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I've recently been doing some research on this issue as part of an African American studies class I'm taking. The fact that AA students are disciplined more often and more severely than other students is not new information, but a recent study actually quantified it. The Council of State Governments Justice Center released a study in July of this year regarding school discipline in the state of Texas. The study looked at 1 million seventh graders from 2000 – 2002 and followed those students for 6 years. They found that between 7th and 12th grades, 87% of African American males and 70% of African American females were either suspended or expelled, usually more than once, compared to just 37% of White females. The felt that these numbers would be reflected throughout much of the rest of the country as well.Here's another really depressing piece of information:According to a study from July of 2010 by the Council of Great City Schools, African American students are twice as likely to be held back in elementary school, 3 times as likely to be suspended, and only as likely to graduate from college in 4 years. In many urban districts, the dropout rate among African American males is roughly ݽ. In the study report, the head of the Council stated that, “African American male students who are neither disabled or poor are doing no better than White students who are.”At the time I was doing this research, my own little son was having struggles in preschool. We were getting reports about his poor behavior, disruptiveness, lack of focus, etc. They asked to have a professional come and observe him, which really freaked us out. D is a great kid! Intense, yes. Energetic, yes. I'm his mother, but I'm not blind. D is not a laid-back "go with the flow" kind of kid. But he's generally a well behaved, curious, delightful little person to be with. My partner and I have been agonizing over how much his race has to do with the fact that the perception of our son at school was so completely off. (The psychologist who came to observe him told his teachers that D was absolutely fine and presented a very different way of looking at him and his temperament. Is it perhaps significant that the (white) psychologist has an AA husband and two AA sons of her own?)How do you figure out if this is the issue when things like this happen? And how do we advocate for our kids if we suspect this is an issue? I am absolutely certain that his teachers are not purposely or consciously stereotyping my son. In fact, I'm sure they would be horrified at the very idea. But . . . I have to say, in the 4 months he's been in that class, they missed some pretty huge things about him.
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It's good when teachers take time to encourage their students. I think all teachers should take cultural competency or diversity seminars, as a requirement. ALL. Our district has incorporated this into their long term strategic goals. Yes the poverty mentality, the physical aspect of of institutionalized racism over and over. .( jim crow, locked out of gi bills, union based jobs with benefits, education assist, state aid assist, housing/farm loans, housing discrimination, curfews, destruction of thriving financial Black areas towns, disparity in fines to this day, allowance of drugs to infiltrate Black neighborhoods, still having disparities in schools and education etc etc; ) . caused all of that. We cannot expect every Black person affected by our racist history to just get over it like that. It takes a couple of generations of being college education to get over the effects, learn constructive approaches to stressful situations, and set up stable foundations. by the time my younger sibs went to my old jr high school school, the area was going down,and the schools reflected such. I was bussed to a school in the White area..and that was the first time I saw what separate but still not equal meant. I only need to go to certain areas in my city to see the same. Frankly Blacks have overcome in tremendous numbers in spite of. Yea, I do give those still under that bondage some slack, for sure the kids are the main victims. I find research studies dry and without the psychosocial (Human) aspect that ties the subjects to the outcomes. DH just finished reading this book and highly recommend it.. (he is usually not into such subjects..) I just started reading it. [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Warmth-Other-Suns-Migration-ebook/dp/B003EY7JGM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1320368531&sr=8-2"]Amazon.com: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration eBook: Isabel Wilkerson: Kindle Store[/URL]What's ironic is during the height of lynching (mainly in the South) for any little infraction at the participating Whtes whims.. one of the infraction mentioned was for trying to act White..... interesting
HopingGA45
Barriers to getting out of poverty (mindsets that have to be overcome) - I don't necessarily believe these, but I have had discussions with middle school kids about this very topic a few years back.Education level of your parents largely dictates the level of education you will strive to achieve.Poverty is all your family knows.If it was good enough for my parents why do I need to try to get out. Poverty is 'easier' than all the work it will take to get out. No one cares about the poor so I don't care to become anything other than poor. People will only see me as poor so why should I try.
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Fe2002
I'm also worried about my reaction if/when I encounter this issue... Wondering if private school education will make a difference... At what point, if at all, does the economic status of the parents trump race? Any thoughts about this?
My personal experiences and this study agree.
It was very obvious in the 70's to me, in Charlotte, NC when bussing began. Also when private schools grew there. I saw it every day in public middle school. First Ward School in Charlotte. Would love to hear from anyone who attended there in the 70's, especially Rose or Glenda.
In our public high school today I still see it, but it is not nearly as bad as it was in my school days, but it's still Bad.
Our county is poor, this year the school is 51%AA, 46%CC and 3% other. The faculty is about the same. (I didn't notice in this survey if they mentioned the race % of the teachers?)
I also see how some kids today, AA and CC, get mistreated soley due to their parents financial and educational situations - basically their "inherited attitude" or culture.
I've been attending some workshops and support groups lately. I've seen this theory help many people in many ways.
Curious to hear what you all think about this -Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome.
[url=http://www.joydegruy.com/ptss/index.html]Be The Healing - Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome - P.T.S.S. | Dr. JoyDeGruy[/url]
nickchris
Same approach with private schools, any schools. My youngest and the oldest has or do presently attend private school. Never let the guard up, we know how to approach the situation.. investigation is key. I watch my kids' behavior like a hawk. I have a great poker face with my kids, and the teacher lol until I figure out the situation..there is no my child would never nor the teacher is always right. I am great at reading people, and I volunteer, and look forward to the parent teachers' conference to get a good handle on the teacher. I watch how the teacher interact with all of the kids, be it during a volunteer session or a school trip. I was so happy that I had a good vibe from DDs teacher, and teachers assistant at her new school. DD after attending school for 2months is STILL happy about going to school. She wants to move to the schools area. lol At her previous school her love for school wore off after a couple of weeks, and I figured out the factors real quick.
nickchris
I also think this, are the teachers looking at the child from a purely discipline, something is wrong, or are they factoring the brightness of the child and so on? I do see at times the thought that a Black child is bright, and the outside the box kiddo (we parents read about that all of the time in parenting magazine right? lol ) is far from the persons thought.
I also think there can be a bias against boys in general, add the perception amongst some with Black boys.. and yes it does occur.
nickchris
Based especially on the age factor, is the teacher approaching this from an experienced, professional manner? what is the compromise, can we work together etc;
How can the program curriculum meet my kids strengths, and individual way of learning if the child is a visual spatial, or kinesthetic learner etc; I always discus in a constructive manner, to keep the person from going on the defense. If no response, then go up the ladder so to speak. One thing is I always think of my kid being with said person after I make a step above the teacher. (I have rarely done this) I usually do not say race etc up front, people shut down when that is the first statement. I must say I have not utilized the word race or bias, I do keep records as substantiated proof, work done at home, outside test results as applicable, trend and quality of communication with the teachers, keep visible via volunteering, and so on. The closest I have gotten to such is to tell my oldest child's teacher she does not believe in my son, he had a high b in her class, and it one of his strong subjects. She did not recommend him for honor level classes for the next grade up, but upon our conversation she really had no concrete proof. I had a recent issue with middle kiddo, and it was escalated to the principal..due to a few factors over the school year. The teacher definitely had an issue with my kid, but never communicated such with me regardless of my keeping in touch with her.
I usually go by the individuality, strength and so on of the kids. Sometimes, if a person get to negative, I make sure to remind a person of this. Subtle to subtle... ;)
I started a thread in the AA parenting section a few weeks back and the suggested book was in regards to Black kids and achievement,it touch bases on the behavior of Black kids, how its perceived, and so on.
One other thing here is a little encouragement, this is a huge factor to foster develop in the child: internal motivation 'despite' outside negativity:
[URL="http://www.ethnicmajority.com/wordpress/education/2011/10/minority-schoolkids-aware-of-racial-stigmas"]EthnicMajority Blog Archive ۻ Minority Schoolkids Aware of Racial Stigmas[/URL]
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I've definately seen the "assume the black kid is a problem" syndrome in one teacher here DS had (not suprised, she was old, and it was a church school). After that teacher we have had two amazing teachers who seem to get him. I have to say, one of the best ways to get the culture of the school is to look at the teachers as they stand around on the playground or interact at parent school events like the winter concert or whatever. I want to see groups together that have poeple of different races. I don't want to see the only black teacher standing alone and I don't most definately do not want to see an two equal groups of teachers with one group being all white and the other being black and "other." Teachers make such a huge impact on our kids.
As to when does money trump race? I don't think it ever completely does. I think by high school, parent money may trump random assumptions that your kid is a trouble maker because of their race, but thats also because, the kid has succeeded. I admit I make sure that I or my hubby regularly volunteer and I feel like it makes a difference if they know my kid has white parents who are involved. I don't know if the difference is because they know we are white or because they know we are involved.
Never heard of this, looks promising. Too bad this is not available via the Kindle, but the book is on my list. So true, the ramifications of systemic oppression (deep poverty, racism,...) is so multi-generational, there is no easy fix. Apparently it takes a lot of mediation, self searching, and therapy. I wonder what the success rate of her seminars are. Churches should take a front seat to facilitate such seminars.I had a great conversation with a mature lady whose young son is about to graduate with his doctorate. She is a native of my county, integrated the high school there. This lady was/is a huge advocate for her own son who was always at the top of his class. I asked her, how did you do it. She said just keep pushing as needs be, and keep my kids as a high priority in the schools' scope.
BethVA62
My personal experiences and this study agree.It was very obvious in the 70's to me, in Charlotte, NC when bussing began. Also when private schools grew there. I saw it every day in public middle school. First Ward School in Charlotte. Would love to hear from anyone who attended there in the 70's, especially Rose or Glenda.In our public high school today I still see it, but it is not nearly as bad as it was in my school days, but it's still Bad. Our county is poor, this year the school is 51%AA, 46%CC and 3% other. The faculty is about the same. (I didn't notice in this survey if they mentioned the race % of the teachers?)I also see how some kids today, AA and CC, get mistreated soley due to their parents financial and educational situations - basically their "inherited attitude" or culture.I've been attending some workshops and support groups lately. I've seen this theory help many people in many ways.Curious to hear what you all think about this -Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome.[URL="http://www.joydegruy.com/ptss/index.html"]Be The Healing - Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome - P.T.S.S. | Dr. JoyDeGruy[/URL]
I would not want to change my kids' "spark" either. It did get better as my kids got older, and more mature. :prop: I truly appreciated the teachers that could handle such,and actually appreciated their spark. lol You seem to have the analytical approach that I find works best (for me that is). In addition your teaching background will help tremendously. A sounding board is great, I have my logical friends who also understands this parenting angle. Recently I got ticked off about a statement made about one of my kids. I stopped in the school's parking lot..and called a friend and we talked. Helped me to go in and approach the situation in a professional manner. I find that the tools needed are the same as being in a business environment..just higher stakes. HopingGA45, very true with the go in and observe aspect.
OakShannon
Yes, I do think there was an element of this going on in our case. Our son is active. He's also three. I have never thought he was hyperactive, because he is capable of long periods of focus and is not overly impulsive. The psychologist agreed and had very positive feedback about his focus, level of engagement, and cognitive abilities. She did agree that he is intense. (Which he is. No doubt about that one. But that's not something they are going to fix! Nor would I want them to.) The teacher also admitted that at first, they were letting poor behavior slide with D because they weren't sure he was capable of focusing or following the class rules. (And I wonder, why not?) After observing in the classroom, we made it clear that they needed to put their foot down regarding the nonsense D was pulling in the classroom. I do wish they had tried the "knock-it-off-right-now" approach before calling in a psychologist! But when they did hold D accountable, his behavior dramatically improved within days.Thanks for the link and the description of how you handle this issue with your children. I'll check out that thread. I would not directly confront a teacher with an accusation of racial bias. I know that would go badly and would not be constructive. But I want to know how to advocate for D in a school setting, because I'm sure this isn't the last time we're going to be in this kind of situation.
It sounds very interesting, I put it on my list too! Thanks Beth.
I'm just happy that I have 2 years to work on my game plan for DD... ecstatic that she has a late birthday. I have an acquaintance that is an AP and am getting tips from her as well. I was a little concerned about her dismissive attitude towards the racial bias in schools in regards to discipline though... and she's an awesome person, so it just makes me think that if SHE is dismissive, I can only imagine the attitude of others.
I have had first hand experience with a school district in the metro Atlanta area. Not good! In fact I was successful in getting one teacher suspended... she needed to be fired. My sis made me pull back.
nickchris
Never heard of this, looks promising. Too bad this is not available via the Kindle, but the book is on my list. So true, the ramifications of systemic oppression (deep poverty, racism etc;) is so multi-generational, there is no easy fix, and apparently it takes a lot of mediation, self searching, and therapy.
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The other thing that scares me (now that I've had some more time to think) is not only the difference between race, but also the difference between gender. I worry about teachers singling out my son because he is a male of color. There are so many assumptions about AA male children that is scary to to think about. I've seen this happen a lot. The AA boys are assumed to be the trouble makers (when in fact there are girls that are just as bad if not worse).
Exactly! In that particular case it was my niece... So can you imagine now that I have a DD? Trust, these 2 years will be more a focus on readying MYSELF rather than DD.
I'm not looking for special treatment, just fair treatment. I WANT them to have high expectations for her, and not low expectations because she's AA. Just as I will have high expectations of the school and the teachers. I recognize the struggle of public school teachers and the obstacles they face, which is why I was considering private... I don't think my DD should suffer because of the politics of public schools. I realize private schooling won't eliminate all the issues though. We shall see. I have 2 years...
nickchris
A Mama bear in action is no joke!
Oh yea, at times major constraint. I have a strong persona, and I really have to work on the flash in my eyes. LOL You have time to check out the local and private schools. greatschools.org have decent info, you may also know about city- data for inside insight. I have spent a lot of time checking out schools for my kids. I found out that I have "reversed" bussed one kiddo. I have one on hold in public (decent almost private school feel.. but still issues with lack of outside friends..this served us fine until the teacher last year) while we scope out an all boys middle school, and a private which is small/nurturing, good academic for DD.
Fe2002
Exactly! In that particular case it was my niece... So can you imagine now that I have a DD? Trust, these 2 years will be more a focus on readying MYSELF rather than DD.I'm not looking for special treatment, just fair treatment. I WANT them to have high expectations for her, and not low expectations because she's AA. Just as I will have high expectations of the school and the teachers. I recognize the struggle of public school teachers and the obstacles they face, which is why I was considering private... I don't think my DD should suffer because of the politics of public schools. I realize private schooling won't eliminate all the issues though. We shall see. I have 2 years...
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You got that right, girls can be something else. They seem to know how to 'work the system" a bit better. I do not know what it is in these times. With my boys it's not behavior per say, my experience with behavior is not frequent...but the confidence thing, especially with the younger son. Lately we have dealt with bullying scenarios with my younger son...who has a LOW tolerance for anyone being in his face. In other words, so far he will not start it, but if provoked long enough...will finish it. I saw this last year with my younger son.. and in all reality the other child needed to be tested for whatever his development issue was. This other kiddo was also bothering the heck out of classmates in general. Yet, the burden of proof per say became more slanted towards my kid. My general statement is; my husband and I take a lot of time interacting and talking about what if scenarios etc; with my kids, I want the other parent to do the same.. or you, (the teacher, the school admin) do something about it.
HopingGA45
The other thing that scares me (now that I've had some more time to think) is not only the difference between race, but also the difference between gender. I worry about teachers singling out my son because he is a male of color. There are so many assumptions about AA male children that is scary to to think about. I've seen this happen a lot. The AA boys are assumed to be the trouble makers (when in fact there are girls that are just as bad if not worse).
I am late to this discussion, but we had a very similar situation with DS when he was 3 and 4.
He was super active - and lack of discipline on the part of the teacher led him to pull out many oppositional behaviors.
We switched his school and have had a much better experience. In K, we had a wonderful teacher who really saw DS for his strengths and weaknesses. This year, I feel his teacher's favorite area is DS's area that needs most improvement - so she harps a bit more but in a structured way focused on the subject. She gets WHO he is and APPRECIATES his personality.
My biggest advice has nothing to do with race, though both my kids are transracial adoptees. My advice is find a new school. We switched from a private school with a beautiful philosophy to our local public school and made tremendous gains.