THE HUSKY HOWLER
  • HOME
  • Blog
  • Howler Media
  • Join the Howler
  • Staff 2020-21
  • Past Years
    • 2019-2020 ARCHIVE >
      • End of 2020
      • Staff
      • 2019 -2020 COVID Editions
      • September/October 2019
    • 2018-2019 >
      • Edition 1 >
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Sports
        • Special Features
      • Edition 2 >
        • Editorial
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Sports/Clubs
        • Special Features
      • Edition 3 >
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Sports and Clubs
        • Special Features
      • Edition 4 >
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Sports and Clubs
        • Special Features
      • Edition 5 >
        • Feature
        • Arts/Entertainment
        • Sports and Clubs
        • Special Feature
      • Edition 6 >
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Special Features
    • 2017-2018 >
      • APRIL/MAY EDITION >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art & Entertainment
        • Special Features
      • FEB./MARCH. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art & Entertainment
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • JAN./FEB. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Entertainment & Reviews
        • Special Features
      • NOV./DEC. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • OCT./NOV. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Entertainment & Reviews
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • AUG./SEPT. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Dear Nancy
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Entertainment & Reviews
        • Special Features
      • INTERVIEWS
    • 2016-2017 >
      • Team Mission
      • Staff
      • May Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • April Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • March Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • January/February Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
        • Opinion
      • November Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • October Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • September Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • August Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
    • 2015-2016 >
      • Team Mission
      • Join the Howler
      • MAY EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS & PROM
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEW
        • DEAR NANCY
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
        • Editorial
      • APRIL EDITION >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Arts & Entertainment & Review
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
        • Editorial
      • MARCH EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEW
        • DEAR NANCY
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
        • EDITORIAL
        • Special Features
      • JAN/FEB EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
        • OPINION
      • DECEMBER EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEW
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
      • NOVEMBER EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
      • OCTOBER EDITION >
        • HOME
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
      • SEPTEMBER EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • DEAR NANCY
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
      • AUGUST EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • 2018-2019
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE

​

the importance of the office of civil rights

10/6/2020

0 Comments

 

by Rebeca Acosta 

After a complaint in 2014, the Office of Civil Rights conducted an investigation. The complaint was on the disproportionality of African American students receiving referrals, suspensions and other disciplinary actions. Students across Milwaukee Public Schools would make the same complaint today, 6 years later. 

Earlier in the year of 2017, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors and The United States Department of Education created a resolution that aims to help in decreasing the disproportionate disciplinary rates of African-American and Latino males to White males in Milwaukee Public Schools. The agreement was to implement an Office of Civil Rights (OCR) committee in all MPS Middle and High schools in order to ensure change happens to solve the issue and to stop further issues from occurring.

Black or African American students represented 51.4% of the district’s total enrollment in 2019-2020, when the school year ended on March 13, 2020 due to COVID-19. Examining all behavior events documented by staff members for behavior incidents, 79.25% of all events were documented for Black students, for a disproportionality of 28.19% Looking specifically at behavior referrals for behaviors coded as “learning environment,” 78.93% of all “learning environment” referrals were written for Black students. Looking just at behavior referrals for subjective behaviors (defined as chronic disruption, disorderly conduct, endangerment, inappropriate personal property, inappropriate use of electronics, personal threat, substantial environmental disruption, and verbal abuse), 78.71% of all subjective referrals were written for Black students. 

Looking at the specific resolutions of a restraint being used or police involvement, we also see disproportionality. Of all behavior referrals in which a restraint was used, 75% were with a Black student and of all behavior referrals in which police were called, 90% involved a Black student.

In early September, MPS had a Broadcast where testimonies were given in support of Resolution 2021R-007 . The resolution states that “The District shall suspend no student below the sixth grade or under the age of 12. The resolution explains That suspensions and expulsions shall be tools of last resort and that when a student is referred to the school’s office for disciplinary action, the first response shall be to seek interventions and attempts to change the student’s conduct, not to default to suspension or expulsion. It also adds that the Administration explores further opportunities to train school staff, parents, and students in cultural awareness, conflict resolution, violence prevention, restorative justice, tolerance for divergent viewpoints, etc.

Testimonies from MPS students and community leaders expressed how such actions are reflective of underlying problems. Additionally, testimonies advocated for the use of restorative practices. Restorative practices are steps taken before disciplinary action that allow both parties to have a conversation on the problem. Restorative practices are a step to combating implicit and explicit bias, and understanding the student. 

The Office of Civil Rights is a first good step in the direction to end the racial disparity in MPS. Now more than ever, in MPS and across all districts, the fight to end racial disparity in education has to be on the forefront of the agenda. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    May 2020

    Categories

    All
    2019-2020 COVID Edition
    Ann Jacobs Interview
    Clubs
    Edition One 2020
    Edition Two 2020
    Features
    Our Voices Matter
    Performing Arts
    Recipes
    Tony Evers Interview

    RSS Feed

What would you like to see?
Submit

Our job as a team . . .

The Husky Howler is a student-run news reporting site that is responsible for getting out information that our team finds relevant in today's standards. The Howler keeps credibility in high check, and prides itself on reporting news from all perspectives to create diversity in presentation. Every piece has a voice to be heard, and the Howler is a place where students have the chance to speak as they please (whether it's through artistic endeavors or info graphics).

Join The Howler!

Let your voice be heard!

HOWLER SIGNUP PAGE
  • HOME
  • Blog
  • Howler Media
  • Join the Howler
  • Staff 2020-21
  • Past Years
    • 2019-2020 ARCHIVE >
      • End of 2020
      • Staff
      • 2019 -2020 COVID Editions
      • September/October 2019
    • 2018-2019 >
      • Edition 1 >
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Sports
        • Special Features
      • Edition 2 >
        • Editorial
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Sports/Clubs
        • Special Features
      • Edition 3 >
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Sports and Clubs
        • Special Features
      • Edition 4 >
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Sports and Clubs
        • Special Features
      • Edition 5 >
        • Feature
        • Arts/Entertainment
        • Sports and Clubs
        • Special Feature
      • Edition 6 >
        • Features
        • Art/Entertainment
        • Special Features
    • 2017-2018 >
      • APRIL/MAY EDITION >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art & Entertainment
        • Special Features
      • FEB./MARCH. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art & Entertainment
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • JAN./FEB. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Entertainment & Reviews
        • Special Features
      • NOV./DEC. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • OCT./NOV. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Entertainment & Reviews
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • AUG./SEPT. EDITION >
        • Features
        • Dear Nancy
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Entertainment & Reviews
        • Special Features
      • INTERVIEWS
    • 2016-2017 >
      • Team Mission
      • Staff
      • May Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • April Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • March Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • January/February Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
        • Opinion
      • November Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • October Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • September Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
      • August Edition >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Art, Entertainment & Reviews
        • Dear Nancy
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
    • 2015-2016 >
      • Team Mission
      • Join the Howler
      • MAY EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS & PROM
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEW
        • DEAR NANCY
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
        • Editorial
      • APRIL EDITION >
        • Features
        • Sports & Clubs
        • Arts & Entertainment & Review
        • Dear Nancy
        • Special Features
        • Editorial
      • MARCH EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEW
        • DEAR NANCY
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
        • EDITORIAL
        • Special Features
      • JAN/FEB EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
        • OPINION
      • DECEMBER EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEW
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
      • NOVEMBER EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
      • OCTOBER EDITION >
        • HOME
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
      • SEPTEMBER EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • DEAR NANCY
        • SPECIAL FEATURES
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
      • AUGUST EDITION >
        • FEATURES
        • SPORTS & CLUBS
        • 2018-2019
        • ART & ENTERTAINMENT & REVIEWS
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE
        • DEAR NANCY ADVICE