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Racism obsession interferes with school discipline - ALAN KEYES
Loyal to Liberty ^ | September 23, 2009 | Alan Keyes

Posted on 09/23/2009 9:50:00 AM PDT by EternalVigilance

WND reports that "A school district in Arizona has come under fire after a newspaper columnist highlighted the district's newly adopted racial policy and called it a "two-tiered form of student discipline: one for black and Hispanic students; one for everyone else." According to the columnist [Doug MacEachern] "TUSD [Tucson Unified School District] principals and disciplinarians…are being asked to set two standards of behavior for their students…Some behavior will be met with strict penalties; some will not. It all depends on the color of the student's skin."

School district officials claim they are just trying to correct racial discrimination in disciplinary practices. They set "the goal of reducing suspensions and expulsions of minority students to reflect "no ethnic/racial disparities." As evidence of these disparities, their plan cites "statistics that while American Indian students make up only 4 percent of the student body, they account for 20 percent of the suspensions across the district. And while black students make up 7 percent of the student body, they account for 16.3 percent of out-of-school suspensions."

Unfortunately, as is so often the case with so-called "liberal" arguments as to racial discrimination, the cited statistics don't necessarily prove their point.

(Excerpt) Read more at loyaltoliberty.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial
KEYWORDS: equality; keyes
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1 posted on 09/23/2009 9:50:02 AM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: EternalVigilance

....this “expulsion-gap” thing came up in Baltimore schools several years ago....nobody had the guts to say that black kids got more expusions because they deserved it.


2 posted on 09/23/2009 9:56:25 AM PDT by STONEWALLS
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To: EternalVigilance
From the article:

"It arises from the predisposition to define problems in racial terms, rather than in terms that take seriously what ought to be the essential goal- the development of students' moral character."

I don't see how the school is tasked with developing anyone's moral character. If it is, its abject failure should be addressed immediately, likely relegating all those employed therein to jobs as floor sweepers and trash collectors.

3 posted on 09/23/2009 9:57:52 AM PDT by sig226 (Real power is not the ability to destroy an enemy. It is the willingness to do it.)
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To: STONEWALLS

To kep from discriminating against a person because of their skin colo they should send kids to different schools depending on their skin color...oops.


4 posted on 09/23/2009 9:58:54 AM PDT by Radl
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To: EternalVigilance

This is a load of crap. Same thing with the prisons having lots of blacks in them. It’s supposedly not because they commit more crimes (I guess we’re supposed to believe that most of them are innocent) it’s “racial profiling”. Poppycock.


5 posted on 09/23/2009 10:00:12 AM PDT by youngidiot (Shut up)
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To: STONEWALLS

ya know, I’m all out of nice things to say about these parasitic worms that we’re nurturing in America.


6 posted on 09/23/2009 10:01:25 AM PDT by RC one
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To: EternalVigilance

Good article.


7 posted on 09/23/2009 10:06:40 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: All

Perhaps the children of any white students suspended could sue the school for violation of civil rights...


8 posted on 09/23/2009 10:07:30 AM PDT by Maverick68 (w)
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To: STONEWALLS
This story is reminiscent of Orwell's Animal Farm:

"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS."

9 posted on 09/23/2009 10:12:53 AM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: STONEWALLS
"....this “expulsion-gap” thing came up in Baltimore schools several years ago....nobody had the guts to say that black kids got more expulsions because they deserved it."

You hit upon the crux of the problem in the institution at which I teach. I have been "involuntarily volunteered" to head a committee for "ISTEP [Indiana Standardized Test] Ethnicity" analysis of ISTEP scores across the various ethnicities present. One of the specific datum which the committee must address is the prevalence of disparity amongst various ethnic groups regarding achievement scores. One of the specific datum categories requiring analyzation is the category "Failure to Appear." This simply translates to "those who chose to skip the testing days." I hope it is not necessary to elaborate upon which ethnic group's attendance rate was lowest. My point being that many students from this particular "ethnicity" have a tendency to 1. skirt their responsibilities (to utilize a euphemism), or 2. find themselves unable to take the test due to suspension/expulsion/JDC (Juvenile Detention Center) incarceration.

The numbers don't lie. The practical analysis of my classroom discipline history doesn't lie. On the whole, roughly 75% of my classroom discipline issues catalyze as a direct/indirect result of one particular "ethnicity's" tendency toward misbehavior/malfeasance.

10 posted on 09/23/2009 11:23:22 AM PDT by EnigmaticAnomaly ("Mantra of the left: 'It's only okay when WE do it.'")
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To: EnigmaticAnomaly

....my wife teaches on college freshmen...she ends up on committees similar to yours....they worry about “disparity” “gaps” “minority student recruitment” “minority student retention” and on and on...

.....reverence for education is one of the tenents of the Anglo-European/Judeo-Christian culture....not all cultures share that view....some put more emphasis on performing arts,sports,jewelry,automobiles ect.ect...it’s a waste of time trying to produce equal outcomes in educational achievement....just like it would be a waste of time trying to coach me to play for the Chicago Bulls.


11 posted on 09/23/2009 12:10:12 PM PDT by STONEWALLS
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To: Maverick68
the children of any white students suspended

"My mommy shouldn't be suspended! I'm calling my lawyer!"

12 posted on 09/23/2009 12:25:45 PM PDT by Tax-chick (I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale.)
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To: sig226
I don't see how the school is tasked with developing anyone's moral character.

The schools have been assigned that task by the public. As you observe, it's not working out very well. Their performance of the more reasonable task of teaching reading, writing, and math is also less than thrilling.

13 posted on 09/23/2009 12:27:47 PM PDT by Tax-chick (I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale.)
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To: EternalVigilance

Fascinating how the idiot liberal mind works. Let us be tougher on the kids who cause less problems proportionately.


14 posted on 09/23/2009 12:44:50 PM PDT by GeronL (Are you one of those "individual responsibility" people?)
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To: EternalVigilance

This is a racist policy from its core.


15 posted on 09/23/2009 12:45:20 PM PDT by GeronL (Are you one of those "individual responsibility" people?)
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To: Tax-chick
I don't see how the school is tasked with developing anyone's moral character.

>>The schools have been assigned that task by the public.

From what are morals determined? A philosphy of some sort. Religious beliefs have been drummed out of the schools. Atheist "secular humanism" is likewise a religious tradition and should also be prohibited from indoctrinating children in its morals.

16 posted on 09/23/2009 12:48:16 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
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To: Tax-chick

lol.

but seriously this is racist.

Where is the ACLU?? ACLJ?? Rutherford Institute? Doesn’t Arizona have a GOP?? Someone needs to stand up and make themselves heard calling this RACISM.


17 posted on 09/23/2009 12:49:22 PM PDT by GeronL (Are you one of those "individual responsibility" people?)
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To: a fool in paradise

I don’t think we should have government educational institutions at all, but that’s a somewhat different subject.

Anyway, the schools consider themselves, are considered by the public, to be in the business of forming character. There are a variety of “character education” programs in use. Watch the sign as you pass through a school zone, and you might see, “September’s Character Key: Honesty!” or something like that.


18 posted on 09/23/2009 2:29:53 PM PDT by Tax-chick (I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale.)
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To: EternalVigilance

This has been true for at least forty years!


19 posted on 09/23/2009 2:30:21 PM PDT by Theodore R.
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To: GeronL

Of course it’s racist. Other FReepers have pointed out that “zero tolerance” for drugs or “weapons” is a stealth way of suspending more white students, who aren’t as likely to commit assault, but might have an aspirin or a picture of a crossbow in their backpacks.


20 posted on 09/23/2009 2:31:31 PM PDT by Tax-chick (I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale.)
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