By Teija Brown, Woodrow Wilson Alumni.
To understand the challenges of school disparities and social injustices in our school system, we must first recognize that it extends beyond education. The beauty and some might argue the complexity of education is how it intersects with so many other policy areas, whether it’s housing, economics, or health.
The presumptions that underpin this reality overlook an important reality: minority children’s educational outcomes are much more a function of their unequal access to key educational resources, such as skilled teachers and quality curricula, than they are of race.
The educational system in the United States is one of the most unequal in the industrialized world, with students receiving dramatically different learning opportunities based on their social status. Student discipline is one of the most visible inequities in education. There is an overrepresentation of black boys in this category, and there is a possibility that this includes black girls, too.
Those figures are underreported, which is becoming more visible in the news. Students with disabilities are overrepresented as well. They are not receiving the necessary support, so the system resorts to disciplinary action.
White students makeup 15% of the New York City Department of Education but only account for 8% of the days lost due to suspensions. Meanwhile, African American students make up 27% of the district but account for nearly half of the days lost due to suspensions (47%). Similarly, African American students account for only 8% of Los Angeles Unified School District enrollment but 39% of days suspended.
The reasons for the suspensions vary in severity, but racial disparities exist for both minor and serious infractions. Numbers don’t lie — people do, but numbers don’t — so this is a fairly common example of inequity in our educational system.
While these specialized statistics are new, research shows that African American and Latino students, as well as students with disabilities and English-language learners, have been over-disciplined in schools for at least 40 years. The Office of Civil Rights has conducted the Civil Rights Data Collection every other year since 1968, documenting public school programs and, over time, the rates of seclusion, restraint, and exclusionary discipline practices.
As a result of these findings, the United States Department of Education reaffirmed the legal limitations of exclusionary discipline in 2014 and reminded school districts of their responsibility to serve all students.
School funding is also one of the many school disparities that cause students to fall further behind their peers who attend schools in wealthier neighbourhoods. EdBuild is a nonprofit that focuses on school finance. A few years ago, EdBuild published an important research report in which the most frequently cited number was $23 billion. That figure represents the difference in funding between predominantly white schools and predominantly nonwhite schools.
Schools that are predominantly white and located in the suburbs are more affluent, with better resources and teachers. Districts that primarily serve students of color are frequently urban or rural, and they receive significantly less funding.
When factors such as wealth, gender, and/or race determine the type of education a person can receive, this is an example of social injustice. Students who are not fortunate enough to receive an education on par with others are set up for failure rather than success. Their ability to earn a certain income may suffer, affecting access to healthcare, adequate housing, and safety.
When the educational system is not committed to providing equal opportunities and privileges, it has a negative cultural and economic impact on society. To address this issue, schools and school systems must work together. The first step is to create school systems that promote equality. This can be accomplished through methods such as better tracking to determine the economic makeup of students.
When schools gain a better understanding of the inequalities in their systems, they are better equipped to deal with them. Tracking is also important for identifying struggling students who are at risk of dropping out. Resources for these students should be prioritized, and tracking can help schools understand how practices are assisting or hindering them.
