Blog #4
Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! This week I read another section in my book, The Shame of the Nation. As I talked about in my previous blog post this book is regarding the disadvantages African Americans have in public school systems. This directly links issues with school systems but also just general discrimination. In current events we see discrimination between school systems and African American children.
One specific article I read was stating that in the United States black and poor students are suspended at much higher rates than their white and non-poor peers. This article brings up the idea, is it because American teachers are racist or is it because students of color and children from poverty and less money are actually at a disadvantage in their schooling. This is a very similar idea that Kozol brings up throughout his book. This article basically brings up the idea of how can you tell if students that are African American are being discriminated or are actually at a disadvantage.
Kozol mainly writes about how children in high-poverty or children of color have a basic unfairness at the beginning without even being put to the test. Kozol also states that children in these areas feel worthless and know the discrimination that is going on. In the article I read this was the same topic that was mentioned. This is a hard topic to talk about because as the article stated are teachers being racist or are the children of color at a disadvantage. The article says that children of color and that are in low-income area may be raised differently and may act different in school. Now this can be seen as racist but it may be the teachers way of trying to help. I think we need to help end discrimination and segregation in public schools to make for better schooling.
"Discipline Disparities and Discrimination in Schools." Brookings, 20 Nov. 2017,
www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/11/20/
discipline-disparities-and-discrimination-in-schools/. Accessed 7 Apr.
2018.
One specific article I read was stating that in the United States black and poor students are suspended at much higher rates than their white and non-poor peers. This article brings up the idea, is it because American teachers are racist or is it because students of color and children from poverty and less money are actually at a disadvantage in their schooling. This is a very similar idea that Kozol brings up throughout his book. This article basically brings up the idea of how can you tell if students that are African American are being discriminated or are actually at a disadvantage.
Kozol mainly writes about how children in high-poverty or children of color have a basic unfairness at the beginning without even being put to the test. Kozol also states that children in these areas feel worthless and know the discrimination that is going on. In the article I read this was the same topic that was mentioned. This is a hard topic to talk about because as the article stated are teachers being racist or are the children of color at a disadvantage. The article says that children of color and that are in low-income area may be raised differently and may act different in school. Now this can be seen as racist but it may be the teachers way of trying to help. I think we need to help end discrimination and segregation in public schools to make for better schooling.
"Discipline Disparities and Discrimination in Schools." Brookings, 20 Nov. 2017,
www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/11/20/
discipline-disparities-and-discrimination-in-schools/. Accessed 7 Apr.
2018.
Hi Lauren-
ReplyDeleteI really liked your blog post! This question that you bring up about whether they get suspended or punished in schools more often because they're black or because they actually cause more trouble is very similar to a debate that Michelle Alexander talks about in my book. She addresses how many people use the argument when discussing the criminal justice system that African-Americans do actually commit more crimes, so the fact that there are disproportionate amounts of blacks incarcerated and labelled felons actually just reflects the criminal activities that blacks commit. However, Alexander argues that this disparity in the data actually reflects the system's bias towards African Americans since law enforcement is more likely to target black communities, they're more likely to be searched, more likely to be arrested, and more likely to be convicted of a crime, which she argues is the reason for why the crime rates are so different between races. Do you think that this is similar to the suspension and punishments of African-Americans; that they may not actually be breaking more rules than white students, but they're more likely to be sent to the principal's office than a white student because someone might just perceive a white student as a having a bad day?
The connection you've drawn is a good one, Lauren. I find that Kozol writes a lot more about elementary students than high school students, so I wonder if you think there's a reason why he spends more time with younger students.
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