School vs. Student's First Amendment: An Overview of Kaminer's "The War on High Schools"

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The essay entitled “The War on High Schools” by Wendy Kaminer explores the consistently progressing issue regarding the student right of free speech and the contrasting nature of school’s growing total authoritative mentality. Through the ample number of instances and examples of school students obtaining outrageous consequences involving only little to no violent or rebellious acts of behavior, Kaminer thoroughly highlights how the educational system is becoming more militarized by establishing bureaucratical elements, which is inadvertently causing imminent removal of free speech and self-expression from any student who opposes the school system for any reason at all. Kaminer’s purpose is to inform the readers of the growing concern over zero tolerance policies growing across the nation into order to effectively provide a balanced solution for both parties to coexist. Her intended audience is directed towards school and government administrators who can bring effectual change to the issue at hand.

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“The War on High Schools” captures the realistic aspect on how many schools throughout the nation run today. In addition, as a current student, I was surprised to notice that the traits she described in her essay are relatable of what I’ve seen throughout my academic experience. In our modern day, schools are relying on limiting self-expression and freedom of speech to control any seemingly rebellious or violent behavior that may occur. This type of generalization tends to always lead to conflict; there are “students who dare to use their speech rights to protest” and those who “are instinctively drawn to authoritarianism”, both of which create an entirely new generation of those who create rigid dominions of their own versus those who learn to rebel against them. Furthermore, I was shocked to realize that the similarities between public schools and prisons are moving closer to each other as this trend progresses; If a school functions like a prison, it is unrealistic to expect students not to behave like inmates. Learning is supposed to be a transformative and enjoyable to each unique individual. As a result, random drug tests and strip-searches are potentially creating the very same atmosphere the school systems wish to abolish.

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Kaminer uses presents an ample number of examples to articulate and effectively illustrate the difference and growth of bureaucracy in America’s modern school system. The opening paragraph elucidates the perspective of the school system’s past functions and how it reflected society at the time. Kaminer states how “[h]igh school gave me my first lessons in bureaucracy: Rules were meant to be rigidly applied, not questioned; power was meant to be abused by petty functionaries.” She further explains how her “high school also offered opportunities for self-expression and contained rebellion” during “the mid-1960s, a time of protest”. As society and politics change through the course of time, it is evident that many of our local and national functions follow.

The author explains that “wrath of school bureaucrats today”, which evolved from national problems such as drugs, violence, and even terroristic attacks, are responsible for the increased authoritarian system running in schools presently. From suspending students for “inappropriate outfits” to requiring others to memorize autonomous poems, the educational system, as described by Kaminer, “is becoming militarized. Teachers and administrators give orders, and students are expected to follow them.” The author dictates this concept by listing many examples involving children of all ages to prove the limitation and free speech and expression; having children suspended for “playing war with toy guns in the woods adjacent to their school” and “wearing a pro-vegan T-shirt to school” are prime examples of why “student speech rights have been steadily eroding for the past two decades”.

Ultimately, Kaminer’s in-depth insight into the constant deterioration of student free speech and self-expression allows the intended audience to search and strive for a balanced solution to allow the youth, our future, to represent what American freedom truly is.

-Denzell


Citations:
Wendy Kaminer. “The War on High Schools.” The American Prospect, November 2001 http://www.prospect.org. The American Prospect, 1710 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20036. All rights reserved.