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The Problem
In California and throughout the nation, students today are failing to graduate at alarming rates. Although the problems facing our nation's public education system and the reasons behind our failure to educate our youth are complex, it is clear that a leading component of our failing is the phenomenon of students being subject to school bias and subsequent pushout from school.
In order to succeed, all students need a school environment that is positive, supportive, safe and equitable. The environment in which a student learns and the culture of the school she attends have an enormous impact on whether she feels welcomed and included, which in turn serves to either support or undermine her educational and academic success.
The environment of a school is heavily influenced by the varied demands on our nation's public education system. Increasingly high accountability standards coupled with systemic under funding and lack of resources create significant pressure on both students and administrators to perform - not learn - or face serious penalties. However, without the necessary support, teachers and administrators are not equipped with the appropriate tools to provide educational services to and address the needs of the children we leave in their care. Consequently, there is an incentive to limit instruction to only what is necessary to pass standardized tests and to remove any students seen as underperforming or disruptive in the classroom. All too often, the result is that the most vulnerable children are pushed out of school.
Schools are not immune from the problems, prejudices and discrimination that exist in our communities. However, schools have an obligation to welcome, support and educate all students, regardless of personal bias and beliefs. The school environment must be one where mutual respect and dignity are the socially accepted and expected norms for students, teachers and administrators. Despite our good intentions, we are failing to meet this goal.
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