school to prison pipeline

spritzerJ · 08-11-2012, 02:48 PM

The article referenced barely scratches the surface on the issue of the school to prison pipeline. I cite it as a blatant example of the racism and how simple it is to construct so seamlessly a system that feeds children to prisons.

I'm not an expert on this topic. Nor of topics related to racism, class struggles or institutional bias. I just simple notice how the institutions of education and prisons have both experienced (nearly simultaneously it seems to me) shifts that make them money makers for corporations. Prisons maintained, run by companies. Public service dollars funneled into corporate companies. Schools/testing providers run by companies. Again, more profiting from public dollars.

As "institutions" created for the safety and advancement of our country's youngest and legally most vulnerable citizens (education/corrections) I am struck how policies that intertwine feed these systems and create continuous profits. At the expense of us all. And we pay for this.

It shocks me that we would pay to treat our citizens this way. As pawns to be demonized and profited from. And it is so blatant.

Martina · 08-11-2012, 04:10 PM

I am so hot and tired. I just drove nearly four hours (a trip that should only take two and a half), so I might not make sense.

In a way all of our schools are pipelines to prison for poor kids, especially students of color. That's the avenue that is created for our students, the path of least resistance, unless they are very capable, hardworking, and/or lucky.

Meridian was just speeding up the process.

spritzerJ · 08-11-2012, 04:31 PM

Martina you are certainly making sense. I don't want to you to be though.

Meridian certainly made it explicit and simple to follow the process.

We are both getting ready to start another school year and this may not have been the Rah-Rah subject we need right now. Yet, it is part of why I choose to teach in public schools. For good or not I am driven to be there.

I try not to "live" in the space that schools are all feeding the pipeline. It is reality. Insidious and costly.

08-11-2012, 02:48 PM	#1
spritzerJ Timed Out - Permanent How Do You Identify?: Queer (gender), female (biological marker) Preferred Pronoun?: she will work as a default. Relationship Status: engaged to jac until 8/10/14 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Maine Posts: 3,154 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,307 Thanked 15,802 Times in 2,905 Posts Rep Power: 0	The article referenced barely scratches the surface on the issue of the school to prison pipeline. I cite it as a blatant example of the racism and how simple it is to construct so seamlessly a system that feeds children to prisons. I'm not an expert on this topic. Nor of topics related to racism, class struggles or institutional bias. I just simple notice how the institutions of education and prisons have both experienced (nearly simultaneously it seems to me) shifts that make them money makers for corporations. Prisons maintained, run by companies. Public service dollars funneled into corporate companies. Schools/testing providers run by companies. Again, more profiting from public dollars. As "institutions" created for the safety and advancement of our country's youngest and legally most vulnerable citizens (education/corrections) I am struck how policies that intertwine feed these systems and create continuous profits. At the expense of us all. And we pay for this. It shocks me that we would pay to treat our citizens this way. As pawns to be demonized and profited from. And it is so blatant.

08-11-2012, 04:10 PM	#2
Martina Senior Member How Do You Identify?: * Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: * Posts: 4,999 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,409 Thanked 18,285 Times in 4,167 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	I am so hot and tired. I just drove nearly four hours (a trip that should only take two and a half), so I might not make sense. In a way all of our schools are pipelines to prison for poor kids, especially students of color. That's the avenue that is created for our students, the path of least resistance, unless they are very capable, hardworking, and/or lucky. Meridian was just speeding up the process.

08-11-2012, 04:31 PM	#3
spritzerJ Timed Out - Permanent How Do You Identify?: Queer (gender), female (biological marker) Preferred Pronoun?: she will work as a default. Relationship Status: engaged to jac until 8/10/14 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Maine Posts: 3,154 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,307 Thanked 15,802 Times in 2,905 Posts Rep Power: 0	Martina you are certainly making sense. I don't want to you to be though. Meridian certainly made it explicit and simple to follow the process. We are both getting ready to start another school year and this may not have been the Rah-Rah subject we need right now. Yet, it is part of why I choose to teach in public schools. For good or not I am driven to be there. I try not to "live" in the space that schools are all feeding the pipeline. It is reality. Insidious and costly.