Author Archives: jw094647

Mississippi Schools Sending Kids To Prison For Misbehaving In The Classroom

In this article it is said that the Department of Justice on Friday uncovered a so-called “School-to-Prison pipeline” in Mississippi, where teachers and principals are shipping off children into the criminal justice system for infractions as small as a dress code violation. A dress code violation!!!!!!!!!! And it is not to my surprise that these students are…black and disabled. Apparently this is not only taking place in Mississippi, but in Atlanta and in schools in New York. I know of a school (I will not name it) where the principal said he would much rather suspend students for the small things that they do, rather than have them suffer for the big things. This philosophy is to try to teach the kids what? That for running in the hallway they could be suspended from school. What administrations are not realizing is that suspensions are on permanent records, which colleges see. If this effort is targeted towards blacks and disabled students (which probably have been labeled as ADD or ADHD students)  given medicines that they probably have not needed and that has effected them and have caused other reactions.

Even worse now these students now have a criminal record. What can they do with a criminal record now? They cannot go to college or get a great job, because these schools have decided to come down too harshly on these students.

This quote is at the end of the article and it summarizes my sentiments in regards to this problem, “Schools are supposed to be sanctuaries of education, and the threat of being sent to prison for a minor infraction likely discourages attendance for some at-risk youth.”

As I mentioned in class there have been reports of students with disabilities being suspended from school for no reason. I honestly did not know this was going on, but I was not oblivious to the fact that this probably was happening in public schools. I have gone to public schools my whole life and I always realized that students that I went to school with and they were in special education classes because they were diagnosed with a certain disease or a disorder, were always the first to be suspended. These students were always the first students to be suspended. How can you expect students to learn effectively in school if they are never there?

The New York Times article says “According to a new analysis of Department of Education data, 13 percent of disabled students in kindergarten through 12th grade were suspended during the 2009-10 school year, compared with 7 percent of students without disabilities. Among black children with disabilities, which included those with learning difficulties, the rate was much higher: one out of every four was suspended at least once that school year.” So 13% of students were disabled and black were suspended, there is no mention of help being given to these students.

Of course it’s more so a question of resources available to the school. Children with learning disabilities and conduct disorders in poorly resourced neighborhoods will not receive the help they need. Most schools in troubled areas aren’t equipped with school psychologists or social workers. The only thing left for administrators is suspensions, which are clearly counterproductive. But when will this issue be settled and handled with the level of importance that it deserves by the govern

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/education/analysis-examines-disabled-students-suspensions.html?smid=pl-share

In reading Social Forces by Merton I liked the chart should the paths to interpersonal aggression. Not that I feel this applies to me (or does it) but it applies to a lot of students that I mentor and speak to on a weekly basis. This happens to be the sequence of events for many students nowadays, where outside factors contribute to anger and aggression and ultimately interactions with the police. A lot of researchers fail to recognize or provide a solution for the reasons that these students have, they are always quick to diagnosis them with a behavioral issue, Attention Deficit Disorder and all other conditions. These conclusions without proper research and/or treatment cause doctors to prescribe medicine for kids that all they really need is someone to talk too. I remember a scene in my favorite show The Wire, one of the kids was acting out in his class and when he was taken to the principal’s office for them to inquire on why he was acting out he said “I went home and saw my mom sitting there in the chair not moving.” His mother was dead and that was the factor that made him act out in his class, not any disorder. Many children have outside problems that they cannot handle at home…so they bring it in to the classrooms. If there were programs set up to address those problems or the external issues with many families then there can be some progress and less anger and aggression in the classrooms and less juvenile delinquents.

Joe Wilson

In reading Social Forces by Merton I liked the chart should the paths to interpersonal aggression. Not that I feel this applies to me (or does it) but it applies to a lot of students that I mentor and speak to on a weekly basis. This happens to be the sequence of events for many students nowadays, where outside factors contribute to anger and aggression and ultimately interactions with the police. A lot of researchers fail to recognize or provide a solution for the reasons that these students have, they are always quick to diagnosis them with a behavioral issue, Attention Deficit Disorder and all other conditions. These conclusions without proper research and/or treatment cause doctors to prescribe medicine for kids that all they really need is someone to talk too. I remember a scene in my favorite show The Wire, one of the kids was acting out in his class and when he was taken to the principal’s office for them to inquire on why he was acting out he said “I went home and saw my mom sitting there in the chair not moving.” His mother was dead and that was the factor that made him act out in his class, not any disorder. Many children have outside problems that they cannot handle at home…so they bring it in to the classrooms. If there were programs set up to address those problems or the external issues with many families then there can be some progress and less anger and aggression in the classrooms and less juvenile delinquents.

I tried to be a slick guy and ask my boss if he knew who Cesare Lombroso was and his significance to why fingerprinting.

Of course he did not know who or what I was talking about.

So I briefly said he is why we had to be fingerprinted before we were offered our positions at our job.

To be approved or cleared to work anywhere you have to do a drug test or a fingerprinting test to make sure that you are not a criminal or have any prior records. I do not fully agree with the gesture to finger print any one person,especially if they have “paid their debt to society” and you want to give them a second chance. For most fingerprinting and background checks to take place, one must go to a police station or some where that is associated to the police. For those persons that have been in the system this would not be the most pleasant experiences. You also have to provide also want a lot of info on the card you’re supposed to bring–address, height, weight, birthplace, birth date, which is a lot of information to take fingerprints. And now what happens is, these persons are denied an opportunity to get work or to progress with their lives because no one wants to give them a second chance. The end result…recidivism. As we read about in the reading yesterday, when times get rough and no one wants to help you in your situation in life you take it into your own hands.

This is a situation that has to stop. It is similar to violence. And violence only begets more violence.

Joe Wilson