Banning ‘willful defiance’ suspensions doesn’t help black students

Add California to the list of those committed to "helping" -- with a special focus on providing that "help" to "students of color." Once again, I beg: "Stop 'helping.'"

Senate Bill 419 will ban the state's schools from suspending K-8 public and charter school students, as well as grades 9-12 students until 2025 for "willful defiance." This would be an expansion of an existing ban for K-3.

While the ban is not solely for black students, much of the rationale and conversation around it is centered on race. I do believe students need to be treated fairly and that suspension should not always be the first step, but a law such as this does more damage than good to those it purports to "help."

Let me explain in the form of a letter:

Dear California,

You're not helping. You're setting young people up to fail. Your SB 419 is a joke disguised as justice.

I know you deem this legislation as a semi-40 Acres and a Mule, a form of reparations, a leveling of the playing field. It will keep "minorities" in particular in school rather than at home serving suspensions, as these suspensions have a "disproportionate impact on students of color and other vulnerable student groups," according to the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color.

The problem is that banning students from being suspended for "willful defiance" doesn't provide the fix you're seeking; it only postpones punishment. Defiance that goes unaddressed now will only show up later when the price tag is higher. There are mothers mourning the deaths of children who didn't understand why they couldn't show willful defiance to a police officer, who resisted when they should have complied, who never learned there is such a thing as authority -- and who, unfortunately, found out the hard way. The sooner we teach these lessons, the better off we'll all be. So banning educators from enforcing what could come down to life or death at some point is both dangerous and asinine.

We know, California, that, to you, this is about equality because black students are getting in trouble much more than others and are missing too much school. It sounds like you don't know how to deal with inappropriate behavior, so you're willing to tolerate it. It's easier to label racism as the cause for the disparity in suspensions than to deal with the behavior leading to suspensions. Here's the deal: If racist teachers are running rampant in your schools, that speaks volumes about your leadership. Deal with that, rather than banning suspensions.

Note that when I see injustice, I speak up. I don't excuse it. I will not look the other way if "minority" students are, in fact, mistreated. If your system is rigged for their demise, address it. If teachers are racially insensitive, deal with it. If bad, boring teachers are contributing to kids' bad, boorish behavior, handle it. That's your job. So, no, please do not tolerate mistreatment, but also, please do not tolerate misbehavior because the misbehaving happen to be black and "those poor souls can't do any better."

They can do better. Black students really are capable of proper behavior. Assuming otherwise is what is called the soft bigotry of low expectations, which is, of course, a form of racism itself -- or at the very least, prejudice. They can behave, and they will -- if you lift the low expectations.

I was raised by adults who had high expectations. They made it clear they would tear my tail up if I showed adults disrespect. They expected me to go to school, get an education and not give teachers grief. Period. They told me -- agree or disagree -- what most black parents tell their children: Because I'm black, I will have it harder than others, people won't cut me as many breaks, and I have to work twice as hard to get half as far. They did not, however, allow their belief to be an excuse for bad behavior. In fact, it was a reason to behave. Therefore, California, it seems to me that if your goal is to set kids up for success, you wouldn't minimize punishment for behavior antithetical to that success.

I'm not naive. If you know my story, you know I started out in the projects of the Bronx. I know a little about dysfunction. Do kids who have it hard -- white, black, or otherwise -- sometimes act out more? Yes. But is that acceptable? No. And these young people need to know that. So what's the answer? We love them, and we discipline them -- because we love them. Integral to that is letting them know willful defiance will not be overlooked. Rather, we expect respect, and we are confident they can manage that. We believe it so much, in fact, we are not going to lower standards -- because later in life, neither will the cop and nor will the boss. Might as well learn it now. It may just cut down on all the marching and printing of "Black Lives Matter" T-shirts down the road.

There are times to exercise leniency and show mercy -- but let not race be at the center of that. Again, that's just an example of the soft bigotry of low expectations. It's a way, also, for the folks in charge to feel good about themselves -- when what they're doing is setting up letdowns.

"Our goal needs to be to keep kids in school and to have them be successful," Sen. Nancy Skinner (D), the legislator's author, said. Look, I'm all about keeping kids in school and not having a quick suspension trigger, but I've seen too much of this at the expense of others who actually are well-behaved, who want to learn and who want to feel safe. Who's looking out for them? Too often, well-behaved, willfully compliant students pay the price for the willfully defiant. It's not fair -- to anyone.

I'll say it again: "Stop 'helping' us." Your SB 419 is an attempt at a today-fix, which will only lead to a tomorrow-disaster; you may not see its ill effects now, but we'll all see it later. Your ban will save people from suspensions, but it will not save them from themselves, and that, in part, is the goal of education -- for all students.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member.