Today is Martin Luther King Day, honoring a great man who pushed America to honor its commitments to everyone. It’s got me in a contemplative mood.
A well-meaning liberal friend forwarded this article from the NEA about the “school-to-prison” pipeline. It portends to raise alarms about how a kid who gets suspended often winds up taking a path towards crime. This is indeed a serious issue with troubling implications. I was disappointed, though, to see the article missing an important point. For example:
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, which last year ordered school districts to respond to student misbehavior in “fair, non-discriminatory, and effective” ways, Black students are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than White students, while Black and Latino students account for 70 percent of police referrals.
Also, students with disabilities are twice as likely to be suspended than their non-disabled peers, and LGBT students are 1.4 times more likely to face suspension than their straight peers. In Ohio, a Black child with an emotional disability was 17 times more likely to be suspended than a White, non-disabled peer. Combine these “risk factors,” and you’re talking about a child who might as well stay home.
The bias starts early. Black children represent 18 percent of pre-school students, but account for 48 percent of pre-school suspensions. Yes, we’re talking about 4-year-olds.
“It’s crystal clear that Black students, especially boys, get it worse,” said Jacqui Greadington, chair of the NEA Black Caucus. “Studies have shown that a Black child, especially a male, is seen to be a bigger threat just because they are. They are. They exist.”
Is there “bias” here, or is there a real problem with these kids disrupting class? I think there are some folks like Ms. Greadington who want to believe that this is simply racism, that it’s just the system being unfair to these kids, but I don’t think that’s necessarily the case.
If kids are having problems behaving in class, it might be worthwhile to figure out why they’re misbehaving in class rather than charging their teachers with being racist. Do they need extra tutoring? Mentoring? Do they have enough parental supervision and support? Sleep? Do they live in a safe, loving home? Do they have enough money or opportunity?
We fail kids when we misrepresent the challenges they face or underestimate their ability to overcome them. It doesn’t do any good to say, “well, that’s just racism” and throw up our hands. Let’s focus instead on the solutions that will help every child reach his or her potential. As I said before, some kids face nearly impossible odds. How can we help get them where they need to be?