School-To-Prison Pipeline - "Gone Too Far: Our Kid in Handcuffs"

I came across an article on the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) website regarding the School-To-Prison Pipeline. There was also a video attache, entitled "Gone Too Far: Our Kid in Handcuffs," that told one student's story of a zero tolerance policy. This student was caught with a "Hit List" that was created in jest and was sentenced to a 180-day school suspension. The student had always received wonderful feedback from teachers as well as administrators. He was well-liked and hard-working. However, he is now struggling with depression and falling a year behind his classmates. The ACLU "believes that children should be educated, not incarcerated."

Nieto and Bode write, "following removal from school, many students experience enormous diffi-
culty in reentering," (p. 268) which will clearly apply to the student featured in this video. Not only is he facing severe repercussions for a joke, but he will continue to face those repercussions through the reentry process. This has reminded me that zero tolerance policies not only affect the student during the assigned punishment period, but also in the time following that period. I will be sure to discourage the practice of zero tolerance policies as well as other policies that encourage the school-to-prison pipeline. Students face enough hardships without being treated like hardened criminals at every turn.

Website - https://www.aclu.org/school-prison-pipeline
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gEMslXo_3Ig

"Signs for a Good Education"

This was an article on the Human Rights Watch website that discussed the importance of offering all deaf children an education in a language that will most benefit them - sign language. I was immediately intrigued, but then I came across a video on the page entitled "Signs for a Good Education," which discussed the importance of sign language education and the struggles that some d/Deaf students have in obtaining that education. There were several d/Deaf students interviewed, as well as a couple of their teachers and one Deaf woman that works for the Disability Rights department at Human Rights Watch. The students discussed how much they enjoyed getting to learn in a d/Deaf environment, rather than having to try to play catch-up in a hearing learning environment. The teachers talked about how d/Deaf students learn in some varied ways from hearing students and how they were able to address some of their needs better in a sign language-based educational setting.

The relation this video has to Chapter 6 is two-fold. First of all, this video perfectly encompasses the sentiment about which Nieto and Bode wrote when they said, "All good teachers know that learning builds on prior knowledge and experiences. In the case of language minority students, this means that their native language can be a strong foundation for future learning," (p. 226). The use of sign language can and often does provide d/Deaf students with a strong foundation for future learning. However, the second relation to Chapter 6 of the Nieto and Bode text is in an omission, rather than a quotation. While this chapter contained a chart that consisted of nine pages of languages, no sign languages were mentioned at any point. I found it very interesting that no form of categorical allowance was made for sign languages. This demonstrated the ease with which the hearing world forgets about the d/Deaf world as well as their subsequent inherent need for a sign language-based education.

This video spoke deeply to me, as I intend to pursue a career working with d/Deaf students and providing them with a sign language-based education. Whether I am serving as a wrap-around interpreter or am instructing an entire class of d/Deaf students, this video reminded me that I am pursuing a worthy and valuable cause - providing d/Deaf students with the educations they deserve. This video also reminded me that there are a lot Schools for the Deaf that are already providing this much-needed form of education.

Website - http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/10/17/offer-deaf-children-education-sign-language
Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwksMw6Ar_s

"Is My School Racist?"

In Brian Willoughby's article, "Is My School Racist," racism within the educational system is looked at from a systemic societal level, rather than viewing racism as being perpetuated by individual people. Willoughby's article reminded his readers of the prevalence and potential for racism within every type of school - private, public, charter, etc. - and at every level - district, administrative, or classroom. The importance of recognizing the potential for systemic racism helps to removes the pride that reduces some privileged people's ability to admit the presence of racism. In doing so it also maximizes the potential for antiracist professional development.
This reminder to look at the systemic levels of racism supports the text in chapter 3 of the Nieto and Bode, where they wrote, "Too often, prejudice and discrimination are viewed by many people as individuals’ negative perceptions toward members of other groups. Unfortunately, some definitions of racism and discrimination obscure the institutional nature of oppression," (p. 64). The text as well as this article encourage education systems to continually evaluate standardized tests, curriculum, and the classroom management methods used with a critical eye in order to continue to create more antiracist educational settings. Also, this article serves as a reminder to check one's privilege and personal perspective at the classroom door. For instance, a list of four questions written by Pollock, the director of the Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence were included that asked things such as, "Am I seeing, understanding and addressing the ways the world treats me and my students as members of racial groups?" By consistently checking and analyzing the content of methods of instruction and assessment, many occurrences of institutionalized racism could be removed.

http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-45-fall-2013/is-my-school-racist