Racism in discipline?

[scooter1369]

Parents Contend Discipline Differs by Race
Oct 09 2006 11:32PM
Reported by Kurt Ludlow


A group of parents is asking a local school board to take action on the complaint that students of different races are getting different treatment.

To the African American United Parents of Pickerington, the numbers don't lie.

"This cannot go on one more day," parent Karen Hairston said.

"While we make up 15.4 percent of the student population, we account for over 75 percent of the discipline. Something's wrong with that picture," Hairston continued, telling Monday night's school board meeting.

She made an impassioned plea to the school board.

"(And) we request immediate action for these injustices."

The parent group demanded the Pickerington school board address what they say is rampant racism when it comes to disciplining black students.

"It might be a black person walking down the hall with a set of headphones and get expelled. But when a white counterpart does it, he might be told to take the headset off and be gone about he merry way," parent Duane Gosa contended.

The numbers parents got from the State Department of Education suggest black students are as much as seven times more likely to be disciplined than white students. The district says its discipline policy is colorblind.

"And it's not different based on the color of their skin," board president Lisa Reade added.

The district's own data shows that 10 white students out of 100 were disciplined last year. For black students, the ratio was 42 out of 100.

"I think we can sit down and talk about them and so on, and try to match up figures and numbers," superintendent Dr. Robert Thiede offered.

"I don't want to match up figures and numbers. I want changes," Gosa responded.

While we make up 15.4 percent of the student population, we account for over 75 percent of the discipline. Something's wrong with that picture

Maybe its because your kids are hooligans...

 

[CleveBucks]

Maybe the parents should look at themselves, whatever race they may be.

 

[Taosman]

It all starts at home. :(

 

[DEBuckeye]

Maybe the parents should look at themselves, whatever race they may be.

Look at themselves? Are you kidding? It's not their fault, it's never their fault. Looking at themselves would mean taking responsibility. We wouldn't want that, now would we? It's so much easier to bitch about something and find someone else to blame.

 

[osugrad21]

I'm not saying either side is correct, but to ignore those stats or simply discard them is a mistake in my opinion.

This stuff happens...I see it happen everyday. If there is a discrepancy in the way similar situations are handled, that is a problem.

 

[gregorylee]

While I would agree with you Grad, you have to acknowledge that there is entirely too many instances of the parents relying too heavily on the school system to raise their children. Parents in general need to take a more active role in what the child is doing. Especially while the child is at school, just inquirring and taking interest in a childs daily activities would make a major difference in their behavior because they know that they will have to talk about it with thier parents at the end of the day.

 

[osugrad21]

Absolutely...no doubt about that. However, when you see such a difference in discipline amongst ethnicities, that deserves a closer look.

Also, the very fact that we are assuming that the black kids are coming from situations that not as fortunate or conducive to good behavior is misguided.

The parents are being active in their child's life by actually pursuing this issue...

For me, it all boils down to how similar situations are being handled. One child cannot get a warning while another gets disciplined. I'm not saying that is true...but it does deserve attention to make sure it is not happening.

All I am saying is that the stats provided deserve a closer look...

 

[gregorylee]

While I would agree that the parents are taking a role as indicated by the question, I would wonder if this is going on, on a daily basis, or if the parents are enabling the kids a way to avoid accountability. Meaning, they are only bitching because the situation enables it. I do agree though that the desparity of the percentages does bring this into question.

I thought the article said Pickerington, I assume that is Ohio.... I don't recall any projects out that way, and there are some awefully well off individuals in that area, there aren't any extremely poor ones that I know of. So no, I suppose one couldn't excuse it because the child is underpriviledged.

 

[osugrad21]

I would wonder if this is going on, on a daily basis, or if the parents are enabling the kids a way to avoid accountability. Meaning, they are only bitching because the situation enables it.

That is definitely a possibility also...

 

[Thump]

I guarantee you that a majority of our discipline comes from our minority students which make up maybe 10-15% of the student body but it's not b/c they are black, it's because they are difficult kids, PERIOD.

Come from rough parts of town. It has nothing to do with race, but socio-economic status.

 

[coastalbuck]

The issue here, as I see it, is how discipline is administered for similar offenses, not percentages based on population. If a white kid with no previous offenses gets caught smoking and gets a warning, and then a minority kid with the same track record gets caught and gets 3 days out, then you have a problem.

While we make up 15.4 percent of the student population, we account for over 75 percent of the discipline. Something's wrong with that picture,"

Not one thing can be read into that fact other than the "we" the speaker is talking about are causing alot of trouble in that school. I somehow don't think that is the point she is trying to make.

 

[tibor75]

I'm not saying either side is correct, but to ignore those stats or simply discard them is a mistake in my opinion.

This stuff happens...I see it happen everyday. If there is a discrepancy in the way similar situations are handled, that is a problem.

agreed. Even worse than people crying false racism, are people who dismiss it out of hand without considering the possibility. There is study after study showing that color not only affects somewhat trivial things like traffic stops by police, but also influences if you get a home loan or not and what interest rate you get

 

[BayBuck]

"While we make up 15.4 percent of the student population, we account for over 75 percent of the discipline. Something's wrong with that picture," Hairston continued, telling Monday night's school board meeting.

The district's own data shows that 10 white students out of 100 were disciplined last year. For black students, the ratio was 42 out of 100.

Those numbers just don't add up. Wikipedia says Pickerington schools have 9714 students, of which 15.4% would be 1495, and 42% of that is 628 disciplined black students. Even if another 15% of students are other forms of non-white students (surely a high estimate), there are at least 6700 white students in the district, meaning at least 670 of them were disciplined. That does not translate to black students accounting for 75% of the discipline: more like 48% (and probably lower due to the previous estimate).

 

[StooGrimson]

I'm not saying either side is correct, but to ignore those stats or simply discard them is a mistake in my opinion.

This stuff happens...I see it happen everyday. If there is a discrepancy in the way similar situations are handled, that is a problem.

Very well said. While it's quite possible that the allegations being thrown around are misguided, it's just as possible that there is some merit to them. There's no reason why this can be examined completely objectively. To dismiss these claims without at least exploring the possibility that there could be something to them would be a huge mistake.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Those numbers just don't add up. Wikipedia says Pickerington schools have 9714 students, of which 15.4% would be 1495, and 42% of that is 628 disciplined black students. Even if another 15% of students are other forms of non-white students (surely a high estimate), there are at least 6700 white students in the district, meaning at least 670 of them were disciplined. That does not translate to black students accounting for 75% of the discipline: more like 48% (and probably lower due to the previous estimate).

That assumes that each student is disciplined only once.