Tynee Talks: The School to Prison Pipeline
The School to Prison Pipeline is important to me because I’m
raising a Young BLACK male student in the American school system. I’ve seen
first-hand how a Black male child student, can be demonized and assigned adult
punishments for child-like behavior just because of his skin. It’s a sad
reality to watch and experience.
Pushing students out of school and straight into the prison
industrial complex is what the School to Prison Pipeline is. Targeting students
of color is a real practice. Why? Because prisons are being built and someone
has to fill them up. How does it happen? Well, it starts in the classroom, when
teachers overreact to minor infractions. Like, the student who sleeps in class.
Grant it, the student is asleep, but did the teacher talk with the student to
find out why? Chances are, the teacher automatically writes the student up, or
kicks the student out of the classroom.
Zero tolerance policies play a major role in the push-out of students.
For example, a student disagrees with their teacher, instead of the teacher
engaging in open dialogue as to why the student disagrees, the teacher will call
the student insubordinate and then kick them out of school. Lastly, how the
teacher chooses to handle students that they feel are inferior. The lack of cultural
competence among K-12 educators allows prejudice and fear to guide their
decisions.
The learn more about the school to prison pipeline, listen
to the Tynee Talks Podcast to continue the discussion. Click the Link…
