From the Frontline
Because Every Student's Voice Matters: This Month at SDA
At Student Defense Alliance, we believe every student deserves the room to be opinionated, to care too much, and to make mistakes without those mistakes turning into life-altering consequences. This month, we're sharing a personal message from one of our Co-Executive Directors about the moment that shaped her advocacy, and why developmental grace should be available to every child, not just some.
A Message From Our Co-Executive Director- Lynnie Lucas
When I was in sixth grade, my social studies teacher assigned our class a "current events" presentation, during which we needed to overview a culturally relevant topic from the news for our classmates. This was the fall of 2008, the backdrop for a very big presidential election. A boy in my class came to school one day telling us that a certain presidential candidate was not "born in the United States." Unfortunately for him, my current events presentation was set to occur the following Monday. I showed up to class with laminated copies of soon-to-be President Obama's birth certificate and an essay discussing the importance of objective truth in the news. This was the first time in my life I remember feeling enraged at something I felt was unjust.
I could tell this story in a way that makes it seem I was destined to be a lawyer. I mean, I treated story time like an evidentiary hearing. But to me, this story actually exemplifies why I am so passionate about fighting the school-to-prison pipeline. My schools gave me the chance to be opinionated, to care too much, to challenge something. My education prepared me, at just eleven years old, to write an essay summarizing my thoughts and opinions. Teachers saw qualities in me worth developing, turning me into the voracious advocate I am today.
Hundreds of students with disabilities and students of color in Colorado are systematically pushed from the classroom and into cages. White, neurotypical students are given permission to be messy, make mistakes, and grow as people, while neurodivergent kids and kids of color are treated as threats. Manifestations of their disabilities are considered dangerous, and stereotypes are used as fact in disciplinary proceedings. We tell children that school is where they are supposed to learn from their mistakes, but schools too often turn those mistakes into life-altering criminal consequences.
I meet hundreds of kids every single year with the same intensity, passion, and strong will that I had at their age. However, these students are described differently than I was: what was "opinionated" for me is "defiant" for them. My "passion" is described as "disruption." While I was "a leader," these kids are "aggressive" and "threatening." The difference is not that I was more deserving of patience or grace. The traits that eventually made me a lawyer were traits that my educational environment had the luxury and willingness to cultivate rather than punish.
It is this passion and zeal that I bring with me into my role as Co-Executive Director of Student Defense Alliance. I fundamentally believe in the power of an education, and that every child has the right to navigate adolescence without the fear of ending up behind bars. I hope that my advocacy helps create a world in which students are given developmental grace in the same way that a very precocious, probably annoying, eleven-year-old was on "current events" day.
Thank you for trusting me with your students' rights. After two years of fighting tooth and nail for Colorado's kids, I am eager to continue the work at SDA. Let's get to work.
What Developmental Grace Looks Like
The difference between a "leader" and someone labeled "aggressive" is rarely the behavior itself. Too often, it's who gets the benefit of the doubt.
At SDA, we work to close that gap. When a student with a disability or a student of color is pushed out of the classroom for the same curiosity, passion, or strong will that gets praised in their peers, our team steps in. We advocate for the grace that every child deserves: the chance to be opinionated, to care too much, to test boundaries in self-exploration and growth, and to make mistakes without those mistakes becoming determinative of how their lives will pan out.
Every student we work with could be someone's future advocate, teacher, or leader, if the adults around them choose to see it that way.
Ways You Can Stand With Us
Every student's voice matters, and there are a few ways you can help make sure it's heard this month:
Give. A gift of any size helps us take on more cases like the ones above. Donate at studentdefensealliance.com/donate.
Share. Forward this email to someone who cares about student rights, or share it on social media. The more people who know this work exists, the more students we can reach.
Connect. Know a family who needs support, or a student facing unfair discipline? Reach out to us directly. We're here to help.
Thank you for being part of this fight with us.
With gratitude, The Student Defense Alliance Team
Empowering Student Voices: Because Every Student's Voice Matters
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