Chapter 7: School Social Workers and the Critical Framework for Increasing Equity in School Discipline

For over a century, school social workers have played a critical role in advocating for the needs of marginalized children within the educational setting and ensuring that their needs are met (Allen-Meares et al., 2017). The social work profession maintains a core value of social justice with an aligned principle of challenging or advocating against social injustice. Along the same lines, school social workers help to “ensure equitable education opportunities; ensure that students are mentally, physically, and emotionally present in the classroom; and promote respect and dignity for all students” (National Association of Social Workers, 2012, p. 1). Yet are there certain issues for which school social workers are less likely to advocate for in the educational setting?