Introduction:

All across the United States of America, we have seen such a shameful Injustice that takes place every. This Injustice happens to be very dependent on both skin color as well as ZIP Codes of individuals. It is shameful to think that in a public education system that we are not serving all students equally and equitably. However that is the unfortunate reality that we live in todays society. Both funding, disciplinary techniques, as well as resources look drastically different just based on the location of where your child is going to school. We live in a country where students can be in a school that is funded 10 times more than another school that is 20 minutes away with the same amount of students.

1. What school Injustice looks like:

School Injustice is something that is very clear in our society, however not everyone will experience this. The reason for this is because the simple fact of the matter is that education looks different all through the country. However, one thing that is consistent all throughout the county is the fact that schools with majority students of color are significantly under-resourced in funding, technology, staff, qualified professionals, and even in proper behavior management techniques and training. Did you know that students of color are four times as likely to be suspended, or expelled than their white peers? (Ehrhardt-Madapathi 2018) This is the ugly reality in the American public education system and it doesn’t just end with suspicions. Students of color are also more likely to drop out of school, receive failing grades, and are less likely to have resources like a tutor or a school counselor. (Darling-Hammond) 

2. What are the effects of educational Injustice?

Injustice in schools leads to real world consequences. Unfortunately, schools that have a higher population of students of color usually see stronger police presence and also see more students being arrested. But the effects of Injustice don’t end there; students who come from underfunded schools are also more likely to drop out of school, receive lower grades, get into physical altercations, and these are only a few of the consequences of educational injustice (Ehrhardt-Madapathi 2018). Unfortunately these problems are still ongoing and have only worsened with the pandemic. Many of these underfunded schools that mostly teach minorities we're not able to give their students the education they deserve because funding is too low and they could obtain the right technology.

3. Call to action!

So what can we do to address the Injustice that is taking place in United States schools? There are many things that can be done to address the Injustice that is taken place within our country. One of the most significant ways that we can combat Injustice, is to vote for legislators who will support the funding that these underfunded schools need and this will then essentially assistance them. The United States should most certainly look into changing schools from being a locally funded system, to being a centrally funded system. (Cusick et al., 2021) So that funding is split evenly and we can then finally spend the same amount of money on students across the country with the exception of students that might need more money spent on them for disability services.

Cusick Julia, et al. “Fighting Systemic Racism in K-12 Education: Helping Allies Move from the Keyboard to the School Board.” Center for American Progress, 3 Nov. 2021, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/fighting-systemic-racism-k-12-education-helping-allies-move-keyboard-school-board/.

Darling-Hammond, Linda. “Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education.” Brookings, Brookings, 28 July 2016, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/unequal-opportunity-race-and-education/.

Ehrhardt-Madapathi, Natalie| Pretsch. “Effects of Injustice in Primary Schools on Students' Behavior and Joy of Learning.” Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal, Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-Mail: Service-Ny@Springer.com; Web Site: Http://Www.springerlink.com, 31 Mar. 2018, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1179478.

“Getting to the Root of Educational Injustice.” Harvard Graduate School of Education, https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/14/07/getting-root-educational-injustice.

Lockett, Phyllis. “Nine Ways We Can Address Racial Injustice in Our Schools, Today.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 18 Sept. 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/phyllislockett/2020/09/18/nine-ways-we-can-address-racial-injustice-in-our-schools-today/?sh=602b2afd362f.

PostedFebruary 13, 2020byTafari Melisizwe. “Still Not Free: Connecting the Dots of Education Injustice.” Dignity in Schools, https://dignityinschools.org/still-not-free-connecting-the-dots-of-education-injustice/