We Need Both Parent Engagement and Strong Teacher Relationships to Succeed Against School Pushout in Oakland
By: Taylor Hill, Oakland Scholar
The Energy Convertor (EC) 2021–2022 Scholar Voice Report identified school Pushout as an education concern that requires immediate attention. In the report, contributor Makayla Dixon defined Pushout as a “term used for the punitive discipline practices used by schools, which exclude students from class and too often expel them entirely.” In many cases, “a student leaves a school, often with the school’s encouragement.”
A possible solution to school Pushout is to increase diversity among teachers by staffing classrooms with teachers that reflect students. Diverse teachers will improve teacher-to-student relatability and positively impact student engagement. The EC Report highlighted the importance of keeping parents informed about school data so they can select the right school. This strategy is a proactive way to avoid the Pushout, as parents will likely avoid schools with high suspension and expulsion rates.
Another solution to address school Pushout would be to offer alternative disciplinary actions. The Report shared details of a student who was suspended for skipping class. I wondered if anyone discussed their motivation for cutting class with the student and what answer the student provided. There may be an opportunity to connect with the student and motivate them to attend classes more regularly. Opting to respond to the student who missed class with more time out of class is illogical. The apparent need, in that case, would be to do all possible to support the student to make up for the class time missed.
One of the students interviewed for the report expressed that their current goal was to graduate from high school. I do not want to assume to know what may have caused the student to identify this goal, but I can’t help but wish I’d read that they had post-secondary plans. What would have motivated the student to have higher aspirations in this case? When asked about Oakland’s A-G rates, Dewy Academy Principal Staci Ross-Morrison stressed that “failure should not be a decision that they [students] can make.” Her comments stood out because they speak to the need to establish failure-proof learning environments. Those that urge students to reach their maximum potential. To build further, I believe that the ultimate solution will require schools to bring parents to the table as partners to construct this failure-proof / failure is not an option learning environment. The school-to-home tag team will help reinforce the notion of success leading to improved student outcomes.
Principals and parents are a step removed from the classroom, and teachers are there with students daily. This may be why the report also identified the need for teacher training to ensure they are prepared to meet the needs of their students. For instance, the report included student perspectives. One student mentioned the need for additional tutors, which suggests she didn’t fully understand the content and raises the issue of resources. While increasing access to tutors wouldn’t (necessarily) be the teacher’s responsibility, if aware, they could advocate for the student, elect to tutor, or re-teach their lesson.
Students need strong relationships with their teachers, increased attention from school administration, and more parent engagement for students to succeed.
