Keishia Thorpe: Jamaica-born US educator gives teachers a seat at the table

Jamaica-born United States educator, Keishia Thorpe, believes one way to get a handle on issues facing the school system in Jamaica is for teachers and students to be provided with a seat at the table.

“It is important to encourage teachers who are on the frontline and know the issues confronting students and the system to have an input and this means giving educators a seat at the table. Students should also be given a seat at the stable,” she said.

The much decorated and honoured educator, in an interview with The Gleaner, said that one of the issues affecting students both in the United States and Jamaica is food security. To this end, she calls for the involvement of the community to ensure that students do not go hungry in schools.

Born in Kingston and raised in Trelawny where she moved as a young girl to live with her grandmother, Thorpe is a past student of St Andrew High School for girls and moved to the United States of America on a track and field scholarship, along with her twin sister who also got a track and field scholarship.

The educator, was not initially thinking about the field of education having done pre-law and political science. She got into teaching on an off-chance after graduating.

“I was thinking about law school when I was taken to a Charter school in an underserved community. The children were mostly African-American and the school was underfunded. I wanted to change the trajectory of the lives of the children so I forgo law school and so began my teaching career,” she told The Gleaner.

She has since taught in the public education system in the United States where she has been making a difference.

Her work has not gone unnoticed.

In July, she was awarded the state of Maryland’s medal of excellence by the governor and recently, she was selected as one of 10 finalists to compete for the Global Teacher Prize which carries a prize of one million US dollars.

In September, she was awarded the town of Bladdensburg Unsung Hero Community award for her “professional dedication and commitment to building a better and stronger community for students, staff and residents where she currently serves as an ELA Success coach, academic teacher and as community liaison for the international school at Langley Park.

Thorpe said that the work she does to improve the lives and empower her students as well as members of the community is just part of a collective effort.

Her hope is that more educators will become more involved with the community in which their students and families live.

Thorpe said that while she cannot speak specifically to the needs of the Jamaican education system, she feels that like many underserved communities in the United States, Jamaican schoolchildren face the problem of food security which can have an impact on learning.

“There is a need to do more research to continually improve the education system globally but the system must put students first,” she opined.

To this end, it is her belief that all partners in the education system must provide the necessary resources to ensure the best outcome.

“Teachers are on the frontline and many times do not get an opportunity to have an input. They must be given a seat at the table as they are the ones who understand the needs of students. They can relay some of the challenges faced within the system. Hence, being able to change policies,” she said.