Taking Off the Color-Blind Glasses

Abstract

This article reports findings of a collaborative research project examining and seeking to improve the schooling experiences of a small but growing population of Latina/o students in a small-town secondary school over a 4-year period. The school was studied through ethnographic methods and surveys in 2005 and 2008. Initial findings were shared with the principal who proceeded to make substantial changes in school curriculum and climate, targeting an improved academic climate for Latinas/os. The story of the choices he made, the changes he and his staff implemented, and the consequent results regarding school climate for Latina/o students is the central narrative of this article. The theoretical framework of critical race theory and critical studies in Whiteness contextualizes this examination of change and enables analysis of why some changes were made rather than others as well as subsequent results for Latina/o students.