Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Nothing

It's something else for the diversity crowd to complain about - did anyone ask why these kids received discipline? Maybe the kids are as angry as their parents and the discipline reflects it.

Hey, AAUPP - if you're this unhappy, move to Reynoldsburg. Otherwise, stop complaining.

This is SO BOGUS!!!

Dear Katelyn,

Any truth to the rumor that 5 black teens assaulted a black teacher last week at Ridgeview? Any truth to the rumor that they left the detention room and them assaulted a white student?




By Katelyn Sattler

Staff Writer

Tensions flared during the Oct. 9 Pickerington Board of Education meeting as the group African-American United Parents of Pickerington (AAUPP) presented its evidence alleging that black students are treated differently than white students in Pickerington schools.

The group requested that the board confirm its willingness to address their concerns by Oct. 16 and implement their requests by Jan. 3, 2007.

Duane Gosa, AAUPP president, outlined the group?’s concerns regarding inequitable discipline, inequitable team sports and club assignments, and the district?’s lack of acceptance of parental involvement.

The group met with Superintendent Dr. Robert Thiede and staff quarterly throughout the 2005-06 school year to address these concerns, but has been unsatisfied with the outcome.

In response to the meetings, the district implemented diversity training among all staff. Karen Hairston, AAUPP?’s vice-president, stated, ?“We do applaud the diversity training, but that?’s only a small portion.?”

Also at issue is the amount of African-American staff at the district. While African-American students make up 15.4 percent of the school population, African-Americans make up only 3.7 percent of the staff. AAUPP has suggested a 30 percent African-American staff due to the growth rate of the district.

According to AAUPP, ?“The problem is resulting in low morale and motivation for our (African-American) students and in many cases it is giving them records. It is also affecting their academic success.?”

The group wants the immediate implementation of a ?“Corrective Action Plan,?” a ?“Discipline Review Board?” made of up ?“a substantial amount of African-Americans?” as well as parents and staff, and a ?“Corrective Action Review Board?” consisting of AAUPP, administrative staff and board of education members.

AAUPP also takes issue with extra-curricular activities, and wants to ?“ensure that all opportunities are open and communicated to all students; allow parents to attend all sports tryouts and practices; ensure that all sports team and band choices are based on ability; and (ensure) all school elections are fair and open to all students.?”

Tense exchanges

Thiede offered to share with the group the most current updated information that became available the first part of September, as well as how the district numbers compare to state numbers.

Gosa insisted, ?“Don?’t compare (Pickerington?’s) numbers to statewide (numbers). It doesn?’t mean anything.?”

Hairston said, ?“We are confident it won?’t be a major significant difference.?”

Thiede said his numbers were different than AAUPP?’s, and offered to get together at another time ?“to match up figures and numbers.?”

Gosa responded, ?“I don?’t want to match up figures and numbers. I want changes.?”

Board member Wes Monhollen commented, ?“Don?’t take this the wrong way because it?’s not meant the wrong way. I?’m not trying to be a smart aleck. If you look at the board, it?’s all white. If you look at who ran for this board, it?’s all white. If you look at the last election, two of us weren?’t even going to run.?”

Monhollen said a black person could have run for the board to represent the African-American community.

Gosa replied, ?“You didn?’t have to run for the board. You could have appointed a black person.?”

When board member Lori Sanders requested more data on this issue to study, a member of AAUPP shouted back, ?“We?’re not going to bring you any more data. We have made our request...and we would like you to act on this request.?”

At times there was so much shouting during the meeting that it was impossible to determine who was speaking or what was being said.

continued..........

BOGUS, continued



While presenting the disciplinary data for Lakeview Junior High School, Hairston, calling this the ?“poster school,?” declared, ?“Ninety-six out of 100 students are being disciplined. You?’re saying that all of our students are a problem??”

In reviewing the data, the discrepancy is the difference in interpretation between the definition of ?“percent?” and ?“discipline actions per 100 students.?” The 96.4 discipline actions per 100 students for blacks could be incidents involving a handful of students repeatedly, or against 96 percent of black students, as the AAUPP group suggested.

Aftermath

In a post meeting interview, Thiede presented some other statistics.

For the 2005-06 school year, 16.6 percent of African-American students faced suspension in the Pickerington school district, whereas the state average for African-American student suspensions was 32.9 percent. In Pickerington, 1.1 percent of black students were expelled, versus 2.1 percent statewide. Additionally, 24.3 percent of Pickerington?’s black students faced suspension or community service, compared to 43.3 percent of black students throughout Ohio.

Pickerington has a 98.5 percent graduation rate for black students and 98.1 percent for whites.

?“In some ways I?’m real proud of our district, whether African-American, Hispanic, white, male or female,?” stated Thiede.

As of press time for this article, it was unclear how many students were involved in disciplinary actions, what these disciplinary actions were, or what rules were broken in AAUPP?’s statistics.



Chart of discipline actions per 100 Pickerington students for the 2005-06 school year:

School Blacks Whites

Central HS 76.5...... 26.1

North HS 59.8...... 19.3

Lakeview JH 96.4 .....13.5

Ridgeview JH 24.3..... 3.6

Harmon MS 29.2..... 4.1

Diley MS 22.4 .... 7.4