When children misbehave, they should be held accountable; similarly, when schools treat children unfairly and consign certain children to harsher punishments than others, they, too, should be held accountable for their actions.
The more school children receive supports to reach their potential, the better off Texas will be. We expect our schools to provide a welcoming climate for every child and to help guide kids to success. Unfortunately, schools can stunt children’s potential, too, with misguided punishments that remove students from the classroom and are unfairly directed toward some groups of kids more than others. Research shows Texas schools can act as a child’s portal into the juvenile justice system and that this practice does a great disservice to kids and their communities alike, causing fewer children to reach their potential. With certain kids consistently removed from their classroom regardless of the frequency or level of their wrongdoing, some Texas students miss out on the equal shot at completing their education that every child deserves.