MA Appleseed & Edgeworth Economics Tackle School Discipline Disparities in Massachusetts

Black girls in Massachusetts are nearly four times more likely than their classmates to be suspended or expelled from school.

To provide communities with the information they need to advocate for more just school systems, Massachusetts Appleseed teamed up with pro bono partner Edgeworth Economics to build a powerful dashboard of school discipline data.

Massachusetts Appleseed’s research has shown these disparities grow from stereotypes and adultification biases that girls of color routinely face. As one student interviewed by Massachusetts Appleseed put it, “I always get comments like ‘Why do you look mad?’ … Just because I look the way I look doesn’t mean I’m aggressive.”

Capacity for Justice

Recognizing the magnifying impact of networked advocacy, John Johnson, Founder and CEO of Edgeworth Economics, created the Appleseed Network Opportunity Fund in 2021 to support capacity building for Appleseed justice centers.

The Appleseed Network Opportunity Fund has supported advocacy for incarcerated mothers in Missouri, school integration in New York City, and second chances for people in Louisiana. The Fund has also brought Appleseed justice centers together to form communities of practice and learning, meeting regularly to share insights, coordinate advocacy, and work through challenges collectively as a network.

The Opportunity Fund allowed Massachusetts Appleseed to hire their first community engagement coordinator to expand their school equity advocacy. Deb Silva, Executive Director for Massachusetts Appleseed, described the impact of this added capacity:

“By centering and amplifying the voices of those closest to issues, we can provide opportunities for leadership development that aid existing youth and community activist efforts, enhance the quality and practicality of our research and advocacy, and build power in our communities capable of driving forward policy change in the long-term.”

If you’d like more information about Appleseed’s advocacy and the Opportunity Fund, or if you’d like to volunteer with Appleseed to help build a world where every person can thrive and justice is abundant, please contact us here.

To learn more about Massachusetts Appleseed’s work on school discipline reform, visit their website here.