Latest Student Included in “School to Prison Pipeline”

Latest Student Included in “School to Prison Pipeline”

Earlier this year I heard what I thought was great news, the president mandated that all schools receiving federal funding (most schools) will be ‘encourage decriminalizing school infractions’. What I meant by that was that now schools have a guideline to follow so students won’t suffer by being overly disciplined or disciplined unfairly amongst their peers. There are plenty of reports and statistics that have proven and driven for such policy changes, especially as it pertains to racial discrimination, but overall all students suffer. Those who are directly subjected and otherwise are all affected in such acts for it creates a feeling of inferiority among classes in the student body which in turn cases segregation that can lead to such politics regarding race. Many critics have come under fire of the Obama administration for the ‘guidelines’ they've set saying that it is racist because the guide post for leading the legislation is that there are more blacks in jail than whites, and that for his entire presidency he’s been overly zealous in his attempt to change the country; he doesn't help to elevate the poor and underachieved but to take from those of the high end of the economic scale.

Despite the opinions and feelings of others another incident involving a high school senior, a Caucasian male, proves that these infractions are truly costly to the futures of the students incurring them and that something needs to be done.

Jordan Wiser, a student at Ashtabula County Technical School in Jefferson, Ohio was expelled from school after a search of his car turned up a folding pocket knife in a jacket/vest, both used for EMT training. Because of his schools ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy Wiser was referred to the police department and expelled from school. Fox News reported that the school district is obligated to motion for expulsion once a student is found with banned items on campus. School officials reported that it was the decision of the police and prosecutors to charge Wiser with illegal conveyance of a weapon for having the knife which leads to him spending thirteen days in jail.

School officials maintain that he search was prompted after viewing Wiser’s YouTube page, but the videos posted are not of violently graphic, or horrific scenes; Jordan is there teaching the world how to wield the knife, yet he was expelled from school for it. As detailed on his YouTube page it is Jordan’s aspiration to join the Army and serve his country. Now his aspirations are to finish high school over an online program, rather than in the comfort of a classroom filled with his peers. For Jordan Wiser and all other students like him, the school to prison pipeline is very real and swift.

Regardless, the school to prison pipeline is a very real, very dangerous policy which educational administrators have practically built with their use of ‘zero tolerance’ policies and all students, regardless of their racial disparity are victims, once entering the system.  The ACLU defines the ‘school to prison pipeline’ as follows;

“A disturbing national trend wherein children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Many of these children have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse or neglect, and would benefit from additional educational and counseling services. Instead, they are isolated, punished and pushed out.”

“The “school-to-prison pipeline” refers to the policies and practices that push our nation’s schoolchildren, especially our most at-risk children, out of classrooms and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.  This pipeline reflects the prioritization of incarceration over education.”

Because of such incidents growing in numbers over the past years all over the nation the Obama administration has urged schools and administrators to amend zero tolerance policies, and school discipline procedures so that school infractions remain a school problem. The call for such action has been ridiculed as being slightly racist, but statistics have proven that minorities (black, Spanish, ELL’s, Special Needs, etc.) are those mostly affected by the strict disciplinary actions, and they are also among those who are falling behind. Within the ‘guidance package’ created by the administration to detour such infractions includes federal initiatives that coincide with school discipline as well as resources along with the guidelines.

 I urge parents as well as teachers and administrators to ‘push’ for integration and adaption of these guidelines. We, as a nation, only seem to take note of injustice ‘after’ the fact; its high time we step up to the plate and start making the hard decisions that will lead to better lives. By voicing our opinions, norms, and values we can help to steer school disciplinary infractions as we have fought for equality in education and even the abolishment of segregation.

The school to prison pipeline isn’t biased; it also has a zero tolerance policy.