Moreover, these "zero tolerance" policies are minimizing the problems at the surface and are clearly ineffective. How does enlisting them in detention or suspending them make sense? As Shalaby explains, "young people who misbehave are often punished by exclusion, therefore missing academic content and falling further behind". Instead of finding the problem, they are just creating more. I recently saw something similar within RIDE that appalled me just as much. Commissioner Angela Green is trying to enforce a new policy that will hold students back if they are frequently absent. Instead of trying to support these students, they are just going to make things harder for them.
Lastly, it was interesting to me to see how Shalaby connected the violence we see in America to the failing school system. She illustrated the cause and effect very clearly. "We pay dearly for our failure to teach freedom, for our refusal to insist on being fully human, and for our selection of just a precious few who are granted the right to matter. Our children bear witness to an unimaginable array of examples of throwaway lives: mass shootings...., bombings....countless communities dislocated and eradicated by war, gentrification and other land grabs". It's crazy to that society and our education system is so oblivious to the major issues and big pictures.
The author, Carla Shalaby, argues that schools create a limiting environments that prevent individuality and creativity which leads to labeling students who don't adhere to these biases and controlled standards as "troublemakers".
Sam I love how you expressed yourself in this blog I am realizing how we are "grooming" our populations for capitalism. I think we need to see teachers being taught these principals. If we could jump on board with teachers teaching the "human" style we can start implementing the change with out the permission of the "man"
ReplyDeleteHello Sam!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to respond quickly to some of the questions you posit. I'm not saying the answers are right, honestly, just that this is the thinking I've come across that tends to justify decisions.
As far as suspension/removal: often, this is attributed to balancing the needs of the whole class. Removing 1 kid does make it possible for the other 25+ to continue to learn without their safety being compromised. It does not solve the problem of the 1 that Shalaby focuses on, but it does look to the rest of the class and their needs for a safe environment. This is assuming that the behavior of the 1 is extreme in some way, such as throwing desks, verbally abusive, etc. In the moment, sometimes it's the only tool available in a teacher's toolbox. I like how @teachingtoariot on Instagram tries to be proactive, however, and asks now "how do I get the behavior to stop" but "what do I need to do so that this behavior is no longer necessary?"
As far as holding kids back for absenteeism: I think Delpit would argue we aren't doing them favors for pushing them forward without the skills they need. I for sure see a difference in the skills of students who are chronically absent vs those who are consistently attending. The underlying reasons need to be addressed, but at the same time, it's not beneficial to throw kids off the deep end if they don't have mastery. If a kid is able to demonstrate mastery in spite of absences, however, it would make sense to promote them.
Sam, I see this in my own school. The kids are always in trouble, dont go to class, then when they do they get suspended. Its a cycle and the kid is suffering. There needs to be an alternative. Its sad these kids are missing out on education and an opportunity its heart breaking.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated your connection to policy decisions like RIDE’s attendance rule. It shows how punishment is still the go-to response instead of support. Your last point really stuck with me about how schools kind of mirror how society decides who matters and who doesn’t. If we only value certain kids, it’s no wonder others get pushed out instead of supported.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the RIDE decision. It doesn't make sense to hold students back for being absent. It seems counterproductive; they need support.
ReplyDelete