First do no harm: Practical ways schools can work against systemic inequities for all of their students

According to Erikson’s fourth stage of his famous lifespan theory of development, when kids reach schooling age, they face the crisis of industry versus inferiority. As we tell our graduate students, this is where teachers and schools have the most influence on students’ social and emotional development, and it’s where they can do the most harm. This harm is especially likely if a student is Black or Latino. We know that both groups are more likely to be verbally reprimanded, expelled, and suspended in comparison to White students.

These experiences contribute to school-based traumas that harm their socio-emotional development and academic outcomes. In a recent article I (Larry) coauthored with my colleagues, A Framework for Race-Related Trauma in the Public Education System and Implications on Health for Black Youth, we outline how the experiences of Black youth are shaped by environments that don’t see their humanity. Teachers, mental health practitioners, and other experts must be aware that these challenges occur daily. Ignoring these issues further complicates the experiences of marginalized groups in school settings.

During our years of school-based research, we have seen over and over how our current model of schooling promotes systemic inequities towards children, especially those who are non-White, differently-abled, or from poverty.

In one highly-regarded elementary school, I (Michele) visited, I saw a young, Black boy, with tears in his eyes, standing in the hallway all alone. He told me he hated this school, which was a terrible surprise to me, as this school was doing all kinds of amazing things, but this student didn’t get to experience it because he had talked too much, and now was relegated to the hallway, alienated, alone, already marked as a “problem student,” already heading down a road towards a feeling of academic inferiority rather than a sense of industry, unlike the students who had the privilege of not being kicked out of class.

Schools have an ethical responsibility to promote healthy development in their students, and they do that, not by marginalizing students or making them feel incompetent, but by finding ways to build on their strengths, encouraging them to tackle reasonable, developmentally-appropriate challenges, giving them choices, and developing their interests.

There are practical ways schools can work against systemic inequities and promote healthy development for all of their students. Here are some things schools can do include:

1. Increase Collaborative and Restorative Practices

Frequently Black and Latino students are expelled or suspended because of school policies without input from stakeholders. We recommended using practices that recognize the importance of community feedback. This should include a review of current guidelines to determine if the rights of students are being ignored. Creating community-based focus groups would ensure schools receive vital information from parents. Taking a holistic approach to discipline can prevent students from marginalized backgrounds from feeling mistreated and alienated. Schools should also focus on students’ positive behaviors. Creating a school environment that rewards students for their success are essential. Frequently, schools punish negative behaviors without acknowledging students that follow school rules.

2. Provide De-Escalation Strategies

Choosing to de-escalate interactions between students and school staff is important. Schools have to create environments where students have the chance to step back and refocus. For example, some schools offer yoga and other mindfulness opportunities. In schools throughout the country, yoga is used as an alternative to penalizing students for various behaviors. Identifying alternatives to expulsion and suspension is critical for schools that educate Black and Latino students. SROs (School Resource Officers) also play a role. They should be trained in different techniques that embrace civil conversations and reject confrontation.

3. Integrate Culturally Responsive and Representative Models

Currently, fewer than 2% of teachers are Black males. The statistic is troubling considering public schools serve students from majority-minority backgrounds. Preventing students from being traumatized must include hiring teachers from similar racial and ethnic backgrounds. Research suggests White teachers have lower expectations for Black students in comparison to Black teachers. These beliefs are connected to teacher bias, which contributes to unfair practices. Caring schools understand that they must close the teacher diversity gap to ensure students are valued and supported.

One school that is doing a fantastic job of working to deconstruct school inequities is the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (The Met) in Rhode Island. Though 57% of the student body at the Met are Latino or Black, and 72% are eligible for subsidized school lunch, their outcomes belie the typical metrics of high-poverty, ethnically diverse schools. They have a 98% acceptance rate for their high schoolers, and 76% attend college or get a post-secondary education, and it was the number one high school in Rhode Island on every metric surveyed by the state’s department of education.

The Met, founded by Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor, is committed to equity for all of their learners. One way they do this is by involving parents, the community, even the state government to ensure educational opportunities for each of their students. Students are paired with an advisor who they stay with for all four years of high school. Two days per week are devoted to internships, mostly taking place in the local community, with culturally responsive and representative models. The advisor acts almost like a parental guide, working with each of their students (they usually have around 16 students assigned to them) to build on their interests and to help them develop the skills they need to find successful paths for their future. I (Michele) visited this school last spring, and I was struck by how truly innovative their approach is, and how the need for formal discipline is minimized because each student is treated as an individual.

For instance, in a situation where students might be truant, the advisor knows it and follows through, finding out the cause of the absence by talking with his family and internship facilitator. So instead of things escalating, the root issues are addressed, and problems de-escalate. Parents and the community are deeply involved in the success of these kids because they are involved with their schooling, both as advisors and as evaluators.

As noted on their website, “The Met enrolls families,” not individual students. Parents and community members are asked to join in at thrice-yearly student exhibitions of their work, proving feedback, support, and encouragement. Instruction is completely tailored to the students’ needs—there are no formal classes, but many take college classes if they are college-bound. The entire focus is on promoting student strengths, and discipline issues are addressed with regard to the individual’s circumstances. Unfortunately for our country, schools that are truly transformative and anti-racist are few and far between. We encourage all educators, policymakers, and education researchers to insist that schools do better by and for their students, to first do no harm.

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