Superintendent Bans Suspension of Black Students without Her Approval

First of all, I would like to commend Krystle Crossman for covering this story, and bringing it to light. There are several things that are not lucidly expressed within this short article that should be elucidated. One thing that should be understood here is that Supertindent Bernadeia Johnson did not make a unilateral decision to ban the suspension of students without her approval. It was a result of an ongoing investigation by the state department of education that revealed that students of color were being suspended at a much higher rate than white students for the same offense. This led to an agreement with the state board of education by the superindent to oversee suspensions and expulsions. In essence, as with school districts across the U.S., there is a huge disparity in the rate of suspension of blacks when placed juxtaposed to the suspension rate of whites for the same offenses.

In many instances in which white students are given detention, warnings or parents are called, African American and Latino students are suspended, or in some cases, expelled. The pernicious implications that are inextricably associated with suspension is what gives this topic such gravity. In my book, The Mis-eduction of Black Youth in America, I go into great detail in explaining the manner in which young black students, as young as five-years-old, are being targeted and suspended at exorbitant rates. I explain how these suspensions progressively funnel these youth down the school-to-prison pipeline.

There is a wealth of pragmatic and empirical evidence that reveals that black students are being negatively impacted by these types of disciplinary practices at a disproportionate rate. A recent study by the University of Pennsylvania revealed that 1.2 million black students from grades K-12 were suspended in one school year. What was interesting is that 55 percent of those suspensions took place in 13 Southern states. Additionally, school districts in the South were also responsible for 50 percent of black student expulsions nationally. While there is obviously a problem in the South, this is an issue throughout the country.

There is a natural postulation that black students are being suspended at a higher rate because they are offending at a higher rate; however, all related studies reveal that white students commit the same offenses for which black students are suspended at an equal or higher rate; however, they are suspended at a significantly lower rate — often receiving detention or having their parents contacted. The truth is that these school systems understand the negative impact that having a suspension on their school record can do for the academic future of these students, and the white students are protected from having to face these negative consequences — while blacks are consistently exposed to them.

Reading some of the comments by whites on the original article simply reveals the true sentiment of a significant or even a majority of the white population. While there is a constant assertion in mainstream media that racism is a thing of the past — implying that the vast majority of whites no longer see color, what goes on behind the scenes on many personal social media pages, and in the comment fields of posts that expose racist practices, reveals something completely antithetical to the thesis of colorblindness that is being written in mainstream society.

Any effort that is taken to level the playing field between white and black students is met with brutal hostility by whites. This hostility is the result of years of white people experiencing white privilege. There are certain roads that are simply paved for the easier travel of whites, and the journey of education is one of these paths. There is no doubting that black students are being suspended at a much higher rate than whites, and there is no denying that many of the offenses for which they are being suspended are offenses for which white students are receiving much lighter disciplinary action. What should also be understood is that this disproportionate representation of blacks in school disciplinary action is not a new phenomenon. An investigation of school punishment over the last 25 years has produced a consistent pattern of disproportionate representation along socioeconomic and racial lines (Skiba, et al, 2001, p. 318)

While the actions of Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson’s decision will likely help to reduce the number of unnecessary suspensions of black students in her district, it is a far cry from what is needed to ensure that our children are given firm footing, and a fair chance at competing in the world around them. Blacks must become proactive in the manner in which they engage education. Education is a holistic process that encompasses much more than the attainment of academic skills. We must prepare our children holistically, Additionally, we must begin the process of working toward the development of our own education system. We cannot continue to expect a system that is inherently hostile toward our children to effectively educate them. It is our responsibility to educate our children, and therefore, it is our failure when they are consistently mis-educated or under-educated. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace, Ph.D.

Superintendent Bans Suspension of Black Students

A Superintendent in MN Has Banned Black Kids From Being Suspended Without Her Permission

By: Krystle Crossman

Minneapolis, Minnesota superintendent Bernadeia Johnson is making sure that students of color are getting the same treatment as white students when it comes to suspension in their schools. Black children are suspended ten times more than white students and she wants to make sure that changes. In order to do so she has come up with new guidelines for her schools.

Whenever a school in Johnson’s district wants to suspend a student for a non-violent offense they must first bring it to her attention and get her permission to do so before officially suspending the student. She had also put guidelines in earlier this year that suspensions were not allowed for children from pre-kindergarten through first grade. This is a great thing that the superintendent is doing and could have a very positive effect on students of color in these schools. Unfortunately, this problem does not just lie in Minnesota. Over-suspension of students of color happens in every state in America.

The guidelines that were set out by Johnson were part of an agreement with the Civil Rights office at the U.S. Department of Education. This agreement states that it is going to increase the staff at public school and increase the student involvement at the schools. They want to give all students a chance to get the best education that they possibly can and have all students treated as equals. Data from a study of schools across the country shows that 20% of black boys are suspended during their school career and 12% of black girls are.

Johnson is setting an example for school districts all over the nation in showing that the suspension rates for students of color are far too high and something needs to be done about it. The preschool to prison pipeline is still a very real thing and so many students are not getting the education that they deserve because they are being unfairly punished. Some students never recover from these punishments and end up feeling like they are already labeled as bad kids, so why not continue with the bad behavior. This lands them in prison at early ages.