As Louisiana’s State Superintendent of Education calls for school systems to “recommit to assertive discipline” and zero tolerance policies, it’s reassuring to know that there are everyday champions working to keep kids in school and prevent them from being pulled into the youth incarceration system. One of those champions is Dr. Matthew Green, who is a member of FFLIC’s Lafayette Chapter and an Associate Professor with tenure at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. Dr. Green has dedicated a large part of his career and research to student identities and how they intersect with schools and education. This led him to an interest in how to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline– which refers to when school discipline policies and practices push youth out of classrooms and into the criminal justice system.
“It wasn’t until I got to Louisiana that I started to look at the school-to-prison pipeline,” said Dr. Green. “I was learning about Louisiana as a carceral state and how that ideology translates into schools. For instance, It’s the only state where I’ve worked with a ‘disciplinarian,’ and that made me pause.”
Over the last several years, advocates and organizers have been calling for schools to reduce their suspensions and expulsions by adopting less- punitive discipline practices, especially in light of racial disparities. Black students are about twice as likely as white students to be suspended. This leaves Black youth more vulnerable to incarceration, as long-term studies have revealed that students who are suspended for at least 10 days are less likely to graduate and more likely to be arrested and incarcerated by their mid-20s.
That’s why it is disheartening to see Louisiana moving towards ineffective “get-tough approaches” to discipline instead of recognizing that kids who act out are often responding to stressors in their lives, including systemic oppression, trauma, poverty, low self-esteem, and community violence. But we can find hope in the tireless work of community members who understand the negative consequences of harsher punishment and the school-to-prison pipeline and who believe in FFLIC’s work to dismantle it. Dr. Green has been a member of FFLIC for the past two years. Reflecting on his experience he shared his views of the work:
“There is a lot to be done around disrupting the school-to prison, and I imagine it as a highway with multiple lanes. We need people in multiple lanes, and as many people as we can get willing to do this work. For me, it’s tied to my profession, but I want to see FFLIC succeed in its statewide work and I want to provide support…I like that it’s doing the work on the ground, working with youth and having them speak about their experiences. I’m also interested in seeing school policies change and see the juvenile justice system change, and that’s what keeps me involved.”
So while our state is pushing schools to crack down on students and take more punitive approaches, it is more important than ever to find hope. We can find that hope when we join together in our own communities and as part of a statewide movement to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. We are grateful for the champions in our communities like Dr. Green and other members of FFLIC who are working to create and influence change. Now is a critical time to fight for our children so that they are not pushed out of schools and into prisons.
Dr. Matthew Green is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina and is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he teaches multiple courses about inequality in education. He has lived in Lafayette for seven years and has committed much of his energy to grassroots efforts focused on criminal justice reform. With that focus Matthew has worked closely with two community organizations – VOTE and FFLIC – to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, and promote change in criminal justice policy. He is also the first time father of a 4-month old daughter.