I attended the ECOC Conference today. The theme was
Dismantling the Cradle to Prison Pipeline. The day started off with some sobering statistics about the state of affairs in Colorado for children of color.
For example in Colorado Springs, 39% of children living in poverty are Black, 31% are Hispanic, and 9% are White. When looking at children under 5 years old the numbers jump to 50% for Black and 33% for Hispanic. How does this impact their leaning? 4 year olds that live in poverty are 18 months behind when they start school.
Prison/Jail Statistics
High School dropouts are 8 times as likely to be incarcerated.
50% of all Colorado inmates are high school dropouts.
The ratio of Blacks to White in prison is 6.6:1
The ratio of Latinos to White in prison is 2:1
It was stated that in California there are
prison developers that look at the current years 3rd grade reading scores to project how many prison beds they will need to build. I have heard this alarming statement before and have often wondered what sources were available to verify the truth. A quick Google search reveals many articles that
dispute this statement. However, it is a powerful concept that makes educators sit up and think about the impact of students below level.
The purpose of the conference is to begin dismantling this "pipeline" that devastatingly impacts our community. I heard from inspirational, thought-provoking, and humbling speakers today including, Byron Garrett (Keynote), Beverly Bennett-Roberts, and Bobby Muhammad. Below you will find a short summary of the "take ways" that I gained from my day at the conference.
Keynote - Byron Garrett
Byron Garrett
Byron was the former CEO of the PTA, former educator and principal. He now consults with NBC and the White House to help our nation focus on education. Byron was inspirational and funny. Some of the quotes I took away form the session:
- "In this day and age, you cannot have the luxury of assuming anything about anyone".
- "I'm a realist, not an idealist."
- "It's not new information that we spend $30-$40K per year to keep a man incarcerated, yet only $5-6K per year to educate a child. As my grandma used to say, 'two and two don't equal four - especially when one of the twos is negative number.'"
- "Money is not everything - if you pour money into a bad system, then you will create an even larger problem."
- "There is no shortage of talent and intelligence in this country. There is a shortage of resources and support to provide the educational environment for that talent to blossom."
Mr. Garret closed with the ABC's of Life...
Why Am I Still on First Base? The Achievement Gap
Beverly Bennett-Roberts
Sweep the Ramp
Beverly told a short story of students riding to school on the bus when it began to snow. It started snowing harder and harder. The school officials were trying to decided if they were going to close school for the day. But since the buses had already started their routes, they decided to continue on to school. When they got to school the custodian was sweeping off the stairs so children could get in to school. A student in a wheelchair got off the bus and asked the building manager to clean off the ramp so he could get inside. The custodian said, "You will have to wait until I am finished with the stairs". The little boy in his wheel chair waited and waited. Finally, he asked the custodian to clean off the ramp again. The custodian said he would still need to wait. The little boy replied, "But if you clean off the ramp first everyone can get into the school and no one will have to wait".
In education what does that mean? If we are focused on the steps so much, we forget that there may be an easier way to provide an education to all. If a teacher scaffolds or tiers a vocabulary lesson to the needs of one child or group, maybe that scaffold strategy will help all students. Let's start "sweeping the ramp".
White people have institutional likeability
Family Engagement
Byron Garrett
My question for this session was how do I as the Assistant Principal engage the community on a deeper level than monthly community nights.
"Go to where the people are, not where you are".
"Flex the hours of school to make it easier for parents to be involved".
Latino Families
- Fear of government buildings- including schools.
- Engage at church, provide child care
- grocery store
Black Families
- barber shop, nail salon, church
- grocery store
Books and Resources
Culture and Mindset of Black Male Students
Bobby Muhammad
Mr Muhammad outlined historical evidence that supports the argument that the "Cradle to Prison Pipeline" was constructed on purpose and has been designed throughout the centuries by the dominant culture for financial gain. While this was very uncomfortable to listen to, it brought up some very powerful ideas that reminded me that the effects of this legacy still linger today. And, in fact, may still be perpetuated in our current educational systems. As a school administrator, it is vital that I help lead us away from the effects of this legacy towards empowerment and equity for all.
Mr. Muhammad's answer to this is to bring spirituality back into the schooling of our students. To use spiritual cornerstones as the foundation for education.
Quotes from Mr. Muhammad
- "The pipeline has been constructed based on a blueprint. We must look at the architecture of the pipeline".
- "Spiritual wickedness in high places."
Resources
The New Jim Crow - Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
NPR Interview with Michelle Alexander author of The New Jim Crow
Weapons of Mass Instruction -
John Taylor Gatto
