Improving the numbers by changing the rules

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

Some racially neutral laws and policies have a disproportionately negative impact on certain groups. For example, black children are disciplined in schools at higher rates than other children. To liberals, the reason must be “institutional racism,” “cultural bias,” or something similar. A common-sense explanation is these children tend to engage in more discipline-worthy behavior.

To reduce the discipline rates, the government modifies the rules. St. Louis Public Schools, for instance, recently changed its discipline policy. Starting next year, children in preschool through second grade won’t receive out-of-school suspensions, and students in any grade caught with illegal drugs will be offered treatment instead of receiving automatic punishment. Taxpayers will contribute to funding social workers, counselors, and extra training for teachers to deal with “certain behaviors.” The goal is to help the rule-breaking children change their behavior while they’re young.

“If we have a young person who when they get frustrated they start hitting people, they really haven’t developed the skill to express their frustration in a more productive way,” deputy superintendent Stacy Clay said. “It’s our job to give them those skills so they don’t hit and provide some other mechanism for them to express their frustration.”

Sounds like a job for parents. Speaking of which, what role will the disruptive children’s families play under this new policy? Will they be held more accountable? Correcting and training a child begins at home, and parents must teach children to control their impulses. Sadly, too many kids who act up in schools grow up in unstable homes. School districts can’t do anything about family instability, so they do what they have the authority to do: change the rules to make the numbers look better and hopefully help children improve their behavior along the way.

There are no innocent people among us, as we’re all born sinners. King David, the man after God’s own heart, recognized that he was “brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” We’re all held to account for our behavior, regardless of race or sex. The sooner children understand this, the better.