“Education is the great equalizer,” or so they say. What happens, then, when education itself is unequal? For many students, their experience with the “great equalizer” is anything but fair; students of marginalized identities are far more likely than their peers to receive harsh and punitive treatment, leading to trends in which they are pushed out of school at high rates.
A recent report by Voices for Utah Children and the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law states that students of color as a whole are 2.3 times more likely to receive disciplinary action than their white counterparts for the exact same conduct as their peers.
The phenomenon in which students are funnelled out of the public school system and into the justice system is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. In Utah, it produces clear racial discrepancies in our educational and justice systems. In 2016, according to the Utah State Board of Education, the graduation rate for white students was 87 percent, as compared to 69 percent for students with disabilities, and 70-74 percent for American Indian, Latino, and African American students. According to a 2017 report by various community stakeholders, titled “Racial Disparities in Utah’s Juvenile Justice System,” at the first intake stage of the juvenile justice system, Latino youth are overrepresented by 36 percent, and Black youth are overrepresented by 200 percent, though youth of color and white youth are accused of the same level of offenses.
These discrepancies beg the question of why there are such varied experiences within the school and justice system among youth of different backgrounds. Research on the school to prison pipeline shows that criminalization of breaking school rules, the presence of police officers in schools, pressure to meet school performance standards, and “zero-tolerance” policies all contribute to school pushout. It is important to note, however, that behind each of these factors are the contributions of human biases, both implicit and explicit.
Outbursts and misbehavior from students of color often result in their labelling as “troublemakers”, whereas similar actions from white students may be viewed with more consideration of context. This labelling produces a self-fulfilling prophecy in which “bad” students internalize repeated negative messages and struggle to succeed in school. Many disciplinary problems present in schools could potentially be resolved by providing students with a way to manage their stressors more effectively, offering more extensive counseling services and inserting principles of restorative justice into public schools
Discipline is certainly necessary in public schools, and it is not unreasonable to expect students to be held accountable for their actions. It is, however, unreasonable to severely punish students for minor infractions to the extent that they come in contact with the justice system, something that occurs all too frequently, as most youth in the justice system have committed low-level, nonviolent crimes. Education opens worlds of opportunity, and we should not deny students these opportunities because it is easier not to confront our biases.
Each student has a story worth telling, and it is our job as community members, fellow students, administrators, teachers and policymakers, to listen. If you are interested in getting more involved in combating the school to prison pipeline, or in telling your story about the public school system, consider joining Racially Just Utah and many other community partners in the National Week of Action Against School Pushout by following the social media campaign, attending their Know Your Rights training night, attending a creative workshop and open mic, or attending a presentation on how gender and trauma contribute to school pushout during the week of Oct. 21-29. For more information, visit www.raciallyjustutah.org.
Natasha Wong is a senior at Skyline High School and a volunteer with Racially Just Utah.