Dr. Kwame Brown can see the value in learning to cooperate in learning, But he also believes in the value of challenge and noncompliance.

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As we all know at this point, a girl was slammed and dragged in a classroom by a cop. Besides being disgusted by both the officer’s out of control actions and others’ justifications of those actions, another thought kept popping into my mind this week. I have been thinking about how we have fallen in love with compliance.

Look, I recognize that there are cases where teenagers commit violent crimes and must at that moment be dealt with accordingly. I have been there. I have been involved in situations where a teenager had to be subdued.

This situation was not that. And wait until I tell you what this girl had been going through later in the article. She should have gotten the help she needed. More on that later.

This was simply about compliance.

“Officer Slam” escalated this situation to DEFCON Dumb As Hell. Yes, she refused to put her phone away or leave. Yes, she may have struck out AFTER he rushed at her. He was still out of line.

We have to stop force “compliance” in school without any differentiation, in this “zero tolerance” way.

Why? Because I know the long term result of that: No learning. Sure, students will sit there. But they won’t learn.

What I see in my classroom is lots of compliant students. They are compliant when we ask them to quiet down. They are compliant with exams. They are compliant with whatever, as long as they get a degree.

With some shining exceptions in both moments and individuals, classes are seen as this “something to get through.” This view prevails, instead of seeing an opportunity to explore the staggering amount of knowledge we have acquired and have yet to require.

My 3-year-old daughter is less compliant. She is also more curious, more excited about learning, and always wants to know more. While I see the value in learning to cooperate in learning, I also see the value of challenge and noncompliance.

I see that die as we prioritize creating compliant kids who obey.

Note to my students:

If I ask you to put your cell phone away and you refuse, I will not call security. It will be your loss. As long as you are not threatening someone else, you can even stay. If you are disruptive and not violent, I will simply ask you not to come back. If you are not listening to me—your loss.  I hope you make a different decision. Before anyone asks, yes I feel that way about teenagers too. I might ask some of you:  Do you feel more force should be used on adults or kids?

So, when I saw this girl being thrown to the ground after she refused to comply with a request to put her cell phone away, I saw not just a cop who made a bad decision, but the extreme end of the continuum of prioritizing compliance over learning.  This is part of the continuum with high stakes standardized testing and sitting quietly in rows for hours while others talk.

It. Ain’t. That. Serious.

You think you know this girl and who she really is? Really? I punched my 6th-grade teacher dead in the face. Is that who I am?  I punched him because I didn’t want to read that day and he mashed my face in a book. He is the one that escalated that. And it taught me nothing about respect.

I also saw a child likely in pain. Yes, we often think of “bratty” kids. But we fail to see that “acting out” often stems from a child not getting what they need. I understand that this young lady had just lost her grandmother and mother, was placed in foster care, and was at a new school. What she needed was for that teacher to live to fight another day. Nobody wants to be the new kid that gets punked, especially if they feel insecure. Officer Slam understands that. That’s why he slammed this girl. He didn’t want to get punked. So he doubled down on punking her and showing her who was “in charge.”

Bruh, if you ever work again as a cop in a school

and you encounter a teen who is not an imminent threat—back off and regroup. Wait until the class is over and suspend her if you have to. Better yet—take her to someone who can help her. Folks need to learn to differentiate.

Before you come at me like “You don’t know anything about being a cop and what they go through, here is a comment from my friend who IS a resource officer in a school. I reiterate, this is my friend, not some pundit.

Today, I have kept count of how many times we were told “I’ll get you fired!” And you know what, I don’t give a damn. Why you ask, well because I and only I would be the one to get myself fired. But I assure you it will not be for using excessive force.

Glad they fired him and are going through with the charges! He weakened our position with the kids. Disgraceful!

Look you can call me all kinds of punk (try me though).  I am just flat out uninterested in forcing kids to act like they are learning when they are not.

This is also part of what happens when we pack kids into large groups, and pressurize teachers’ jobs.  This child needed people advocating for her, helping her.  But everyone is too busy ensuring “compliance” to take the time to understand and work through serious issues.

This was about compliance and ego.  Imagine if they had decided to be curious instead.

What would you do?  What will you do?  Your choice.

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Photo: Screenshot/YouTube