Kids in Cuffs: Striving for Equity and Empathy in Education

by Ar'Sheill Monsanto

Picture it. Twenty years ago you experience exclusionary discipline firsthand. Years later you become a parent and suddenly your kid is pulled aside by the teacher for a supposed offense. Your kid has no idea what he’s done wrong. When you pick him up that day, you learn that he was disciplined for a benign, youthful action. Situations like this happen more often than not to students of color.

Long-standing discriminatory practices in school discipline, whether intentional or not, have manifested colossal gaps in education. And yes, disproportionate school discipline starts as early as daycare and can persist through high school, leading to the school-to-prison-pipeline.

In Kids in Striving for Empathy and Equity in Education, author Ar’Sheill Monsanto happens when students get suspended?Do school police really deter violence like school shootings?Are there alternatives to exclusionary discipline?What is restorative justice?Now is the time for shifts in school discipline policies in order for education to be equitable for all students.

127 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 23, 2021

Reviews

[AC · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! As a teacher and product of public schools, I’ve never really questioned the presence of cops on campus. Monsanto pushed my thinking around exclusionary discipline and other measures that have negative lasting impact on kids.

Also, we love data!! There’s plenty of that to back up thoughts.