Even as the United States grapples with obvious and too-often aggressive forms of racism, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation’s Acting President Stephanie J. Hull reminds us in the Hechinger Report of somewhat subtler but still-destructive narratives that continue to drive inequity in education:

How long will it take us to stop assuming that every student of color in a public school needs or wants a special intervention, or that any such student who excels is somehow miraculous? When do we cease to presume that every black or Latino/a undergraduate or grad student got a special hand up? Until we come to this point, our schools and our society will remain inequitable.

In this opinion piece, Dr. Hull calls on teachers and school leaders to stop making even well-intended assumptions based on race or ethnicity. Read the full commentary here.