’s important for
everyone to engage and
be active participants
in changing the future
for children, according
to Chin, by reimagining
and learning how to
break the cycle of systemic
racism.
“We know we are in a
pivotal time in our history.
Racial divide and
injustice have been part
of our society for too
long. I believed I have
been doing my part in
advancing a more just
society,” Chin said. “I
believe I have not done
enough. I believe I can
do better. I will do better.
I will do better for
our school community,
and most importantly
for our children.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by email
at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4526.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
As society wrestles
with renewed questions
of systemic racism,
an Astoria preschool
teacher is making significant
changes to her
school’s curriculum to
address the issue beginning
this coming school
year.
Melissa Chin is the
owner and education
director of Kid Krazy,
one of Astoria’s most
reputable preschools,
located at 25-19 27th St.
in Astoria.
Kid Krazy values
social, emotional, language,
cognitive and
physical development.
The school will be
adopting a newly explicit
approach to the
subject of race rather
than subtly celebrating
“diversity.”
Since the police-involved
death of George
Floyd in Minneapolis
and the national protests
that have followed,
children have been exposed
to the nation’s
sadness and anger, according
to Chin.
“I know as parents,
we want to protect and
shield our children
from the ugliness of
the world, but unfortunately,
we can’t,” Chin
said. “How do you explain
centuries old racism
and injustice to a
5-year-old? You can’t.
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