Oakland schools to get suspension monitor

[XemaSab]

Facing a civil rights investigation for disciplining black students more harshly than their white peers, the Oakland school board voted Thursday to accept five years of federal monitoring as the district attempts to address the problem.

The agreement with the U.S. Department of Education shuts down the investigation, but it now means that at least until 2017 federal officials will be keeping tabs on 38 Oakland schools as they work to reduce the disproportionate suspension of minority students, especially African American boys.

Almost 20 percent of the district's African American males were suspended at least once last year, six times the rate of white boys.

In middle school, 1 out of every 3 black boys was suspended at least once.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Oakland-schools-to-get-suspension-monitor-3901025.php#ixzz27vjMlWSk

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. I thought we stopped using numeric disparities being evidence of prima facie discrimination

School districts generally have a well defined list of actions and consequences. It is enforced regardless of extenuating circumstances. (No tolerance ring a bell?)

If there are a disproportionate number of one identifiable group acting out and if what I said above is also true, not sure how you can blame the school district for doing what every other district in CA does.

That said, it is interesting to read about some of the attempts by the district to provide what amounts to parenting and leadership for young black males. It may help but it is also shows the weakness in the social fabric and a much larger concern.

My late wife and I had only daughters. Stories like this make me wonder what it would have been like to have a son.

[XemaSab]

2. Kicking my own thread