{"id":195,"date":"2020-06-07T19:05:33","date_gmt":"2020-06-07T23:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dueeast.org\/?p=195"},"modified":"2020-08-25T17:58:33","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T21:58:33","slug":"our-blog-voyage-east-schools-are-complicit-in-police-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dueeast.org\/our-blog-voyage-east-schools-are-complicit-in-police-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Schools are Also Complicit in Police Violence. We Must do Better."},"content":{"rendered":"
A local school district\u2019s response to police brutality and public demands for justice is critical. Schools are centers for thought, information, and community building. On the topics of policing and legal system justice, schools have a particularly pivotal role to play. For many of our students their first encounters with systemic authority and \u201cpolicing\u201d comes in school<\/em> in the form of student discipline policies and practices. First experiences may come as early as elementary school, often as a result of adult responses to or discomfort with student behaviors in the classroom. Policing students comes from teachers, principals, counselors, and other adults with whom students are intimately connected and reliant upon for their education. Sadly, in my work with districts that are trying to become more equitable I have seen many persistent inequities<\/em>. Inequities in all facets of the school day, but particularly in student discipline. All too often student experiences of policing and discipline in school mirror the racial inequities, disregard, and harm that we see within the larger societal policing and justice systems. Sometimes school discipline and policing lead a student directly<\/em> into the web of the legal system. School discipline data consistently show disproportionately punitive and sometimes aggressive consequences for black and brown students in comparison to white students. This is unacceptable. Black Students\u2019 Lives Matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n Now is the time for reflection among school and education leaders on the ways in which schools are complicit in larger systemic racism and the policing of black and brown communities. Now is the time for school and education leaders to make long-overdue changes to our mindsets and practices that contribute to the racial injustice our students experience. There is more we need to do on a systemic level in schools.<\/p>\n What are the measures education institutions can take <\/em>right now to collaborate in fortifying racial and social justice?<\/em><\/p>\n The focus of this article is on school district systemic responses<\/em> and actions <\/em>more so than individual mindset and personal action. This article is written for school leaders, school boards, and people who want to influence school leaders and school systems. It is designed to facilitate conversation, provide considerations, guidance and avenues for systemic change.<\/p>\n With these goals in mind, I offer seven ideological shifts, institutional commitments, and systemic change measures. These ideas are not exhaustive of all the ways schools need to improve, but can be considered a set of immediate-term responses a school, school district, or educational institution can take to join as collaborators in fortifying justice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Say something:<\/strong> Right now. ASAP. And ongoing. As an education institution, do not stay silent<\/u>.\u00a0 Silence is complicity. As a system, speak out against racism and inequity early, often, courageously, and clearly<\/em>. Release public statements and social commentary, make public commitments. Name systemic racism, name murder, honor the demand for justice, and publicly commit to being part of the solution. Consistently and repeatedly communicate the district\u2019s position about current events and against racism and injustice in general.<\/p>\n Timely Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n A few practical actions:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Get comfortable with feelings:<\/strong> Get comfortable with the expression of feelings. Be okay with the expression of emotion from students, families, and staff. Recent events are emotional, infuriating, and traumatizing. Yes! Share feelings from the district. The district should feel<\/em> angry, sad, shocked, helpless, motivated, committed\u2026 whatever those feelings are, express them as an institution. Be receptive to and appreciative of any and all feelings expressed within or toward the district. Do not try to control feelings. \u00a0Do not oversimplify or overintellectualize feelings. Validate feelings.<\/p>\n Timely Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n A few practical actions<\/em>:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Take a holistic view:<\/strong> Acknowledge the horror of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor<\/strong>, and Ahmed Arbury<\/strong> (to name the ones that occurred just this spring)<\/em> and<\/u> the overwhelming reality that these are not isolated incidents or even unforeseen. Disregard for black and brown lives is all too persistent and predictable. This disregard and dehumanization has been solidified and demonstrated by over 400 years of systemic racism. Investigate the messages spread within your school or district. We must acknowledge and teach the historical and systemic foundations of current events. We must overhaul the biases and ideology of white supremacy that our curriculum reinforces.<\/p>\n Timely Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n A few practical actions:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Be accountable and transparent:<\/strong> Yes, collectively we are being called upon to address inequities and racism in systems such as law enforcement and justice systems, but schools are equally complicit in the layers of systemic racism and social injustice<\/em> that are currently on full display.\u00a0 Schools are influenced by<\/em> and contribute to<\/em> larger systemic racism, bias, and injustice. In fact, schools often germinate systemic racism and injustice as they are frequently the place where the seeds of injustice are planted. Acknowledge this. Take responsibility for education\u2019s role in the historical and systemic context.<\/p>\n Timely Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n A few practical actions:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Conduct discipline data analysis:<\/strong> In many cases school data will reveal deep inequities in discipline and referrals, in students\u2019 feelings of belonging, and in families\u2019 comfort with the schools. Additionally, many of the inequities that these data reveal are predictable and persistent, spanning decades. Review your discipline data for inequities and disparities based on race, gender, Free\/Reduced Price Lunch, Special Education, etc. Review your student and family feedback and engagement for inequities and disparities in feelings of belonging. Be transparent with this data. Create a correction plan and systems of accountability for any inequities, disparities, or discrimination that is revealed.<\/p>\n Timely Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n A few practical actions:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Review and renovate discipline policies and practices:<\/strong> Take a detailed and reflective look at the school\u2019s policies and practices for student behavior and discipline. As a part of this reflection, investigate the health of educators\u2019 relationships with students. When we have student behavior or discipline encounters, we need to be engaging in authentic, meaningful, respectful relationships to find solutions. Simply outlining sets of rules and demanding compliance often contributes to inequities. Often students are perceived and responded to differently depending on their race or identity. Overhaul these policies and practices to eliminate all forms of bias and harm and to increase respect and relationship building. If you have school resource officers (SRO) or other forms of school security, evaluate the posture and perspectives their work is built upon; assess for equity or inequities in how students are treated.<\/p>\n Timely Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n A few practical actions:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Support, amplify and engage student voice and activism: <\/strong>Many of our students are angry, confused, and\/or activated to speak out for justice right now. Our schools need to affirm what students feel and often name: that systemic racism exists and society does not treat all people respectfully or equitably. Curriculum centered with an anti-racism, social justice orientation acknowledges that schools operate within, are influenced by, and contribute to larger societal injustices or justice. Schools are an ideal space for developing student understanding, voice, and agency related to anti-racism and social justice. Schools should include curriculum that supports and develops students\u2019 self-advocacy and their ability to be agents for change. Schools can be the perfect assistants to students in their role in demanding justice. Schools can develop students to proactively build the society they will inherit into a more equitable society.<\/p>\n Timely Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n A few practical actions:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n These are just a few of the considerations, conversations, and actions we can take as education institutions right now. Schools are conduits for social progress or for social stagnation.\u00a0 If stagnation means the continuation of systemic racism and injustice– if stagnation means the continuation of the devaluing of black lives– then we must<\/u> choose progress. Shifting foundational ideologies and deeply ingrained systemic habits is never-ending work.\u00a0 This work is not a check list to be completed or a set of simple shifts and easy changes. No, these ideas are but a small slice of a larger educational reform agenda, one requiring complete overhaul and transformation in our schools. And one that needs to start right now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A local school district\u2019s response to police brutality and public demands for justice is critical. Schools are centers for thought, information, and community building. On the topics of policing and legal system justice, schools have a particularly pivotal role to play. For many of our students their first encounters with systemic authority and \u201cpolicing\u201d comes in school in the form of student discipline policies and practices. First experiences may come as early as elementary school, often as a result of adult responses to or discomfort with student behaviors in the classroom. Policing students comes from teachers, principals, counselors, and other adults with whom students are intimately connected and reliant upon for their education. Sadly, in my work with districts that are trying to become more equitable I have seen many persistent inequities. Inequities in all facets of the school day, but particularly in student discipline. All too often student experiences of policing and discipline in school mirror the racial inequities, disregard, and harm that we see within the larger societal policing and justice systems. Sometimes school discipline and policing lead a student directly into the web of the legal system. School discipline data consistently show disproportionately punitive and sometimes aggressive consequences for black and brown students in comparison to white students. This is unacceptable. Black Students\u2019 Lives Matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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