Page A4
May 11.2005
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
O pinion
Too Many Suspensions, Expulsions for Black Students
Unfair school
discipline to
minorities
V anessa R. G aston
U rban L eague oe P ortland
by
PRESIDENT AND CEO
When people talk about elimi
nating the achievement gap, they
tend to focus on one area— aca
demic achievement— which is usu
ally defined as getting students to
pass standardized tests. I hear little
conversation about how students
of color, especially African Ameri
cans, are disproportionately drop
ping out of school or being forced
out of school through repeat sus
pensions or expulsion.
If we are to succeed in eliminat
ing the achievement gap, we must
address this issue. Not only is the
current educational system failing
to teach students of color and low-
Not only is the current educational
system failing to teach students o f color
and low-income students, but it also is
unfairly punishing them and pushing
them out of the system.
income students, but it also is un
fairly punishing them and pushing
them out of the system.
In February 2005, the Juvenile
Rights Project completed a 3-year
study on the overrepresentation of
children o f color in school disci
pline incidents. It found thatthe
Oregon Department of Education
and most school districts have not
consistently tracked suspensions
and expulsions by race. However,
Portland Public Schools has col
lected this information.
Findings from the study indicate
that during the 2002-03 school year,
PPS enrolled 52,969 students and
had 2,324 major disciplinary refer
rals resulting in suspension or ex
pulsion. While Caucasian students
represented 60.3 percent of enrolled
students, they made up 38.4 per
cent of the major disciplinary refer
rals. African Americans represented
only 16.5 percent of enrolled stu
dents, but accounted for 43.5 per
cent of all major disciplinary refer
rals. During that same year, 8.1
percent of African Americans stu
dents were suspended or expelled
compared to only 2.24 percent of
Caucasian students.
Research studies find no evi
dence that African Americans mis
behave at a significantly higher rate
than other children, yet they are
much more likely to be punished.
Why is this the case? JR P’s report
indicates that children o f color are
punished more severely than oth
ers due to cultural differences and
lack of training and resources for
teachers. The report emphasizes
what most of us already know—
that children o f color and low-in
come children are often taught by
less experienced teachers (usually
Caucasian) in overcrowded class
rooms with outdated books and
inadequate supplies. Lack of pa
rental involvement among minori
ties is another factor, as these par
ents often have overburdened lives
and failed experiences with the
school system.
According to the JRP study,
African American students feel that
teachers and principals are deliber
ately targeting them, while Cauca
sian teachers and students believe
the treatment is objective. This
finding suggests that racial biases
(conscious or unconscious) per
meate the school environment.
A high school principal recently
told me that if a child cannot read by
the third grade, he will begin acting
out in class because he does not
understand the lesson. Many times,
teachers misinterpret that frustra
tion as a behavioral issue rather
than a learning difficulty, and chil
dren are punished instead of helped.
The disproportionate num ber
o f disciplinary referrals among
students of color is alarming when
one considers the im pact on stu-
continued
on page AS
Double Standard Black leaders face biased scrutiny
by
J udge G reg M athis
It’s not enough that most black
political leaders have to fight their
way to the top, overcoming all sorts
of political and social racism -fro m
both the general population and
colleagues. Once there, they are
expected to walk a rigid line or risk
having their every misstep publ icly
criticized.
TIME magazine recently named
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley
one of the “5 Best Big City May
ors." The weekly cited the rejuve
nation of C hicago’s downtown
area, ex p a n d in g g reen space
throughout the city and a declining
murder rate when explaining why
Daley made the cut.
In the very same issue, Kwame
Kilpatrick of Detroit and John Street
tu rn in g
aro u n d the c ity ’s 165 ‘favored’ trucking
Philadelphia’s low-in- firm s have paid Daley and his
come communities. But brothersince 1996. The magazine
that apparently didn’t does state that corruption has
factor i nto the editor’s “caught up w ith” D aley’s allies,
but that he him self has “avoided
decision making.
This is not to say im plication.” If M ayor Street can
th a t b la c k le a d e rs be negatively judged for his ‘
shouldn’t be held to corrupt’ friends, why can ’t Mayor
high standards. Quite D aley?
This separate set o f standards
tion boom, m ajor road and tran s the contrary - all public officials
p o rta tio n im p ro v e m e n ts and - both black and w hite - should plays out on an international level
riverfront overhaul, all initiatives be held accountable for their ac as well. Kofi Annan, the U nited
begun during K ilpatrick’s tenure. tions. This isn ’t alw ays the case. Nations’ first black Secretary G en
T IM E ’S article m akes no m en eral, has been heavily scrutinized
Mayor Street was singled out for
having what TIME calls “corrupt” tion o f D aley’s scandal-plagued for his role in the U N ’s oil-for-
friends, despite there being no evi H ired Truck Program that has, so food program , when evidence
dence that Street has been involved far, resulted in over a dozen in show s that the bulk o f the illicit
in any wrong doing. The magazine d ictm en ts and has dom inated funds received by Sadam Hussein
goes on to state that Street has C hicago headlines. The editors came from back-alley dealings led
made ‘considerable’ progress in also chose to ignore the funds by the U.S. and Britain. It rem ains
Blacks have always had to
'do better ’ to succeed - get
better grades, work longer
hours, do more in less time.
o f Philadelphia, both African-
Americans, were named two of the
worst big city mayors.
TIM E called K ilpatrick to the
carpet for using city funds to lease
a vehicle when city jobs and 24-
hour bus service were elim inated
in an attem pt to manage the city ’s
$230 million budget deficit. TIME
d o esn ’t discuss D etro it's resi
dential and com m ercial construc
to be seen if the real culprits will
be brought to task.
Blacks have always had to ‘do
better’ to succeed - get better
grades, work longer hours, do more
in less time. As a people, we have
come to accept this as a byproduct
o f living in a society where we are
not treated equally.
W hat we should not accept is
this double standard where white
politicians walk under a positive
spotlight, regardless of whether or
not it is deserved, and black leaders
are constantly thrust under this
‘interrogation’ lamp.
Judge Greg Mathis is chairman
o f the Rainbow PUSH-Excel Board
and a national board member o f
the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference.