Mitch Perry
A task force formed to study severe racial disparities in discipline and graduation rates for black and Latino teen boys in Hillsborough County presented its recommendations to the school board Tuesday.
The recommendations include revisions to the school handbook’s code of conduct, a student bill of rights, and sustainability, said task force member Manny Rivero, executive director of the Jim Walter Partnership Center at the University of South Florida.
“One of my biggest concerns is that this task force continue the work that it’s doing,” he told school board members. “It can’t be done overnight.”
The group was formed two years ago, appointed by school board members and Assistant Superintendent Lewis Brinson. Task force member Michael Cooper said the group originally met once a month, but said more recently it’s been two and sometimes three times a month.
Just 60 percent of black students and 68 percent of Latino students graduate from Hillsborough high schools. For white students, the graduation rate is nearly 83 percent.
Going back to the 2011-2012 school year, black students were three times as likely to get expelled.
Hillsborough County schools also are being investigated by the Department of Justice because of a complaint that the district discriminates by disciplining black students more harshly than whites.
“While the topic was African-American and Hispanic males, the discussion was on discipline for all of our students,” school board member Cindy Stuart said. “We have to encompass every single student in the district, from Pre-K to 12th grade.”
School board member April Griffin expressed excitement about the Student Bill of Rights, although she acknowledged it was probably “giving heartburn” to some school officials. She also said it was important to teach students “that it’s OK to fail. We’ve made them afraid to fail.” While there’s a lot of work to do, she said, “this is an exciting day.”
School board member Dorothea Edgecomb said one “R word” that she wasn’t hearing as part of the conversation was responsibility. “I don’t know if we can talk about rights without talking about responsibilities,” she said.
Concerned members of the public spoke earlier to the board.
Jason James with the Bay Area Activist Coalition said, “Hillsborough County schools policies and practices continue to over rely on harsh school discipline,” which he said pushes kids out of the school system and into the criminal justice system.
Char Singleton with the Bay Area Activist Coalition and Tampa Dream Defenders said it was as much a teacher issue as much as a student one, and said they needed more training on conflict resolution.
Devon Cheeves added that the zero tolerance policies instituted by the district aren’t working, while Dipa Shah, another task force member, said the goal of the committee was “to let the boys face their challenges and focus on getting the they need this education as a foundation to build their lives.”
School board members will flesh out the recommendations provided by the task force at a workshop on May 12.
