Let’s talk about the #AmyCooper Teacher in schools (thread)
Calls for Security because student won’t sit in there assigned seat
Always wants to know what’s the discipline policy, color-coded preferred, must have escalations
Says they feel threatened regardless of the size of the child, 10-year-old 11-year-old eight-year-old, “threatened” by a child
Calls the main office for security again, or a counselor, or the. It’s, or anyone.
Calls the office again to share how long they’ve been waiting
Frequently talks about a lack of discipline consequences equating to a hostile work environment
Says that brown student ex is taking away from the education of the others
Calls everyone’s direct phone line in the school building to come and sit with brown students if they can’t send a student out
By the way, this is way more entertaining than doing my actual writing
Likes to snatch things out of students hands and blame them for escalating the situation
Talks about how restorative justice will never work, and misses the good all days
Tells student look me in the eye when I’m talking to you, wow they are making the student feel inferior and not listening to the students perspective
Actually goes through the process of filing a police report and a small child that pushes them with the child is half their weight and far shorter than them
Says that her school is unsafe because the discipline policies are not changing the students behaviors, make sure that that’s clear on all surveys both internal and external
Approaches is a student when they are escalating and asserting their humanity, even when a student says get out of my face, interprets that as a threat, and gets closer
Has the most documented out of class referrals in the school, but is unwilling to call families about it, meet with families to discuss it, or acknowledge their part in the matter
Like to say that “students don’t want to be here”, “aren’t motivated to learn”, “need to learn respect”, and “enjoy the railing their class”.
Always has to have the last word when debating with a student
Likes to bring up behavior even when the conversation is about academics, has to take advantage of the opportunity of the only time we’ve been able to get a parent in to the school
Still Assigns lunch detention and when students don’t show up physically goes out to the schoolyard to pick them up in March them Past their peers to go to detention. (She’s smirking too)
Insists on student complying with their directive in front of their face while they stand in front of the classroom and make it abundantly clear that they are waiting for the student to comply immediately
Make sure that they let student know that they are still holding on to what happened the day before, but says you have a clean slate, but mentions to “make sure that we don’t do what we did before, right?” We means, the student.
Ok. That was cathartic. Back to writing.
Update: Amy does not have to be white and Amy does not have to be a woman. We are all perpetuators of this mindset and dehumanization of students and racism. It’s about unpacking it. Believe me I am talking to myself as much as I am talking shit to the Twitter sphere.
Statistically though, Amy is a white woman. Like 85% of 100%.
Related blog post: culturallyresponsiveleadership.com/suspensions/
