Post by Moses on Oct 18, 2005 0:50:47 GMT -5
Education Study: Schools discipline blacks more than others
by Peter Bailey
pbailey@herald.com
Racial profiling permeates South Florida classrooms, as black students face suspension, expulsion and arrest at the hands of color-coded justice, a study says.
Citing a recent report from the Advancement Project, a civic group based in Washington, officials say that black students are disproportionately suspended, expelled and arrested in comparison to white classmates.
Last year, Miami-Dade school police arrested about 2,500 students, an increase of 50 percent from two years ago. More than 50 percent of those arrested were black, even though black students make up only 28 percent of county enrollment.
In the 2003-2004 school year, black elementary students were five times more likely to be suspended than their white classmates.
NAACP officials say the numbers show a school system stained by racism.
''There's an institutionalized racism at work,'' said state NAACP President Adora Obi Nweze. ``The bottom line is that the NAACP will take the lead and expose this for what it is.''
The local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is holding public hearings in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties throughout the week. A team of lawyers from the NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Advancement Project will offer legal representation to students who contend they were wrongfully penalized.
The group has already held hearings in Hillsborough and Duval counties. ''There is a difference in the way they treat African-American children as opposed to the way they treat white children for the same offenses,'' Nweze said.
Miami-Dade officials admit that disparities exist and that schools Police Chief Gerald Darling, Associate Superintendent Freddie Woodson and Superintendent Rudy Crew, all of whom are black, are sensitive to the issue.
''No one is more troubled by this data than Dr. Crew. We have an African-American associate superintendent of school operations and an African-American schools police chief,'' district spokesman Joseph Garcia said. ``There is a high degree of sensitivity to these numbers.''
Garcia said Darling is trying to foster a cultural change in the police force by implementing a philosophy of community policing where students interact with officers.
Crew, Darling, and Woodson declined to comment on the report's findings.
Broward school officials said they are aware of the problem. ''We have disparities among the suspension rates and we have a ways to go to decrease those disparities, but we are making progress,'' Broward Superintendent Frank Till said.
In the 2003-2004 school year, black elementary students were six times more likely to be suspended than their white classmates, the study showed.
The district has assigned a diversity committee to analyze disciplinary measures and plans to implement more teacher-training initiatives.
Miami-Dade and Broward school officials said that suspension rates have decreased in both districts.
In its report, Advancement Project officials said the disciplining disparity was not limited to South Florida.
They point out the recent case involving 5-year-old Ja'eisha Scott, who was arrested in her classroom by police after throwing a tantrum at an elementary school in St. Petersburg. The videotape of officers handcuffing Ja'eisha in March garnered national attention.
''This is clearly a case involving the violation of the civil rights of a child. When racism rears its ugly head, we want to be there to knock it down,'' said Willie Gary, one of two attorneys representing the girl.
Gary says he hopes the St. Petersburg case will evoke change. ''We want to bring about change, we want to say we've played some part in stamping out discrimination, especially when it comes to children,'' he said.
Educators across the country have placed harsher penalties on students who bring guns and other dangerous weapons to school.
''There has been an increase in zero-tolerance measures and we make no excuses for it. We're entrusted with the safety of students when they're in our care,'' Garcia said.
But the report showed that less than 15 percent of the 2,500 Miami-Dade students arrested last year were charged with weapons- or drug-related offenses. About 10 percent of those arrested were under age 12.
Judith Browne, a senior attorney with the Advancement Project, said teachers are overreacting to minor offenses, especially with black males, who are viewed as a threat.
''They're seen as a criminal waiting to happen,'' she said.
— Peter Bailey
Miami Herald
2005-10-17
www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/12920964.htm
by Peter Bailey
pbailey@herald.com
Racial profiling permeates South Florida classrooms, as black students face suspension, expulsion and arrest at the hands of color-coded justice, a study says.
Citing a recent report from the Advancement Project, a civic group based in Washington, officials say that black students are disproportionately suspended, expelled and arrested in comparison to white classmates.
Last year, Miami-Dade school police arrested about 2,500 students, an increase of 50 percent from two years ago. More than 50 percent of those arrested were black, even though black students make up only 28 percent of county enrollment.
In the 2003-2004 school year, black elementary students were five times more likely to be suspended than their white classmates.
NAACP officials say the numbers show a school system stained by racism.
''There's an institutionalized racism at work,'' said state NAACP President Adora Obi Nweze. ``The bottom line is that the NAACP will take the lead and expose this for what it is.''
The local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is holding public hearings in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties throughout the week. A team of lawyers from the NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Advancement Project will offer legal representation to students who contend they were wrongfully penalized.
The group has already held hearings in Hillsborough and Duval counties. ''There is a difference in the way they treat African-American children as opposed to the way they treat white children for the same offenses,'' Nweze said.
Miami-Dade officials admit that disparities exist and that schools Police Chief Gerald Darling, Associate Superintendent Freddie Woodson and Superintendent Rudy Crew, all of whom are black, are sensitive to the issue.
''No one is more troubled by this data than Dr. Crew. We have an African-American associate superintendent of school operations and an African-American schools police chief,'' district spokesman Joseph Garcia said. ``There is a high degree of sensitivity to these numbers.''
Garcia said Darling is trying to foster a cultural change in the police force by implementing a philosophy of community policing where students interact with officers.
Crew, Darling, and Woodson declined to comment on the report's findings.
Broward school officials said they are aware of the problem. ''We have disparities among the suspension rates and we have a ways to go to decrease those disparities, but we are making progress,'' Broward Superintendent Frank Till said.
In the 2003-2004 school year, black elementary students were six times more likely to be suspended than their white classmates, the study showed.
The district has assigned a diversity committee to analyze disciplinary measures and plans to implement more teacher-training initiatives.
Miami-Dade and Broward school officials said that suspension rates have decreased in both districts.
In its report, Advancement Project officials said the disciplining disparity was not limited to South Florida.
They point out the recent case involving 5-year-old Ja'eisha Scott, who was arrested in her classroom by police after throwing a tantrum at an elementary school in St. Petersburg. The videotape of officers handcuffing Ja'eisha in March garnered national attention.
''This is clearly a case involving the violation of the civil rights of a child. When racism rears its ugly head, we want to be there to knock it down,'' said Willie Gary, one of two attorneys representing the girl.
Gary says he hopes the St. Petersburg case will evoke change. ''We want to bring about change, we want to say we've played some part in stamping out discrimination, especially when it comes to children,'' he said.
Educators across the country have placed harsher penalties on students who bring guns and other dangerous weapons to school.
''There has been an increase in zero-tolerance measures and we make no excuses for it. We're entrusted with the safety of students when they're in our care,'' Garcia said.
But the report showed that less than 15 percent of the 2,500 Miami-Dade students arrested last year were charged with weapons- or drug-related offenses. About 10 percent of those arrested were under age 12.
Judith Browne, a senior attorney with the Advancement Project, said teachers are overreacting to minor offenses, especially with black males, who are viewed as a threat.
''They're seen as a criminal waiting to happen,'' she said.
— Peter Bailey
Miami Herald
2005-10-17
www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/12920964.htm