Black girls disciplined in school more often than Whites
In the last normal school year before the pandemic, Black girls in Massachusetts were disciplined in school at more than three times the rate of white girls. Often, Black girls say, they are punished for the same offenses for which white students are not.
Melanie Rush, director of research and policy at the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, said in many cases Black girls get in trouble for responding to what they perceive as a “hostile or unwelcoming school environment.” The Massachusetts Appleseed Center recently released a report that combined data with in-depth interviews of 11 female students of color in grades seven through twelve.
“They felt like their curriculums weren’t really reflective of their own identities and their own histories. They felt like there were stereotypes being placed upon them, that they were immediately seen as louder or aggressive whenever they were just trying to express themselves,” Rush said. “There is this disconnect between the students and their teachers, and then that leads to discipline.”
Rush spoke about the research on this week’s Codcast along with Qai Hinds, a rising high school senior in Weston who was part of the community advisory board that worked on the report. The two outlined the unique challenges faced by girls of color, especially those in predominantly white schools, where many feel alienated from the dominant school culture.
Hinds said as a first-generation American whose family comes from Trinidad and Tobago, she feels like her predominantly White school offers her less support than her White counterparts when it comes to her college search as well as her advocacy for students of color.
Hinds recalled one interview where a girl said her sister got expelled, then a month later the girl herself was suspended – which Hinds attributed to an environment where the girl was viewed with suspicion because of her sister. “Imagine a student coming to a classroom and immediately the teacher is reacting more hostile or more on guard with that student,” she said.
One concrete area where discipline appeared disparate regards girls who raised concerns that school dress codes were enforced differently against girls of different races or body types. “Black girls are seen as more adult, they’re seen as more mature, and they’re often sexualized at much younger ages than White girls, which is extremely inappropriate,” Rush said.
Both Hinds and Rush said girls of color need to see themselves portrayed more in classroom curricula and in the school staff.
“You will have a world history class and you have a Black history class, and it’ll be more selective,” Hinds said. “I think when it comes to curriculum, we as a society need to finally admit that quote unquote Black history is all of our history. It’s not separate.”
Rush said even Black History Month is often taught with a focus on Black men, not women, and without connecting Black history to modern social issues. “They couldn’t see themselves in what they were learning. It didn’t feel relevant to them,” Rush said of the girls interviewed.
The report pushes for numerous policy recommendations, including banning suspensions and expulsions for young students and for any students for dress code violations; creating a disciplinary culture that keeps students in class; recruiting more diverse teachers; and giving students a greater chance to be heard.
SHIRA SCHOENBERG
FROM COMMONWEALTH
Overdue budget arrives: After months of waiting for an overdue state budget, drafters released their proposal on Sunday and plan to have the House and Senate vote on it Monday. With surplus revenues adding $2.6 billion to the bottom line, budget negotiators went with the higher number whenever the House and Senate differed on spending levels. They also set aside $266 million to address safety issues at the MBTA, provided $20 million for behavioral health investments, and pumped $250 million into child care. Read more.
OPINION
A take on the T: Ed Lyons, a big fan of Gov. Charlie Baker, offers an interesting take on the safety problems at the T. He points out that an MBTA turnaround is happening but it’s taking longer than we want. He says the legislative hearings to delve into safety issues at the T are prompted by politics more than substance. Read more.
A plea for civility: Epidemiologist Shira Doron pleads for bringing civility back to science and the debate over COVID. Read more.
Beware your gas burner: Wynne Armand, a primary care physician at MGH, says the gas burners on your stove are dangerous to your health. Read more.
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