This post has been updated
Members of the Portland Parent Union advocacy group rallied against exclusionary disciplinary practices Tuesday night.
The demonstration was part of the National Week of Action Against School Pushout, a Dignity In Schools Campaign calling for positive interventions instead of expulsions or suspensions and an end to racial disparities in discipline, according to the campaign's website. The movement is also advocating for student and parent involvement in disciplinary decisions and more funding for counselors.
About two dozen supporters clad in red shirts gathered Tuesday afternoon at the Portland Public Schools district office before attending the board meeting. Sheila Warren, founder and director of the union, passed around a megaphone for students and parents to speak and led chants for the group.
Warren said the union supports other options for student discipline, such as restorative justice practices, which focus on relationships and dialogue instead of punitive measures.
Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith has made reducing exclusionary discipline one of her main priorities. Recent data from the district shows that graduation rates are higher for students who have never been excluded from school-- about 69 percent of students who were never excluded graduated on time, compared to 43 percent of students who were kicked out once, 34 percent of students excluded between to two to five times and 18 percent of students expelled or suspended from five to 10 times.
Restorative justice is one method the district is implementing.
According to a recent district presentation, the percentage of students excluded from school dropped from 7 percent in 2008-2009 to 2.4 percent last year, though African American and Native American students were still expelled or suspended at higher rates than white students. About 7 percent of African American students and 4 percent of Native American students were excluded from class last year.
The district has made progress but disparities are still apparent, Warren said.
"We want to push back at the school board (and) let them know we're still here," Warren said.
Robert Blake, who works as a restorative justice coach and trainer, said he wants to make sure all students have access to the classroom.
"We're tired of the inequities," he said. "We feel like our kids deserve a fair shot at an education."
--Laura Frazier
lfrazier@oregonian.com
503-294-4035
@frazier_laura
This post has been updated with additional data