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It's tough to be a black boy in Nashville, Tenn.
Nine middle schools there have suspended half of their black male students at some point, more often than any other group.
One school suspended 58 percent of its black male students, but just 10 percent of its white male students. Another suspended 58 percent of black boys but only 13 percent of white boys.
On the elementary school level, six schools suspended only black males, even though four of those schools have a mixed black and white population. In Tennessee, black kids are four times more likely to be suspended than other students.
And the problem is not unique to Nashville. Nationally, black kids are suspended three times more often than whites.
"That's a terrible track record," attorney Larry Woods, who is suing the school system over inadequate textbooks and resources, told WSMV-TV in Nashville. "I think the entire community's going to be shocked and surprised at these numbers. ... These aren't the occasional bad kid or bad seed; they're suspending more than half [of] their minority students."
The numbers are alarming and speak of the racial bias that black males face from an early age. I'm sure some of the suspensions were justified, but the disparity shows that something is wrong. It's impossible for black boys to cause all the problems at a school that is racially mixed.
The treatment some black males receive in school only conditions them to future stigmatization and negative behaviors. The practice of treating black male students more harshly for behavioral problems is the first step for the school-to-prison pipeline, the trend of dealing with our children as criminals as opposed to the still-developing, potential-filled young people that they are.
These students are being treated like criminals at an early age. Black students are more likely to be arrested for acting out in class. There is less tolerance for activities that would have been dealt with in-house a generation ago. It is akin to the way in which black males are sometimes judged more harshly when it comes to the criminal justice system and job opportunities.
Suspending these children from school denies them the opportunity to be educated. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) postulates that the treatment of minority students may be related to the school system's increased emphasis on standardized testing.
The ACLU writes:
As a result of test-based accountability regimes such as the No Child Left Behind Act, schools have an incentive to push out low-performing students to boost overall test scores. One study found that schools meted out longer suspensions to students who performed poorly on standardized tests than to high-performing students for similar offenses. This "punishment gap" grew substantially during the period of time when standardized tests were administered, indicating that schools may use "selective discipline" to keep low-performing students out of school during testing days.
Nashville school administrators say the numbers are unacceptable.
"The numbers are still higher than we would like, clearly," Paul Changas of Nashville Metro Schools told WSMV-TV.
In an effort to reduce the numbers of suspended students in Nashville, students who are suspended are being sent to twilight schools, which are run from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. These programs are supposed to give kids a chance to learn in an alternative environment.
This year, suspensions of black boys are down 25 percent in the Nashville school district and 50 percent at some of the offending schools.
However, as the ACLU points out, alternative programs are not the answer either because their standards are often not the same. The ACLU writes:
In a growing number of jurisdictions, struggling students are sent involuntarily to disciplinary alternative schools. These alternative schools -- sometimes run by private, for-profit companies -- are not subject to traditional school accountability standards (such as minimum hours and curriculum requirements), and frequently fail to provide meaningful educational services to the students who need them the most. Some lack even the basics, such as teachers and textbooks, and many do not offer high school diplomas upon graduation.
Woods also has valid concerns about Nashville's use of alternative schools.
"The problem with some of these alternatives, like twilight school, is once you take children out of their regular curriculum and regular classes, you're on a slippery downhill slope," he said. "These are the kids who are going to be the dropouts. These are the kids who are not going to be able to find a job. These are the kids we're failing.
"Now, I don't mean to say some kids don't deserve discipline. Of course they do at times," Woods added. "But to do this kind of massive disruption of particular groups in our entire school system and not to realize, 'hey, maybe we're doing something wrong here,' there's no excuse for that," he told WSMV-TV.
Teachers must learn to deal with students equally. They must also seek to understand why a student is acting out. Immediate suspension is not always the answer. Zero-tolerance policies are counterproductive.
In some more wealthy districts, a child with behavioral problems might be sent for special counseling. Sometimes home troubles or learning disabilities can be the spark for a student to act out. Black parents also need to take a more active role in educating their children.Your job does not end with just feeding, clothing and sending a child to school. Children need to be helped with their homework and held accountable for studying and their grades.
Teachers and administrators get paid to find ways to help students be the best that they can be. They can't do that if entire groups are sitting at home.
Comments: (106)
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By: Ron Wynn on 6/04/2010 11:31AM
Where were comments or responses from teachers? Why do they think this is happening and do they have any ideas on what can be done to change this?
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By: Judy on 6/04/2010 12:17PM
It is good that the truble makers are now being removed from the school system and their behavior will be monitored if and when they deserve to be allowed to return. sadly though those same thugs will be in our streets. No doubt jail awaits them in the future. We do not blame the school for keeping the rif raf thug element out and the other students cannot learn in a hostile inviornment created by these rap thug saggy pants sideways cap truble makers regardless of the race.
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By: dre on 6/04/2010 12:45PM
Judy, perhaps you were one of the quiet ones, no fuss, no trouble and probably cried at the drop of a pencil. In any event madam, you are at the other end of the spectrum - the one who was passed simply because you were so timid and fragile. It is clearly evident by your lack of proper grammar usage and poor spelling. Your attempt to label these young people is poorly directed. Your efforts would be better understood if, as a parent (hopefully not), you direct your sad commentary to the parents of these children. If you are interested in helping yourself first, online education is fantastic these days.
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By: You know you bad on 6/04/2010 2:05PM
Judy, it is quite evident from your posts that you are either on Prozac or need to be. I guess you are one of the ones that think President Obama isn't really "black". Or maybe you think he just fronting and really is "rif raf" and a "thug". Blacks have come a long way but you certainly have not!!
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By: dre on 6/04/2010 12:36PM
Ok Nashville parents, where are you? There is no hair raising on my back this time. As a parent, I know full well that I cannot just sit back and expect a positive outcome in my child's education if I am not an active participant. Day to day supervision of my OWN child's academic experience is my OWN responsibility and I had better do my job. These statistics are only reflective of the fact that these lazy parents allow the stat gatherers to publish this. My son's school was all to eager to write referrals and mark his conduct down, which would have affected his overall GPA. The teacher thought she could sneak and slip this into his report card without me knowing. She also failed to meet with me to discuss the matter. She wanted oh-so-bad to suspend him for talking out of turn or not being able to dress for gym. Sorry sis, pop doesn't play that game. He's now graduated from high school (3.5 GPA) and is doing to college to earn a degree in history, eventually to complete veterinary school. I love my son and I tell him this each and every day. He has been my responsibility and the public school system has merely been my assistant in getting him to college. Stop blaming others on your failure to properly parent the children you brought into this world. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
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By: John Lindsay on 6/04/2010 12:45PM
James: Of course blacks are going to be the majorty of behavioral problems in Chicago, the school system only has about 5% white enrollment.
JL: My comments not only included data from Chicago, but the U.S. Dept of Education...in which the info illustrated that "in 49 of 50 states, Black students are severely disciplined
for offenses which White students are not."
Hence, you should have read ALL of my comments before making yourself look foolish with your comments.
James: YOU are sounding like a BIGOT, for labeling someone a Racist because YOU, don't agree with their view!
JL: Heh heh heh!!!
Such a response ONLY works with people l;ike yourself.
Your first comments were very racist, and indeed very reflective of the sort of crap which flows from the mouths of rush limbaugh, sean hannity, and other White racists.
James: you need a little racial sensitivity trainning
JL: Heh heh heh!!!!
Racists like you...are against sensitivity training. Yet, when it's convenient to do so, you want to "trot out that dog."
Not with me, you don't.
James: and please help yourself by trying not to have that victim mentality!
JL: Heh heh heh!!!
When all else fails, try this tactic, hunh?!
Very, very weak...in light of the fact that "49 of 50 states' data support my position.
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By: John Lindsay on 6/04/2010 1:42PM
dre: Stop blaming others on your failure to properly parent the children you brought into this world. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
JL: In light of the fact that...."White students are committing the same offenses...but are NOT suspended or expelled for such behaviors"...your words don't carry any weight.
Let's see here, "White students commit the same offenses at school, but are NOT suspended/expelled."
Black students commit the same offenses, and are suspended/expelled....and it's the fault of Black parents, hunh?!
Absolutely ridiculous.
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By: verna anderson on 6/04/2010 1:28PM
Tell the parents to stop telling their children,
to play crazy for the ssi check,and start working
with them at home.
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By: John Lindsay on 6/04/2010 1:45PM
The topic of this article is "unequal punishment for the same offenses": "The practice of treating black male students more harshly for behavioral problems..."
It has nothing to do with parenting styles, etc.
How can someone sit there and criticize Black parents...when White students are committing the same behaviors...but are NOT punished at the same rate?!
I remember accompanying one of my nieces (6th grade)for lunch at her school a few years ago.
There was a White male "cafeteria monitor" watching the students.
Upon seeing/hearing two young Black male students talking and laughing loudly, the monitor rushed over and told them, "If you don't quieten down right now, I'm going to place your names on the "Detention Hall" list.
The boys quieted down.
While this was occurring, two young White male students had been throwing food at one another and also getting it on students near them....but the monitor NEVER said one word to them.
He looked in their direction at least twice, but never said one word to them...until I walked over and asked "Why."
His pale face turned beet red, and then he stomped over to their table and told them to be "be quiet"...but didn't say a word about "detention hall."
I reported him to the school board.
Of course, simply punishing White students at the "rate that they offend" is not going to remedy the overall problem.
Many of these problems have nothing to do with parenting, as Larry Woods pointed out with "These aren't the occasional bad kid or bad seed; they're suspending more than half of their minority students."
And as the Tribune article pointed out, "a large percentage of the cases are subjective," meaning the "offense" may not have been an actual punishable act.
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By: James on 6/07/2010 2:29PM
John
Where was your nieces father?
Did he just choose to not attend that day?
I know, my brother asked me to accompany my nephew to school once, for career day, discussing various avenues of vocations.
John, I'm sure you were there to show support for you niece. From your comments, I bet you trashed the White person and helped you niece take one step further in dividing the races.
John, just to let you know, when I spoke with the children at my nephew's school, the success road was paved for all, equally. Thank God, no one asked the Bigotted, Race Baiting comments, that makes you so harmful to children.
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