NEA and Partners Promote Restorative Justice in Schools

By Mary Ellen Flannery


Educators
cannot stand by as tens of thousands of African-American, Latino, and
other students get pushed out of school for minor disciplinary
infractions, said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, who on Friday helped
release a new toolkit that aims to end the “school-to-prison pipeline” through the use of restorative policies and practices.


“Far too many of our most vulnerable students are excluded from class
for minor, non-violent behavior,” cautions Van Roekel, “putting them at
great risk for academic failure and an unnecessary journey down the
school-to-prison pipeline. And far too many educators lack the support
and resources to meet their students’ developmental needs.”


The racial disparities start at a shockingly early age. According to a new U.S. Education Department study,
Black 4- and 5-year-old students account for almost half of the
preschoolers suspended more than once from school, even though they make
up just 18 percent of preschool students. Overall, federal data shows
that Black students of all ages are 3.5 times more likely to be
suspended or expelled than White students.


The consequences are huge: Even a single suspension greatly increases
the odds of students repeating a grade, dropping out of school, and
ending up in the criminal justice system. What’s more, a closer look at
the data shows that students of color, as well as LGBT youth and
children with disabilities, are more likely to be suspended, expelled,
or arrested for behaviors that go undisciplined in their White peers.
Research also shows that White students are more likely to be suspended
or expelled for “observable” offenses, like fighting or drug possession,
while Black students are much more likely to be disciplined for less
objective offenses, like “disrespect.”


Federal investigators have concluded that race is a factor,
and disciplinary reactions often are led by implicit bias. “You really
have to look at the data to see what kind of challenges you have and
where those challenges might be,” said Harry Lawson, associate director
of NEA‘s Human and Civil Rights department. “Nobody thinks it’s their school. Part of our work is creating awareness.”

A Tale of Two Schools (Click to Enlarge)

The other part of NEA’s work is providing relevant tools to educators
and communities that will help them avoid frequent use of harmful
discipline. To that end, NEA has moved to help educators use
“restorative practices,” or approaches that build healthy relationships
and a sense of community. Those practices might include: community
service, peer juries, preventative and post-conflict mediation programs,
and more.


But you don’t have to change the way everybody works in your
district, said Lawson. “You can start by reflecting on your own
practice, and what you do in your classroom.”


On an individual basis, it might mean asking yourself, “What am I
doing to make students welcome in my classroom?” On a community-wide
basis, it might mean new parental involvement programs. (For more
information about how to implement restorative practices, check out the new toolkit
offered jointly by NEA, the American Federation of Teachers, the
National Opportunity to Learn Campaign, and the Advancement Project.)


For example, in Madison, Wis., volunteers from the YWCA Madison trains students at eight middle and high schools to be “circle keepers.”
In these circles, students, school staff, and a YWCA volunteer sit down
to deal with the disciplinary referrals that might regularly lead to
suspensions. But their solutions prioritize accountability and community
healing over punishment. Since implementing the program, suspensions
have declined 15 percent at participating schools, and 76 percent of the
students referred to the program for disruptive behaviors have not
repeated that behavior.


NEA also offers its members training on cultural competency, diversity, LGBT issues and more, and partners with other organizations on this issue, like the Advancement Project and the National Opportunity to Learn Campaign.
At the same time, NEA makes sure the voices of educators are
represented in policy discussions around these issues. Just two weeks
ago, in Mississippi, NEA Executive Committee Member Kevin Gilbert
participated in a panel
co-sponsored by NEA and U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi that
brought together Mississippi educators and elected officials to talk
about the school-to-prison pipeline.


“Our students are being pushed out of our schools and into a direct
line that’s feeding our prison systems,” said Gilbert. “Our schools are
supposed to help create productive, civic-minded citizens who give back
to society. But this trend is having a more detrimental impact,
especially on students of color.’’





NEA and Partners Promote Restorative Justice in Schools