BLACK STUDENTS SUSPENDED AND EXPELLED UP TO SIX TIMES AS OFTEN AS WHITES IN DC AREA SCHOOLS

Black students are suspended and expelled at much higher rates than white students in Washington, DC and its suburbs, according to a new Washington Post analysis. Last year in Alexandria, Virginia, for example, black students were nearly six times as likely to be suspended as their white peers, while in Montgomery County, Maryland, nearly 6 percent of black students were suspended or expelled last year, compared to just 1.2 percent of white students. Of course, the problem exists in school districts across the country and experts say the disparities are caused by a host of issues, including higher poverty rates among African Americans, “unintended bias, unequal access to highly effective teachers and differences in school leadership styles.” A joint effort by the U.S. Justice and Education departments launched in July to look into reforms of school disciplinary systems.