[Note: I wrote this awhile before New Years and it got lost in the end-of-the-year shuffle, so it may sound a bit dated. But I’ve been reading a whole lot about the problems with mass incarceration, mandatory sentencing and the school-to-prison pipeline and plan to write more about the topics this year. So consider this an introduction, with more posts to follow.]
I missed this when it happened a few weeks back. In the wake of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, U.S. Ed Sec Arne Duncan went to St. Louis to talk with students about problems related to race, police relations and educational inequality. His takeaway:
“The division between young people and the police is huge,” Duncan said. “The division along race in this community is huge. The division along educational opportunity being based on where you live, your zip code, is huge. The inequities are huge.”
According to Duncan, the students want more interaction with police — positive interaction.
“I just can’t overstate how large the appetite is among young people to be part of the solution, to build bridges to the police,” Duncan said. “To have the police see them for who they are, and for the police to see them for who they are. And look beyond skin color, look beyond uniforms, look beyond badges, look beyond stereotypes and get to know each other as humans.”
Nice words. It’s good to see Duncan diving into these issues, especially the problems between the youth and police which isn’t strictly an education issue. But how would he go about improving the situation? Is the conservative “education reform” movement, much of which he and Obama have embraced, his answer? If so, if supporting charters over school districts, sidling toward an acceptance of vouchers and blaming “bad teachers” and teachers unions for our “failing schools” are the ways he wants to lower educational inequity and improve educational opportunity, he’s siding with educational privatizers and profiteers who are more interested in a bigger slice of the education pie than in what’s best for our children.
And if he doesn’t acknowledge the destructiveness of what’s often called the “school to prison pipeline” which brings too many students — especially minority students — into contact with the criminal justice system, if he doesn’t see how much damage that does to young people before they even have a chance to try and get their footing as adults, having young people and police make nice to one another will make little difference.
For anyone who wants to look deeper into the issue of school segregation in the St. Louis area, here’s a terrific analysis. The schools in the Ferguson area which Michael Brown attended are in one of the poorest, most racially segregated and lowest achieving districts in the entire state of Missouri.
This article appears in Jan 1-7, 2015.
The problem with “bad teachers and bad cops” is always the same. The “good ones” protect the bad ones through unions or the “blue code.” Until the system changes, things will stay the same. They need and should police their own.
That’s a lot like begging politicians to be honest. Their actions are a reflection of all of us.
Especially if they are allowed to repeat them.
I guess that sounds anti Hillary. So be it.
Half of the bad dynamic is due to the stupid war on drugs.
The title should read “The division between criminals and the law is huge.” The free stuff people want Obama to give out more get away with crimes passes. The Obama economy is crime pays.
The racist, neo-fascist, deadbeat rancher, Cliven Bundy, being a perfect example of that, huh Harlan Thomas? Oh wait, that’s not something Obama is “giving out,” that’s something the right winger with all his guns has decided to take.
Well if these younger generation got off their butts and didn’t receive hand outs they would realize all the pathetic petty things they think is important wouldn’t matter. Priorities : 1. get education to build your future. 2. get job while getting education. 3. Doing things to get that’s going to damage your future or conduct your way that is not civically responsible. Being young is not an excuse. 18 means your an adult and held responsible for your actions. So thinking you are owed something is probably why their is a huge division. If you can’t contribute to this community then you can’t complain cause your a parasite.
elbeso I guess that you didn’t read the real story. In this case Harry Reed called off the law because he didn’t want the story to come out about his son and the Chinese trying to grab the land. You actually made my point.
Davey, boy you could have at least offered a hint of a partial solution that I hope will be included in your future installments. You might even edit this one and include contacts for police sponsored youth programs besides the law enforcement explorer scout activities. High school Jr ROTC programs are not as much about the military as they are about discipline, pride and respect.
I have always agreed with you about privatization but I still feel you don’t do much more than whine about how bad things are, in your view without offering good directions toward solutions.
I have been a youth volunteer for about fifteen years and the only thing I EVER complain about is not having enough kids. You could go a long way toward resolving my problem by promoting what the police do FOR the youth instead of staying in lock step with those who choose to drag down these fellow human beings.
After reading what Mr. Duncan had to say, it seems as if he just recently got done binge watching a bunch of those “Tiny Elvis” skits from SNL.