American Schools are STILL Racist, Government Report Finds
This article discusses the inherent racism and mistreatment of minority youth in our country. Public school students of color get more punishment and less access to veteran teachers than their white peers, according to surveys by the U.S. Education Department that include data from every U.S. school district. Black students are suspended or expelled at triple the rate of their white peers. Black girls were suspended at a rate of 12% according to the U.S. Education Department’s 2011-2012 Civil Rights Data Collection, which is a far higher percentage than girls of other ethnicities.
The article also discusses the teachers that are in schools with higher black and Latino student enrollment. The teachers are young and inexperienced. Many teachers in these schools fail to meet license and certification requirements. These statistics do not insinuate that younger teachers are "bad" teachers. These stats highlight the fact that experienced teachers are teaching in the suburbs or in schools that are predominantly white. Teachers are paid more in suburban schools and have access to more resources. These statistics are essentially telling students that are not worth an education on some level; that they are not worthy of experienced teachers or they are not worthy of going to schools that are able to pay their teachers the same as a less diverse school. These students are dropping out of school for far more reasons than lack of motivation or discipline.
Students with disabilities are also experiencing disproportionality in the school system. Students with
disabilities make up one-fourth of students referred to law enforcement
or arrested. Students with disabilities are twice as likely to be
suspended out of school than peers, with 13 percent of such students
being sent home for misbehaving. This students are flagged and are watched more than students without disabilities. Again, these stats affect the lives of our youth. These stats directly correlate to the school-to-prison pipeline, students who are targeted more in the school system and are more likely to be suspended than their peers will directly feed into the justice system. The education system affects a child's life in every possible way and action needs to be taken to prevent these poor statistics and failed educational outcomes. There are statistics out there that can predict a child's future from the moment they enter preschool because of their skin color. These statistics need to be demolished and replaced.
Chloe,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your connection to the disproportionality of suspension and discipline in schools for minorities and the school-to-prison pipeline. I found the rates of suspension for students with disabilities surprising.
I also think the disparities in teacher experience, due largely in part to an inability of schools in more urban locations to pay their teachers competitive wages, speaks to the larger issue of school funding. Suburban, white majority school districts have more money, and can afford to pay teachers more, which draws in the most qualified and experienced staff. I think addressing the unequal funding could lend itself as a potential, though certainly not easy or straight forward, solution.
I find this article quite alarming. but it supports my argument and belief that every school system should have a school-wide or district-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports system that EVERY staff member participates in. This will help limit the disproportionate discipline rates and limit the overall discipline in all schools.
ReplyDeleteI also find this article to be quite alarming. I find it to be quite alarming due to the fact that I never realized how complex this issue was. It breaks my heart that those with disabilities are at a greater risk for being a part of the school to prison pipeline. I think it breaks my heart because these individuals are known to need more help and instruction. It depends on what their disability is, but often times, it can cause an issue when it comes to their capability to make rational decisions! So, these decisions can lead them into a life of crime and ultimately make them end up in prison. Just as Karyn and Brooklyn have stated, I think funding is a big issue. There is not equal funding throughout different areas, so the educational experience is different for these different groups of students. So, in the end, equal funding is one of the first things that needs to be looked at in order to improve the lives of these students!
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