In November 1960, Ruby Bridges bravely walked into a
formerly all-white elementary school, ushering in the integration of New
Orleans’ public schools. That journey
explicitly brought young people into the conversation about school equity and
equality. Over 50 years later, youth in
New Orleans remain vocal in that fight.
In November 2013, students at public charter schools across New Orleans
are exercising their right to assemble and speak freely about their concerns
regarding the quality, policies and practices of their schools, following in a
rich tradition of student protests that have led to significant change in our
community. Unfortunately, these young
people have been met with the consequence of out-of-school suspensions or the
threat of out-of-school suspension.
The use or threat of out-of-school suspension in this
case is a well-worn scare
tactic and should be deemed an unreasonable response; suspending students for a
peaceful protest sends the wrong message to our youth about the power of using
their voice (individually and collectively) and about the impact of being
civically engaged. Ruby Bridges has said: “When I think back on that time and all that has occurred since, I also know that there is much more to be done. That fateful walk to school began a journey, and we all must work together to continue moving forward.” If the new wave of education reform in New Orleans is designed to impact the overall quality of schools, how can these schools, and the adults in them, rationalize punishing students for wanting to be part of the conversation and demanding to have a voice in the direction of the journey?
The leadership at the
schools where the students are protesting should create a space for authentic
dialogue about student (and parent) concerns and be open to the critique. Those school leaders should honor the
experiences and the voice of those students (and parents) by collaborating with
them to create solutions for the concerns and to reshape some of the school
policies and practices. Above all else, the leadership at the schools should
remove the threat of out-of-school suspensions for these students; suspending
the students for participating in the protests will do more harm by pushing them out of school and intentionally excluding
them from the learning environment.
The
nation’s educational community is watching New Orleans as a model for education
reform; we have a real shot at demonstrating the value of including all voices
in the way the reform is designed. Given
our country’s values and our deep abiding belief in the transformational power
of education, we owe our young people the opportunity to help shape what that
education will look like without the threat of punishment.
Signed,
Juvenile Justice
Project of Louisiana
Stand Up For Each
Other
Vietnamese American
Young Leaders Association of New Orleans
Southern Poverty
Law Center
Families and Friends
of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children
Kids Rethink New
Orleans Schools
