According to the article, "California Suspensions Used More Against Latinos, Critics Say," the current suspension policies in California cause Latino and African American boys, the students who need to be in school the most, to feel alienated. Over 40% of suspensions in California are charged under the catch-all phrase "willful defiance." Willful defiance is a term without clear limits. Willful defiance is a classification that is coming under scrutiny especially as zero-tolerance policies from the 90's are being re-evaluated. Under charges such as willful defiance, the article pushes that it is easier to be suspended as a black male exhibiting the same negative behaviors as white female.
Although racial profiling may very well be a significant explanation for the higher suspension rates among Latino and African American men, it is important not to oversimplify the problem. By not analyzing the potential causes for the racial imbalance of suspension rates, there is definitely something lacking from the analysis. In some cultures, for instance in many inner-city black cultures, it is acceptable to scream when you are upset. That is not acceptable in general in middle-class white culture. The article hints that there may be cultural gaps that may explain the differences in suspension rates between races and this is something that should be explored further.
Garfield High School in East Los Angeles has implemented a progressive behavior policy where teachers and counselors intervene before a situation even reaches a dean or principal. Teachers who report a lot of behavior problems are given more management training. Last year, the school only had one suspension and this year they have only had one so far. Now this school can serve as a model for other schools in California. As they said, suspension is now the last option instead of the first one.
Regardless of whether suspension rates are high or low, the fact is that kids need correct intervention that actually help them understand what behaviors are expected of them. They need to know that you care and that you are going to be fair. Not enough good intervention to help kids know that you are going to hold them accountable and help them understand why they are making the decisions they are will undoubtedly lead to a failed disciplinary system.
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3 comments:
I completely agree with you! When reading just the title of this blog I instantly thought of the many differences between the ways in which certain cultures express frustration and anger. Therefore, while reading I was hoping that these difference would be mentioned, which they were.
While working in a school that houses both elementary and middle school students (predominantly black), I have built a few strong relationships with those middle schools students who are frequently sent to the principal’s office or the reflection room. When speaking to them about their behaviors, which are considered “willful defiance”, they inform me that they were not intentionally being disrespectful. Instead, they used language which may have been offensive to the teacher and pupils. However, the foul language was not directed to the teacher and was just a subconscious reaction to their inner frustrations and/or anger.
My school has behavior interventionists and a reflection room which is used to assist students in coping with anger, calming themselves down, and reflecting upon unwanted behaviors before returning to class. This was created to decrease the number of suspensions. Thus far, it has proven to be very effective. Adding additional management training for those staff members who report many behavioral problems is also great idea. This will provide the teacher with more effective strategies to manage and deescalate unwanted behaviors, thus decreasing referrals to the reflection room and suspensions.
Tiarra,
It sounds as though your school has some effective policies in place already in order to address behavior from a more reflective level. Working in a 1st-5th grade school, I suspect that the displays of "willful defiance" manifest themselves a bit differently. At such a young age, several of my students are struggling to express their frustrations and feelings in a manner that the administration and teachers feel is appropriate. After reading this article and your thoughts, I was immediately drawn to the idea of who is determining the "appropriate responses". For many students at my school, it is only their first or second year in school. The transition into the first grade is as much of a social adjustment as it is an academic one. The students are immediately faced with a set of rules and communication styles that they are not used to, or frankly, comfortable with. While understanding this rapid change, I can't help but think of my other students who are, on a daily basis, subject to the distractions that the defiance can play in the classroom. Moving forward, I look forward to more systems in my school that resemble those in Tiarra's - ones that are based in reflection and intervention rather than immediate negative consequences.
-Michelle S.
There are a lot of great comments in these posts, and I too think it is important to prevent negative behaviors through training and counseling, especially at an early age. Educators must work to understand students and work with them instead of sending them home. Schools can be places that help students concurrently meet their educational and emotional needs. If schools do not educate the while child, to throw in a cliché, they are doing a disservice to both individuals and our communities.
Still, we have to wrestle with our cultural norms when working with students. What behaviors are acceptable, and when do students cross the line? As we work with students and train them in acceptable classroom behavior, what social standards and values will we use? When we counsel students and teach them correct ways to express their emotions and frustrations, to what degree are we deteriorating their cultural autonomy?
We should also take the causes of behavioral issues into account. Certainly many of the contributing factors to negative behaviors exist outside of the school's grounds and jurisdiction, but schools can unduly stimulate students in negative ways. In addition to training students to conduct themselves in a fashion that promotes efficient learning, schools should evaluate the ways in which they can contribute to students' sense of wellbeing, emotional stability, and sense of belonging. Schools should at the very least be a place of haven and positive support for students.
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