“Teachers of color can have a positive influence on Students of Color…especially when teachers and students share the same racial background.” -2012 MNEEP study

With the rising number of ethnic students attending St. Paul Public Schools, there has been a rise in suspensions of students of color.

According to an ACLU study, American Indian, African American, and Latino students are facing an estimated 50% dropout rate because of the inequity they face in the classroom. That same study has shown that there is a connection to increasing suspensions, which can lead to the school to prison pipeline. Zero tolerance policies and stricter rules in school have been proven to be more harmful for students of color.

96% of teachers, in Minnesota, are white (MNEEP Report), which not only misrepresents the diversity we have in the Twin Cities, but also doesn’t give children of color role models to look up to in the classroom.

Annalise Archambault, grade 10 at Highland Park High School, is a student of color that recognizes the disparity students face in the public school system. “I do believe there’s a strong difference in suspension rates, or just discipline in general. I feel like when a white kid does something bad, the staff at school is a little more surprised.. But I feel like with students of color they think, ‘this is going to happen again.'”