Ramie Johnson appears on the cover of the Spring 2021 Carnegie Reporter, a special issue dedicated to the future of learning and democracy. Learn more about her story and stories like hers that underscore the importance of family engagement and provide hope for a more united path forward
“Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
– James Baldwin (1924–1987), 1962
T he above quote by James Baldwin partially appears on the wall of words that Rameisha “Ramie” Johnson created as a virtual learning space for her daughter when remote learning became the norm during the past year. Amid the lockdowns and school closures of the pandemic, when the public education system has been blown into 25 million homes across the country, “all of us with kids who are learning virtually have been given a unique opportunity to get a daily glimpse into classroom life,” says Johnson.
Johnson is among the participants of an upended education system who were photographed as part of a specially commissioned portfolio of Zoom portraits taken in their homes in January 2021. She works at EdNavigator, a grantee of the Corporation of New York that partners with leading businesses and community organizations in New Orleans. As a "navigator," Johnson works with parents to support and advocate for their children in school in order to meet student’s needs. EdNavigator recruits parents through their employers, meeting parents “on site” at work or wherever else is convenient for them, helping families guide their children on the path from preschool to college and career.
Johnson is among the many families, teachers, schools, and students who have become problem solvers, realists, and nothing if not optimistic during a year of immense upheaval. They believe — and they put their beliefs into practice day in, day out — that when families are empowered as true partners in their children’s education, students thrive, schools are stronger, and the whole community benefits. Johnson's story and stories like hers provide hope for a more united path forward.
"I always said I was a helicopter parent who became a drone — and this pandemic almost turned me back into a helicopter parent. All of us with kids who are learning virtually have been given a unique opportunity to get a daily glimpse into classroom life. I learned that my daughter needs a very different learning cycle than other kids. When we were in school, and a teacher had to talk to you, they said ‘Hey Ramie, could you stay with me after school for five minutes?’ I don’t see that happening for my daughter. So, I’m hovering a little more closely over her work, maybe peeking into her Google classroom and saying, ‘Hey, Mr. Johnson, I noticed that she didn’t get feedback on this.’ I haven’t figured out if that’s a positive or a negative thing, but I want her — just like I want all families — to be able to get a robust and rigorous education even though she’s learning at home."
TOP: Cover of the Spring 2021 Carnegie Reporter (Credit: Filip Wolak Photography) and video (Credit: Daniel Kitae Um)
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