Portland observer., October 08, 2014, Page 5, Image 5

October 8. 2014
fßnrtlanb (Dbscrutr
Unfairly Expelled
from Local Schools
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 3
tion. Black students face these
struggles as early as preschool, and
expulsions and suspensions are
metered out to darker skinned stu­
dents at higher rates as children
age.
Warren started the Portland Par­
ent Union to hold her own commu­
nity accountable for the education
and stabilization of these families
and their students, hoping that more
schools would see the benefit in
supporting black students and bet­
ter setting them up for success.
District officials have been work­
ing with Warren and her group to
offer more discipline models that
allows and encourage students to
re-engage in-school while attend­
ing, instead of outright banning them
from class.
Warren called the fine "just a
band-aid" on a much greater prob­
lem the district is having with dis­
crimination and black students in
particular. On Tuesday, Oct. 7,
Warren's group held a rally outside
the Portland School District's office
to decry its discriminatory disci­
pline processes.
A district lawyer specializing in
special education released a state­
ment saying that five black students
who qualified for special education
were suspended for over 10 days or
expelled this past year. State sanc­
tions don't come into play until at
least 10 students face exclusionary
discipline.
It's possible Portland could avoid
another round of sanctions next
year, and that more black students
will receive other chances to stay in
school and continue their educa­
tion.
"The sanctions come at a time
when Portland Public Schools is
working on these disparities with
us," W arren says. "They have
agreed to sit down with the Portland
Parent Union and other organiza­
tions to come up with a moratorium
on out of school suspensions. We
just started discussing this in June,
and we have meetings on the sec­
ond Wednesday of every month.”
W arren gives some credit to
School Superintendent Carol Smith
for being committed to the goals of
the Moratorium Committee.
“We're closer to our goals but
there's still this disparity. They're
working on it," she says.
On Saturday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m., the Portland Parent Union
is planning a week of action event.
The theme, reiterated throughout
their emails and event pages, is
simple: Education is the Key to Suc­
cess, Don't Lock Us O u t."
“The initiative we're working on
is solutions, not suspensions," says
Warren. "I just want more for chil­
dren. The first point of contact is the
Page5
Soulful Singer Farewell
critical artist to represent jazz and
blues in the American northwest.
Fellow m usician and long-tim e
friend Peter Dam m ann, a blues
g u ita r is t, r e c a lle d o n e o f
H ornbuckle’s m ost m oving per­
form ances that brought him and
sev eral au d ien ce m em bers to
tears. It happened at the W ater­
front Blues Festival when a del­
uge of rain stopped the music.
The pow er went out and a piano
was destroyed. An inch o f water
covered the stage. H ornbuckle
took the stage in spite o f this and
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 3
nection. I know what she wants,
and she knows what I want. We
know our expectations of each
other, and it makes the music
evolve into something glorious."
Hombuckle was a critically ac­
claimed singer, and won three
Muddy Awards for Best Female
Vocalist from the Cascade Blues
Foundation in the past 23 years. In
2010, she was recognized by the
Oregon Music Hall o f Fame, and
she has since been considered a
educators; they can profile our black
boys just like the police do. Some
educators struggle to see our chil­
dren as children, they see them as
adults, and punish them more se­
verely. This is what we see all the
time. We try to advocate and stop
the demonizing of our children. The
things educators say really stick
with us. A compliment can go a long
way, but an unfair punishment or
judgment even further."
sang a perfect rendition o f "Am az­
ing G ra c e ," a c a p e lla to the
stunned au d ien ce. T he clouds
parted, D am m ann says, and the
crow d was m oved.
Upcoming benefit concerts origi­
nally intended to fundraise for
Hombuckle's medical needs are to
be carried through as tribute con­
certs to her lifelong achievement in
blues, funk, gospel and soul.
The next of these tributes will be
on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Crystal
Ballroom, downtown. The concert,
"Love for Linda," will celebrate
Hombuckle's passionate life and all
the people she touched with her
voice and soulful delivery.
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