Educators Inspired by #BlackLivesMatters to Address Racial Disparities in School Suspension Rates

Educators Inspired by #BlackLivesMatters to Address Racial Disparities in School Suspension Ratesby Bianca Anderson + Rahel Tekola + Priscilla Collins-Parhms | The Op-Ed Project |  special to NewBlackMan (in Exile)
In what has been one of the most formidably tense moments in our history of American policing and the tragedies that have followed, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwayne Wade took the 2016 ESPYS stage recently to echo a call to action. “It’s time to look in the mirror and ask ourselves what are we doing to make change and renounce all violence?” James said.
Unequivocally, in times like this we look to people of such stature to pioneer change in our communities, to use their resources to plainly – put their money where their mouth is and alleviate the systemic issues communities face.  James has already done so by investing $41.8 million to send 1,100 kids to a four-year university. But the real the question is, what can the rest us do to help educate our students of color and deconstruct school-prison models that often treat children like criminals? How can we help for students avoid to specter of police brutality?  
Racial disparities are not only experienced in the criminal justice system where African-Americans comprise 13 percent of the population but 40 percent of the prison population. Recent studies show disheartening differences in school discipline policies as well. African American preschoolers are 3.6 times more likely to be suspended than their white counterparts. This disproportionate trend in suspension rates continues all throughout a child's educational journey. Schools that have high populations of African-American and Latino students are more likely to have higher teacher turnover rand police on campus.
A report published by the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Civil Rights Remedies finding that black and disabled students are disproportionately more likely to be suspended than their white and non-disabled charter-school peers wasn’t new to educators who cross the schoolhouse doors daily. In fact, Dallas charter school principals recognized this issue within our network of public charters and have been working with teachers, parents and students on other alternatives to suspensions.  
Much of this data is discouraging, but there is a valuable lesson that we can learn from those who are using their power and platform to advocate for social change. According to the Journal of Child Development, the technique of racial socialization, or “teaching kids about their culture and involving them in activities that promote racial pride and connection- helps to offset the discrimination and racial prejudices children face by the outside world.”
Many school leaders have rightfully been concerned about the numbers of all types of students being suspended or expelled for their behavior, and specifically the over-representation of some minority groups. As school leaders, it is up to us to examine school’s discipline policies to make them both more effective and less reliant on traditional exclusionary consequences that we have used in past. Changes to our policy may also help schools to better serve students with emotional/behavioral disorders.  
To start, Reece L. Peterson, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln education professor, gives school administrators two very specific questions to ask about their discipline policy “What do we use in place of exclusionary consequences in our discipline policies?” and “What are some disciplinary consequences which might be more effective?” along with some alternatives to suspension.
Changing discipline policies for an entire school, let alone an entire school systems, is not an easy feat even though it is doable and know it is necessary since we serve a majority of black and brown students. It is requiring us to make alternative options work as disciplinary consequences as we struggle with human and capital resources. I know from previous research and 19 years of school administration experience that principals have to develop school climates that are supportive of positive behavior.
It will take the daily efforts of all staff to build positive interactions with students and families, especially those students who have developed mistrust of school authorities due to interactions from previous behavior issues and those families who have not traditionally felt welcomed on our campuses. Appropriate and engaging instruction, communicating high expectations, and ongoing close supervision may prevent behavior problems from growing to crisis proportions and requiring disciplinary consequences.
What should be done with serious offenders or the chronic offenders who seem to violate school norms and expectations almost daily? In fact, there will continue to be serious and chronic offenders to school norms and expectations. For more serious violations of conduct codes, Teach Safe Schools recommends schools institute learning-based consequences. In general, these take the form of in-school suspension programs or alternative site suspension programs. Some advantages include: The student remains in a supervised setting thus eliminating the possibility for community misbehavior or personal injury; academic involvement is maintained; counseling for skills development can occur; and the focus is on students’ behavior not the consequence.
Like LeBron James and the other pro athletes who have spoken out against gun violence, we, too, can choose to participate in courageous conversations that promote progress and powerful community-level solutions.
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Committed educators Bianca Anderson, Rahel Tekola and Priscilla Collins-Parhms, are collaborating members of Dallas Public Voices.