Why Are Black Students Punished So Often? Minnesota Confronts a National Quandary

New York Times ^ | March 18, 2018 | ERICA L. GREEN

[reaganaut1]

MINNEAPOLIS — When Erin Rathke, the principal at Justice Page Middle School, is called to extract a student from class, she hears the same plea over and over again, most often, she has to admit, from black children: “The teacher only sees me.”

The plea weighs heavily at Justice Page, where African-American students are 338 percent more likely to be suspended than their white peers. “It’s painful sometimes, but I have to say, ‘Yes, that’s probably true,” Ms. Rathke said.

It is a reality that district leaders here have been grappling with for years: The Minneapolis school district suspends an inordinate number of black students compared with white ones, and it is struggling to figure out why. Last year, districtwide, black students were 41 percent of the overall student population, but made up 76 percent of the suspensions.

Numbers like that prompted the Obama administration in 2014 to draft tough new policies to try to address racial disparities in school discipline across the country. Now, the Trump administration is trying to reverse those policies — in part, administration officials say, as a response to school shootings like the massacre last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

The Obama-era policies — and the Trump-era reversals — have divided educators in the Twin Cities. In recent months, educators from Minneapolis, St. Paul and suburban Minnesota traveled to Washington to lobby the Education Department in support of reversing the 2014 guidelines, which encouraged school districts to review racial disparities in student discipline rates to ensure against violations of federal civil rights laws. Those that do not comply can face federal investigation or a loss of funding.

Then another group followed them to lobby for keeping the guidance.

[politicianslie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSAoitd1BTQ

Quite interesting, I started by reading the comments. IS She real or not? Funny!

[MNJohnnie]

Because the RAP/Hip Hop culture glorfies the one who is disrespectful and thuggish.

How about ONE TIME, we hold the perpetrators responsible for the antics instead of making excuses for them.

[Scarpetta]

Back in the nineties, SEPTA (Philadelphia’s bus lines and regional rails) went on strike. Shoplifting at surrounding suburban malls dropped like a rock in during those weeks. King of Prussia mall alone reported more than a 70% drop in retail thefts.

I myself make it a point to never go to a movie theatre that can be gotten to by public transportation.

[MAGA2017]

Good grief! This is not a mystery. They are more likely to behave badly. Most of of them do not come from two parent households.

[dila813]

I think they should start gathering statistics on these suspensions based on the way they dress and tattoos and see what that reveals.

I bet there is even a stronger correlation

[AppyPappy]

Noticing bad behavior.....is racist.

[papertyger]

The perfect bureaucratic problem!

They need more resources to fight it, but are not allowed to actually identify the cause!

[manc]

Don’t expect the media, the pathetic media to actually report those facts.

[ABN 505]

With an average IQ of 85 I can imagine it is frustrating for a black kid to see other people being able to easily read and understand normal class assignments while he cannot comprehend the simplest of instruction, I could see him striking out and disrupting classes. Not to excuse it but I can understand. Perhaps mainstream classes are not for these kids and they can be taught in other ways. Just thinking because I know that the powers in charge will never admit there is a difference in intelligence.