Freedom4um

Status: Not Logged In; Sign In

ObamaNation
See other ObamaNation Articles

Title: Too Many Black Students Suspended Leads Oakland Schools to Stop Punishment
Source: [None]
URL Source: http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/too ... akland-schools-stop-punishment
Published: May 17, 2015
Author: Trey Sanchez
Post Date: 2015-05-17 07:53:12 by Jethro Tull
Keywords: None
Views: 155
Comments: 20

Feel free to cuss, mouth off, leave class

Board members of California's Oakland Unified School District unanimously voted on Wednesday to cease suspending students for what they call "willful defiance." Those behaviors can include swearing/yelling at teachers, refusing direct orders, texting, and storming out of class, to name a few.

The reason? Concern that too many black students are being suspended for willful defiance. 

One sophomore student, Dan'enicole Williams, told the San Francisco Gate, "They never take time out, if someone is sleeping in class, to ask what’s wrong. They may be acting that way because they didn’t eat the night before.”

"We’re getting pushed out of schools,” she added. “They don’t care about us.”

Along with suspensions, the new policy will also include bans on expulsions and transfers of students to other schools for multiple infractions.

According to the SFGate, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has been investigating Oakland schools' "disproportionate suspensions" for several years. The district signed a voluntary agreement in 2012 that brought in Manhood Development classes for black males to address behavior issues and to begin discussions on "restorative justice." These programs, dubbed "alternative discipline," can cost districts upwards of $2.3 million dollars per school year. 

Vowing to cover those costs in his 2015-2016 budget, Superintendent Antwan Wilson said, “This is about reintegrating students into the classroom rather than excluding them from learning."

Though the new policy is being slowly phased in with full integration expected in July, 2016, district officials report having already seen a near 40% decrease in suspensions for black students since 2011 and the federal governments involvement.

Oakland is joining a handful of other California districts who already have suspension restrictions in place.

Post Comment   Private Reply   Ignore Thread  


TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest

Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 7.

#7. To: Jethro Tull (#0)

I grew up in a town that grew increasingly darker in the late 70s & 80s. Over time everyone from the core neighborhood fled, cept a few holdouts, us included.

I never went to govt school, & each grade at my catholic school had one or 2 black kids in it. They were very rarely catholic though, which I found interesting even then. Everyone knew ours was a better education & would even joke about how dumb the public school kids were.

Artisan  posted on  2015-05-17   9:31:00 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


Replies to Comment # 7.

#9. To: Artisan (#7)

I too attended Catholic Grade School ... we had no Black kids in our school and only one Mexican. I had played P.A.L. football and that was my only interaction with Blacks before H.S. The Blacks were much larger (and usually older) using other family members birth certs to qualify as players.

noone222  posted on  2015-05-17 10:25:27 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


End Trace Mode for Comment # 7.

TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest