7 Yr Old Suspended

[Miss_Scarlett]

I disagree. Look at the post above you where she mentions that the father "seemed articulate." That's the same problem that plays into who gets valued and works against minorities. I think that's why they do these across-the-board punishments because bias comes in if they don't.

 

[Miss_Scarlett]

School discipline tougher on African Americans
Disparity found in Chicago area

September 25, 2007


AUSTIN, Texas - In the average New Jersey public school, African-American students are almost 60 times as likely as white students to be expelled for serious disciplinary infractions.

In Minnesota, black students are suspended 6 times as often as whites.

In Iowa, blacks make up just 5 percent of the statewide public school enrollment but account for 22 percent of the students who get suspended.

Fifty years after federal troops escorted nine black students through the doors of an all-white high school in Little Rock, Ark., in a landmark school integration struggle, America's public schools remain as unequal as they have ever been when measured in terms of disciplinary sanctions such as suspensions and expulsions, according to little-noticed data collected by the U.S. Department of Education for the 2004-2005 school year.

In every state but Idaho, a Tribune analysis of the data shows, black students are being suspended in numbers greater than would be expected from their proportion of the student population. In 21 states—Illinois among them—that disproportionality is so pronounced that the percentage of black suspensions is more than double their percentage of the student body. And on average across the nation, black students are suspended and expelled at nearly three times the rate of white students.

No other ethnic group is disciplined at such a high rate, the federal data show. Hispanic students are suspended and expelled in almost direct proportion to their populations, while white and Asian students are disciplined far less.

Yet black students are no more likely to misbehave than other students from the same social and economic environments, research studies have found.

<snip>

Rest of article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/eedition/chi-070924discipline,0,7975055.story

I think people in positions of power are afraid of minorities, so they feel they have to come down harder on them if there is even a hint of a problem. Now that they've been called to account for that disparity they are just applying the harsh discipline to everyone instead of rethinking the problem. Why else would children get suspended for a cake knife when they bring a birthday cake, for example? So, yes, I think it's relevent to this particular situation in both the reason for the harsh punishment and whether or not they would have changed it had the child been a minority with inarticulate parents who could not lobby effectively (and possibly not have the time) for their child.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

With great respect, I think a discussion regarding racial judgements should be another topic. It doesn't here, imvho....

I reiterate. Not the topic. It should be another discussion seperate from this one.

Outta here....

 

[angelmom]

I disagree. Look at the post above you where she mentions that the father "seemed articulate." That's the same problem that plays into who gets valued and works against minorities. I think that's why they do these across-the-board punishments because bias comes in if they don't.

You know what...don't attribute intentions or implications to me that I didn't say or mean.

Articulate doesn't mean white. Just look at Ronald and Misty Cummings, for Pete's sake! I live in GEORGIA. We certainly have our share of ignorant rednecks. (And I'm related to some of them.:blushing

My point about the dad was that he is obviously educated, able to CALMLY express his point of view and to understand the administrators' position without resorting to threats of violence or legal action.

While being smart, articulate, and reasonable doesn't make one more worthy of their civil rights, it makes the conversation about a problem much easier and more likely to be resolved. Someone who yells, threatens, or makes little sense isn't going to get very far with me. You don't have to be a genius to figure that out.

My grandmother only got to go to school through 8th grade before she was sent to work, but she certainly knew that you catch more flies with honey.

 

[Miss_Scarlett]

I was not attributing racist intentions to you at all. I was just pointing out that that very factor has been cited as a reason our media favors white families.

 

[southcitymom]

I heard a portion of an interview with Zachary's father this evening. He seemed articulate and reasonable.

I think it is very telling that this nice little respectable boy who made a mistake came from a father who says he does not blame the administration for this issue. He says they were very apologetic, but their hands were tied by the zero tolerance rules which, in this county but NO OTHER county in DE, the minimum punishment is 45 days in the alternative school. It's the first thing...not detention or ISS or a one day suspension, but 45 days at the alternative school.

And while he said it wasn't as bad as "reform school" as I tend to think of it, there were kids at that school who made actual threats against other children or teachers and who did bring an actual weapon to school to use or threaten with as a weapon.

He says they blame the people who wrote the policy for not being able to anticipate a situation that called for a lesser punishment, even though every other school district in his state has a different policy. And that, as soon as they Zachary back to his routine, they hope to work to change the policy.

He said the decision was changed and the rule rewritten specifically because of the outcry, and right now the changes are only valid for 1st and 2nd graders. Which is a shame, because I can easily see a 2nd grader, 7-8 years old, making a similar mistake.

I'm glad he isn't ranting and raving about how he's gonna sue someone over this and how it's discrimination against Cub Scouts or whatever. It's refreshing for someone to see a problem, understand how the situation happened, and work to change it so that the next child doesn't suffer.

I appreciate this insight into the players.

I did want to point out then when my son was on the hotseat in the incident I shared earlier, it was a written rule that he should, as a charter student, be expelled from the school for "making a terroristic threat." Administrators have the power to work around stupid rules - which is what they did in my son's case and what I have seen this same principal do with other children (later, the Governing Board for our school actually changed the rule).

 

[shadowraiths]

Zero tolerance has come to be equated with zero intelligence.

No truer words.