The school-to-prison pipeline: A nationwide problem for equal rights.

Knefel, M. (2013, November 7). The school-to-prison pipeline: A nationwide problem for equal rights.

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The school-to-prison pipeline systematically pushes students of color from behind a desk to behind bars. Minority students, low-income students, as well as students with disabilities are disproportionately represented among those subjected to a zero-tolerance school policy that seems more like policing than it does teaching. This trend of targeting disadvantaged students is common in major cities like New York City, Chicago, and even in the state of Texas. In Chicago, Black students represent 40% of students but 75% of those arrested. The massive closures of public schools in poor black neighborhoods in Chicago have perpetuated this problem. In New York City, students living in neighborhoods with high rates of stop-and-frisk are also more likely to have high suspension rates. District 7 in the Bronx is the district in NYC with the most low-income students- with over 85 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch – also has the highest rate of suspensions. Children of all ages are affected by this school-to-prison pipeline. 93 four-year olds were suspended in the 2010-2011 school year, of which 33% were children with disabilities. Sadly, nearly one-third of all suspensions are served by students with disabilities even though they are only one sixth of the population. As the nation’s largest school district, NYC is in position to change the discourse of the school-to-prison pipeline by abolishing zero-tolerance policies and increasing training and support of school safety officers.