Duncan: Unfair School Punishment Rate 'Alarming'

[nofurylike]

Wednesday, March 7, 2012
By: Frederick Cosby

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/moving_america_news/37823

Calling it the part of the "civil rights of our generation," Education Secretary Arne Duncan released a report that showed minority students in schools nationwide disproportionately receive harsher discipline than white students.

-snip-

"Education is the civil rights of our generation," Duncan said in a conference call with reporters Monday. "The undeniable truth is that the everyday education experience for too many students of color violates the principle of equity at the heart of the American promise."

Duncan, who served as Chicago's Schools CEO until 2009, said the "most alarming findings" in the report was "the sad fact" that minority students face "much harsher discipline" than non-minorities, and "some of the worst discrepancies are in my home town of Chicago."

The report found that black students are more than three times more likely than fellow white students to be suspended or expelled. The study's statistics are based on a national collection of civil rights data from 2009-2010 from more than 72,000 schools that serve 85 percent of the nation.

-snip-

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it is not a surprise, of course.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. There is also significant gender bias in the disciplinary rates when I looked

at this area previously. There did not appear to be correlation based on staff race or gender.

I have always wondered if this is more of a urban vs rural problem. In rural communities the likelihood of school staff and the parents knowing each other is much higher and that may impact these kind of numbers.

[nofurylike]

5. if you read the DOE report that bigtree posted:

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-2012-data-summary.pdf


you will see some of that addressed. as is predictable, the gender effect is mitigated by race: putting it simplistically, discipline of black female students outstrips that of white male students by half as much more as does that of black male students.

it also addresses the staff race correlation.

it appears that the urban vs. rural question is addressed in the stats on individual schools and districts, though i have just begun to understand the details of the report.

it is a breakthrough, fascinating, and infuriating, report.

thank you, ProgressiveProfessor!

[bigtree]

2. huge story

. . . the younger generations are well-equipped to take some of the lead in their defense on this. I expect though, that we'll see some significant response from our established defenders, like NAACP and others.

I'm glad to see that it's a DOE study.

read the report:

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-2012-data-summary.pdf

[nofurylike]

6. thank you so much for adding that report, bigtree! yes, "huge"!!

especially that it is a DOE study, yes! it should be shouted from rooftops! (as it would be if it could be used to indict black parents, instead of the institutionalized racism of the entire education system - except those few exceptional, exciting schools the report mentions).

yes, i too feel hopeful that this beginning recognition, and further studies, acknowledgements and actions by the DOE will be of use to younger generations who are taking on these systemic, pandemic injustices! i feel excited, thinking of them working with a DOE that WANTS to uncover and END institutionalized racism!!! now THAT will be a Revolution in Education!!!

:hope:

i will post any responses i find by NAACP and others, and i hope you will too. i am anxious to see those, too!

thank you, bigtree!

[FreedRadical]

3. I also read somewhere...

That Black Male students are getting turned off to school by the 4th grade, many of witch drop out early in high school. Not because of ability or willingness. I have a nagging feeling that this is a by product of the "mythical war on boys".

Indeed, not a surprise.

It always makes me crazy when I hear a report as if it is brand new, and everyone has known about it for years. Decades!!!

[nofurylike]

7. "as if it is brand new ... everyone has known about it for years. Decades!!!" YES YES YES!!!

one reason i posted this is that people here have often posted in recognition of these constant and systematical injustices, for all the years i have read here - have "known about it for" so very long.

it is war on Black Children.

another of the countless methods of Genocide.

thank you, FreedRadical!

[Number23]

4. Thank you for posting this, Fury

So glad to see that the Education Sec sees this as an important issue. Although of course this isn't news to a single black and brown mother in the country.

"Education is the civil rights of our generation," Duncan said in a conference call with reporters Monday. "The undeniable truth is that the everyday education experience for too many students of color violates the principle of equity at the heart of the American promise."

"The answer to every behavioral problem cannot be suspensions and expulsions," he said. "This is where the school-to-prison pipeline begins – and it's on all of us to break these patterns."

Nicely said.

[nofurylike]

8. "Although of course this isn't news to a single black and brown mother in the country"

i tell you, Number23, if this makes me go about out of my mind, i can not even BEGIN to imagine how black and brown mothers feel - just reading that in your comment made me gasp.

excellent quotes!

"the everyday education experience for ... students of color violates the principle of equity" !!!

"This is where the school-to-prison pipeline begins" huge huge huge, almost beyond words, implications


" ... it's on all of us to break these patterns."

yes, yes yes yes yes YES!!!

thank you, Number23!