I’ve taught and been a school counselor in a variety of settings. I’ve also worked with gang members when they got out of jail. And I raised a Black, dyslexic, highly intelligent son. I’ve seen this scenario over and over. When disruptive kids are given responsibility with support and freedom, they blossom. When they are treated as a problem, they don’t. I wrote about some of these kids in my story about teaching English in an Alternative (disciplinary) school, and how I was able to motivate them.