Does that sound strange? It may sound strange to people that are unfamiliar with the School to Prison Pipeline. As African Americans, we need to be on this issue no matter what part of America you reside in. This is the beginning of the socio-economic trap.

If your baby gets expelled from school in Ohio he or she cannot attend any other school in the state of Ohio during this period. I am not sure about reciprocity from state to state. Does early expulsion and suspension lead to expulsion from middle and high school, then to the juvenile justice centers and prisons?

I wanted to unpack some of the facts around our babies being expelled from preschool.

There were several important reports that have been issued but they have largely been ignored. African American babies are being disproportionately suspended and expelled from preschool. This is just the first step in a process.

I am going to be specific and discuss my experiences in this area of early expulsion, suspension and testing of our children. Contrary to what we are shown in the media, there is an African American ethos.

We still share as African Americans a bond that was forged generations ago. There are many strands to the bond, it is frayed, but it still exists. It exists mother to mother, father to father, sister to sister, brother to brother. It crosses gender lines and sometimes socio-economic status.

The majority of teachers are white women. Some of these women may be first generation college graduates. Public school may be their first experience associating with African Americans. They have grown up listening to the mass media declare African Americans as sub-humans for all of their lives.

The white teachers are bombarded with negative stereotypes from the mass media. Every day they are shown African Americans are on the bottom rung of society like the untouchables in India.

We are one people but we are many people. When your child enters school, he or she may experience cultural shock in a massive way. Your child becomes quickly immersed in a foreign culture. The expectations are so entirely different from anything your child has ever known.

What is really shocking to me as a former Elementary School principal in a school with predominately white people is that teachers did not see the problem. Guess what, some of the African American teachers did not either, they hated on the African American students just as hard as some of the white teachers. Some of them actually refer to African Americans as, “those people.”

A white teacher actually told me, “We need fewer Jesus’ and Dionte’s.” I was dumbstruck and speechless, something rare for me. I had to walk around and return to her classroom with a response. What type of experience do you think a child of color would have in that classroom?

Let’s say your preschooler walked into that classroom. They see all of the “teacher stuff” and toys. If they are not used to interacting in this type of environment, the trouble begins.

They probably hear upon entering the room, “do not touch anything and sit down here.” If your child did not have a quality preschool experience, they learn quickly they have entered an environment that they do not control.

If they have to sit too long, for them, they get the wiggles. The teacher reinforces, “be still.” The next step for the child may be to scan the room and look for a buddy to interact with.

They may start playing together and the problem escalates quickly. She may isolate the child. The child needs attention, so he or she may continue to try to get it. Intolerable!

The teacher may call home or to the principal’s office. The principal intervenes and the process begins. All parents have signed a Student Handbook. The children have had an assembly where the rules and consequences were outlined.
The Student Handbook outlines the rules that have been approved by the School Board.
To be continued…..