I have had the privilege of working with incredible students through my microschools, Black Mothers Forum Microschools, where I’ve seen firsthand the challenges Black, Brown, and special needs students face in our traditional public education system. Now, beyond helping to improve their education and lives within the classroom, I have the unique opportunity to share their stories and raise awareness about the inequities within our traditional public schools.
As the ‘A Choice for Every Child’ Fellow with the Common Sense Institute Arizona, I recently contributed to the release of a new report, “Do Public Schools Serve All Students,” and the data is clear: too many of our Black, Brown, and special needs students are being left behind.
To start, let’s talk about the foundation of Arizona’s public school system — something many folks don’t realize is that it’s rooted in an old model from 18th-century Prussia.
This model wasn’t designed with today’s diverse student needs in mind.
It was built to create disciplined, obedient citizens, focusing on standardization and uniformity. It aimed to make education accessible to everyone, but it prioritized conformity over individuality and cultural diversity. And when you try to squeeze every child into the same rigid mold, you end up failing a lot of them — especially those from marginalized communities.
The system is stuck in a one-size-fits-all approach that simply doesn’t work for kids with different needs and backgrounds, which is why it is disproportionately harming the educational experiences of our Black, Brown, and special needs students. Instead of lifting these students up, the system often pushes them down, punishing them for self-expression that is often misunderstood in classrooms that do not reflect or embrace the cultural differences of these students.
For example, one case study featured in my research with the Common Sense Institute found that a Black 5th grade girl in the Arizona public school system was punished for distracting her teacher for playing with her braids in class, while her White peers were able to play with their hair discipline free. This created an ongoing fear of being suspended for the student, leading her to become anxious in the classroom and ultimately fall behind.
According to our research, zero-tolerance policies are only making this worse, particularly in districts that are predominantly nonwhite and serve lower-income families — just five of these districts account for 20% of all suspensions and expulsions across the state of Arizona.
If ‘I’ is for ‘Integration’, then ‘E’ should be for ‘Equity’
When we talk about integration in public schools, the reality is that Black, Brown, and special needs students still face significant barriers. These students are often placed in underfunded schools that lack the resources and staff to support their success. Integration in the public school system was meant to create equal opportunity for students. But how can it be equal when we’re forcing these students into a system that was never designed with them in mind? A system that doesn’t reflect their cultures or experiences in the curriculum, nor meet their needs due to lack of resources or funding to execute on individualized education plans (IEPs) required by these students. When our children walk into classrooms where they don’t see themselves represented nor have proper tools or support to thrive, they disengage, fall further behind, and get stuck in a cycle that’s anything but equitable.
My research with the Common Sense Institute found that Black students, who make up just 5% of the student population, account for over 10% of all suspensions. Half of that 5% are Black male students, who receive a disproportionate 70% of the most severe disciplinary actions such as suspensions and expulsions. Brown students and special needs students aren’t spared either. Special needs students, who make up 13% of the population, receive 27% of suspensions and 15% of expulsions.
I hear these families’ stories every day — parents searching for alternative learning solutions for their children who are being suspended or expelled due to zero-tolerance policies that do not take into account cultural differences or the additional emotional and mental support these students desperately need. Now, these students, who were already struggling in underfunded traditional public schools and lacking necessary resources and support, will be forced to play catch-up as the achievement gap between them and their classmates continues to grow.
When Black, Brown, and special needs students fall behind due to disproportionate punishment, their futures start to unravel. These children — bright, talented, full of potential — see their dreams of higher education and meaningful employment slip further out of reach. According to Stanford scholar, Carrie Spector, often the next stop on this path isn’t college or a career; it’s the criminal justice system. The school-to-prison pipeline is real, and it’s a direct result of a system that punishes first and asks questions later – if at all.
Breaking Cycles and Building Futures
As a mother of a Black son and the founder of Black Mothers Forum, I’ve felt the desperate need to find alternative learning environments to provide the safety, support, representation, and resources that allow our Black, Brown, and special needs students to thrive.
One of the tools that has made these options more accessible for families is the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program. ESAs empower families by giving them the financial flexibility to choose the best learning environments for their children. Whether it’s public charter schools, private schools, homeschooling, or innovative models like microschools and learning pods, ESAs allow qualifying families to place their students in learning environments that truly meet their unique needs and learning styles.
In Black Mothers Forum microschools, we’ve seen the incredible impact of smaller class sizes, individualized attention, and culturally responsive teaching. Students who were once struggling are now experiencing improved academic outcomes and a greater sense of cultural identity. We’ve created a safe learning environment by actively welcoming and encouraging parent involvement in their children’s learning, creating a supportive community where parents feel valued and heard. This engagement has made a profound difference in creating a safe, supportive and productive learning space, as well as healing the deep-rooted distrust these families have for the educational system.
Arizona is unique in the innovation of education as 70,000 students so far have decided to step out of the traditional public school system and into an ESA program where they feel they are being better served. We are creating a new education system where integration means more than just sharing classrooms—it means true equity for every student. Where schools meet the diverse needs of all children, with culturally responsive teaching, and individualized mental and emotional support. Parents are partners in their child’s education, fully welcomed and valued.
This is the future of education, and it is the equitable education system Black, Brown, and special needs students deserve.
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
