As a Black woman and a mother of two young children in Georgia, I spend a considerable amount of time thinking about the messaging my children receive, what they learn, how they learn it, and from whom they learn it. I want them to love learning, to be challenged to reach their greatest potential, and to look in the mirror and love what they see. My children aren’t even old enough for kindergarten, and I’m already learning that my Blackness in the context of metro Atlanta public schools may mean having to sacrifice one for the others.

The story of Jennifer Susko, a white counselor in my city and by many accounts one of the good ones, doesn’t exactly inspire a sense of renewed faith. 

She resigned from Mableton Elementary School in Cobb County after working there for six years, citing in her resignation letter obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) the “district’s longstanding mistreatment of Black families who have been ignored while demanding solutions to the ongoing racism in your school system for many years.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Cobb County, it’s the third-most populous county in Georgia, following behind Fulton and Gwinnett. Families tend to flock to Cobb, and Gwinnett for that matter, in the hopes of getting their youngsters into the schools there, more than a dozen of which were rated last year among the best in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The high ratings, however, mean very little to me as a Black parent who has been following stories of racism in Cobb County for years now, even before George Floyd’s death pushed the topic to the forefront of media coverage.

The straw that seems to have broken the camel’s back for Susko was the Cobb County school board’s vote on June 10 to ban teaching critical race theory and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’ "1619 Project.“ Critical race theory is a framework for interpreting law that maintains racism has an undeniable effect on the legal foundation of American society, and the 1619 Project asserts that “no aspect of the country” has been “untouched” by “years of slavery.”

“It’s revisionist history and history should be thorough,” Cobb County Board Chairman Randy Scamihorn reportedly said of the theory. He deemed it Marxist and divisive but also failed to define the theory in his resolution.

Still, it passed during a board work session by a vote of four Republicans in support of the resolution. The three Democrats on the board abstained, the AJC reported. Susko said she fears she would break the rules if she continues at Mableton Elementary. “That’s how I would have spent my year — either defending myself or compromising my entire approach and obligations as a school counselor by not addressing my kids needs, and I couldn’t do either one of those things,” she said.

Susko has been an advocate for thoughtful instruction and support that meets the needs of all of her students, not only the white ones. View board discussion regarding critical race theory at 2:20:12:

YouTube Video

She wrote in her letter of resignation addressed to Superintendent Chris Ragsdale:

believe they get to speak on behalf of all Cobb families. The quintessential call for leadership is the willingness to withstand pressure and still be bold enough to do what is in the best interest of every single student. Though I am heartbroken to leave my students who I love dearly and my colleagues, I know I cannot do my job as a school counselor ethically under the current style of leadership which thwarts research and expertise on racism and its effects on mental health. To ensure that I do not cause harm to Black students in my work as a white counselor, it is vital that I study scholarly literature and theory to understand the history of racism and its specific impact on individuals and families over generations. No white mental health professional should be working with BIPOC students without understanding race-based trauma. Failing to navigate this cross-cultural counseling relationship adeptly can cause minoritized students harm. Since the ban on CRT conflates many approaches and practices related to antiracism, Cobb County School District is asking me to violate my school counseling ethics by prohibiting that I prepare myself to be a culturally sustaining school counselor. My students come to me with race-based trauma and questions about their identity and experiences. The district is asking me to obfuscate history, ignore my commitment to educational justice and deny these students voice or validation. Paying homage to Nikole Hannah-Jones, I refuse. I have received only excellent evaluations while at CCSD. I have received national awards and recognition for my work. As a result, you’ve been unable to penalize me professionally to date. Now, with the introduction of the unclear and undefined “ban,” I can be reprimanded for examining and addressing issues that directly harm my students. It has been made very clear that I will be watched closely and disciplined

for adhering to my ethical obligations and for implementing an anti- racist framework. Such intimidation and threats against my vocation and

livelihood are toxic. I cannot spend the entire school year justifying my integrity and performance at the expense of serving my students. My approach has never been about making a Black child feel like a victim or telling a white student that they are inherently racist. Yet, the district and school leadership persist in inventing their own inaccurate definitions of CRT and ascribing them to me. It boggles the mind to consider how Mr. Scamihorn wrote an entire resolution to prohibit CRT and presented it unprepared to define that which he is so adamantly against. When Mr. Hutchins asked the chairman to define what would be banned for clarity purposes, Mr. Scamihorn replied, “Well, having never been asked that question before, I can’t.” As a once proud 7th grade student told you all at the July board meeting, CCSD leadership has become shameful. Since the bewildering ban, I’ve experienced bullying, harassment and defamation of character. My personal information has been posted online. While my community and colleagues have surrounded me with support, they have also recommended installing a security system at my home. Fear and political allegiance have created this dangerous environment. It threatens my safety and my ability to provide my students with what they are due. Though I can no longer remain in my job under present leadership without either compromising my values to use a harmful and dishonest approach or being fired swiftly for doing what’s right, I will not abandon students and families. I will persist in my attempts to dismantle systemic racism in CCSD. Committed to antiracism and propelled by the work of Black feminists, Civil Rights leaders and organizers of the past and present, I am obligated to take risks and sacrifice things I love sometimes. In this case, it’s my job. But many wonderful people in our community have demonstrated their support of me remaining in this district. They’ve also comforted me through this incredibly painful decision.

Therefore, as a post 6 resident (and taxpayer!) who is no longer constrained by the suppression and censorship inflicted on employees, I will speak out even more candidly against racism in schools, campaign to flip folks out of school board seats who do not deserve to be there, and organize with Black and brown families as long as they ask me to in their efforts to be heard. In the meantime, I will share with you the updated position statement from the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) on The School Counselor and Anti-Racist Practices. My “agenda” is not arbitrary or something I created on my own; it is required by the very organization that you celebrate and recognize at your own meetings. I’ll see you again soon. Jennifer Susko

When the AJC asked district officials about Susko’s resignation, this was their response: “As is the case with all contracted employees, human resources is completing the formal process and she is expected to continue her job responsibilities until a highly qualified replacement can be hired. Cobb teachers are back in classrooms this week and we are focused on teaching and learning as students return on Aug. 2.”

Those coveted Cobb schools certainly won’t have the opportunity to focus on teaching my children anytime soon, and I know my public school options are limited. I know no school is perfect, but I also know what it feels like to be underestimated because of the color of your skin. That is not a feeling I want shaping my children’s first years in school.

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