Bias in school discipline: When the teacher says your child is “acting out”

It’s an all too familiar situation for many families of color. The phone rings. It’s the school calling to say your child has been “acting out” in class. Again.  

In this episode about bias in school discipline, host Julian Saavedra talks with Busola Saka, a parent and creator of Instagram’s @BlackBoyThrive, and Jolie Battista, a former special education teacher who’s an expert on positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).  

Listen as they discuss key terms like implicit bias, significant disproportionality, and manifestation determination. Find out why these terms are extra important to know if you’re the parent of a child of color. And get actionable tips to help advocate for kids who have learning and thinking differences like ADHD and dyslexia.

Get a transcript for this episode and check out more Opportunity Gap episodes at u.org/opportunitygap. 

Comments? Email us at opportunitygap@understood.org. 

Related resources from Understood

• Why kids act out and how to help
• Why some kids play the “class clown”
• Understanding your child’s behavior as communication (podcast)
• What is PBIS (positive behavioral interventions and supports)?
• School discipline: What are the rights of kids with IEPs and 504 plans?

Data sources and other information

• Bias isn’t just a police problem — it’s a preschool problem (NPR)
• Why, really, are so many Black kids suspended? (Education Week)
• Pandemic-era civil rights data is essential to inform special education equity (K–12 Dive)
• Significant disproportionality in special education: Trends among Black students (National Center for Learning Disabilities)
• New guidance helps schools support students with disabilities and avoid discriminatory use of discipline (U.S. Department of Education)

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give