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Friday, August 22, 2008
Reclaim students ‘old-school’ way
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
James Taylor is “old-school.” He was among the black students who integrated the University of South Carolina, and he’s been in education for decades and currently oversees discipline for Gwinnett County schools.
He has a favorite saying: “We don’t suspend students. We don’t expel students. We suspend or expel certain behaviors. If a child attaches himself to a certain behavior that is unacceptable, there are consequences.”
Recently, Taylor gave school officials a discipline report for the 2007-2008 school year. The report showed that, of 1,910 discipline hearings held that year, 931 of those were held for black students. About 18 percent, or 345, discipline panels were held for white students.
In other words, black students racked up half the disciplinary hearings, though they make up less than a third of the student body. There’s a term for this: “disproportionate discipline” of minority students. It’s an issue that schools across the nation grapple with, Taylor explained.
A smaller percentage of black students were disciplined in the 2007-08 school year than the year before, but Gwinnett’s disproportionate numbers are still a concern. Various measures have been suggested, including cultural sensitivity training for administrators and programs to reward positive behavior. Taylor has already ended the school system’s “zero-tolerance policy.”
But while Gwinnett officials rightly ponder measures to keep kids in school, let’s hope they also keep in mind what I consider the problem’s root. It revolves around a message that too many kids — skin color aside — apparently don’t hear enough at home anymore. It’s one my parents, salt-of-the-earth people, gave us with no frills, fancy words or concern for feelings. You attend school to learn. Sit down. Shut up. Do as you’re told.
These days, it’s commonplace to point fingers at the system — at the teacher who is out to get me; at the administration that’s racist or racialist or unfair. Some of that may be true. Some is pure perception.
Let’s be honest, though: It’s highly unlikely that all 931 black kids would have been disciplined if they’d all had a mom, dad or grandma who laid down the law. Consistently. Too many of us have gotten away from the no-nonsense child-rearing my mom and dad practiced. It’s considered dated, out of touch, country.
But look at what’s happening to our kids.
“We have got to reclaim our kids,” Taylor said. “We have a message we need to hammer home.”
He plans to do just that by visiting black churches to deliver this message: Gwinnett schools don’t want to show students the door. That pushes down the graduation rate, among other things.
But we are a society of standards and expectations, he points out. In schools, they boil down to two areas — academic standards and behavioral standards. These standards are uniform, in place for everybody.
I hope Taylor ends his talks with another one of his sayings as it relates to school discipline: “If you don’t want to be expelled or suspended, don’t attach yourself to behavior that is unacceptable.”
Rick Badie updates his Gwinnett blog Monday through Friday. Readers who want to discuss the topics he writes about may post comments online (www.ajc.com/gwinnett) or contact Badie directly. He may be reached at 770-263-3875 or e-mail rbadie@ajc.com.
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