Inequities in Minority Youth Discipline

 

'Minority Youth, Inequities in Justice' event addresses racial disparity in youth discipline

• KEN NGUYEN
 
• Feb 4, 2021
 

Black students in Missouri's public schools system are five times more likely than their white peers to receive an out-of-school suspension, according to a 2018 report by the ACLU of Missouri. Another report by The Sentencing Project in 2015 found Black youth in Missouri were almost five times more likely to be detained or committed than white youth.

The disparity in how minority youth are disciplined in the school and juvenile justice system is a deep-rooted problem in Missouri's education and justice system. In response, community groups got together to organize the first part of “Minority Youth, Inequities in Justice,” a virtual forum that addressed this issue Wednesday night.

This forum is co-sponsored by League of Women Voters of Columbia-Boone County; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Chi Omega Chapter; Boone County Children’s Services Board; Mid-Missouri Civil Liberties Association; Minority Men’s Network; and the NAACP, as part of Boone County’s Journey Toward Inclusive Excellence.

Mahree Skala, a local member of the League of Women Voters and one of two forum moderators, said the idea behind this event originated in the league's Civil Liberties Committee and was suggested by Janet Thompson, a fellow league member and Boone County commissioner who worked as a public defender for many years.

"We hope the forum will contribute to the participants' journey by increasing knowledge of this important issue and inspiring them to take action through their relationships, work and volunteer work," Skala said.

Wednesday's speakers included Ranita Norwood, supervisor of student services with Columbia Public Schools; Ruth McCluskey, chief juvenile officer with the 13th Circuit Court; Sarah Johnson, a public defender with the Children's Defense Team in St. Louis; Asia Smith, a Battle High School student; and Steve Calloway with the Minority Men's Network.

They addressed topics such as:

• Columbia Public School District's implementation of professional development for teachers and administrators to combat discipline disparity, which includes equity and restorative practices.

• The four requirements for the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act — deinstitutionalization of status offenders, removal from adult jail and lock-up, sight and sound separation of adult inmates and removal of racial and ethnic disparities — and the steps the 13th Circuit Court has taken to improve racial and ethnic disparities in the system, both locally and statewide.

• Children's Defense Team's work in the public defenders system.

• Smith's experience as a minority youth.

• The school-to-prison pipeline in Columbia Public Schools.

Seventy-eight people attended the forum, said Lauren Williams, community services manager for Daniel Boone Regional Library and the forum's second moderator. 

The second part of the virtual forum, which will go more in-depth about how the community can help improve the situation, will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 17. Community members interested in attending can sign up on the Daniel Boone Regional Library's website.

The organizations co-sponsoring this event have also compiled a list of background information and resources on the topic.

Bill in MO House to Take Funding From Public School Students and Attend Private Schools

 

Fight looms over effort to create scholarships for public school students to attend private schools

• BY WICKER PERLIS
 
• Jan 26, 2021

JEFFERSON CITY — Two very different pictures were painted Tuesday of proposed bills to create an Education Savings Account program that would allow some public school students to attend private schools under scholarship.

Those in favor of the bills told the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education that “school choice” would allow students to escape public schools that are failing or not meeting their needs. Those opposed said it would take money out of the public school system, only making the conditions at underperforming public schools worse, and said it lacked accountability.

One of the bills, proposed by Rep. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, would cover tuition for any public school student whose family has an income up to twice that of what is required to qualify for free and reduced price lunches to attend a private school.

These income requirements ensure that scholarships go to students with the most need, Fitzwater said.

Fitzwater’s bill would be funded through donations from the public, which can be fully claimed as a tax credit, as long as the credit does not exceed 50% of the contributors total tax burden to the state.

The other bill, proposed by Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters, is funded in a similar way, but the qualifications for an eligible student are different.

All public school students would be eligible for scholarships, with the notable exception of those living in cities with a population of less than 30,000 or counties that do not have a chartered government.

Christofanelli said the 30,000 population limit was a “political reality” because many lawmakers from smaller towns oppose such programs for their communities

The program would receive $50 million in state funding to offset the tax credits.

Among the first to challenge the proposals was Rep. Ian Mackey, D-St. Louis. Mackey said he was concerned by the scope of these programs, questioning its size compared to those of states with existing school choice programs.

“It just seems like we’re plunging headfirst way into the deep end,” Mackey said.

“Big problems need big solutions,” Fitzwater later replied.

One major concern of those in opposition was the anticipated drain on funding for public schools that would result from students leaving the public school system.

Scott Kimble, director of legislative advocacy for the Missouri Council of School Administrators, said the bills would lead to $50 million being transferred from public schools to private schools.

“Fifty million dollars is not insignificant,” Kimble said.

Kimble also pointed out that the public school system has already seen a decrease in funding due to the COVID-19 pandemic and revenue shortfalls, including a decrease in revenue coming in from casinos.

Mike Wood, legislative director of the Missouri State Teachers Association, said the legislature should commit to working on turning around underperforming or failing school districts.

Wood said if certain students were allowed to leave those schools and school districts, he would “worry about kids that are left behind in those struggling schools.”

Wood also voiced concerns that private schools may not be held to the same standards as public schools and that there is less accountability to the legislature with private schools than with public — even if public funds begin streaming into private schools through scholarship and waiver programs.

“It’s really interesting to me that you would mention accountability,” said Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho. “Over one-third of teachers say their children are behind.”

“I didn’t say it was great accountability, but we have accountability (in public schools,)” Wood said.

Many representatives and citizens shared personal stories in support of school choice.

Rep. Justin Hill, R-Lake St. Louis, had to leave the hearing in order to help his own son with testing for learning disabilities, a responsibility he said was passed onto him by the Wentzville school board, which was unable to provide such testing.

“My public school has failed us,” Hill said. “This is probably the most important bill of the year.”

Isabella Uccello, a student at St. Agnus Elementary School in Springfield, uses a wheelchair and has learning disabilities. Her mother, Rebecca Uccello, has been a public school teacher for 24 years but had to pull Isabella out of public school when her needs could not be accommodated.

“They gave us lip service,” Rebecca Uccello said. “They listened to our advice, and they didn’t change anything.”

Sue Slay, a Columbia parent, voiced her displeasure with Columbia Public Schools’ handling of COVID-19. Many students only recently returned to in-person instruction.

“(CPS) has enraged an entire community,” Slay said.

Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch, R-Hallsville, agreed with Slay. Toalson Reisch represents an area with four school districts, and CPS was the only one that did not have in-person classes in the fall.

“I give them a big fat F,” Toalson Reisch said. “My three rural districts, they have been in school doing it right.”

Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick testified in support of both bills. He said his office worked with the sponsors in order to “feel comfortable that whatever were to pass, we can implement it.”

Committee Chair Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, said the committee will vote on the bills Feb. 2.

Susan Blackburn Drops Out of School Board Race

 

CPS board Vice President Blackburn drops out of reelection race

• BY KYLE JONES KOMU 8
 
• Jan 20, 2021

Columbia School Board Vice President Susan Blackburn has announced she will not run for reelection this year.

Blackburn was elected to the board in 2018.

Susan Blackburn

Blackburn withdrew from the race Tuesday, before the 5 p.m. candidate filing deadline, citing a desire to spend more time with family.

"My focus has always been on supporting students. I look forward to completing my term and thank the community for the opportunity to serve. It has truly been an honor," Blackburn said in a statement Wednesday night. 

Newly added board member Chris Horn spent less than a year with Blackburn. However, Horn is appreciative of the support and guidance Blackburn gave him.

"When I went through the campaign process myself, we met very early in that process and immediately found some things we found an interest in," Horn said. "Particularly as it pertains to the importance of literacy, the importance of early-childhood education, the importance of equal opportunities for all our students."

According to Horn, there is no indication as to who will take over as vice president when Blackburn's term ends.

"I believe that's something that will be up to board leadership, in conversation and conjunction with the rest of the board members. I do anticipate that," Horn said.

With Blackburn's withdrawal, five candidates remain in the race. 

Lucas Neal, Aron Saylor, Katherine Sasser, Jeanne Snodgrass and incumbent Teresa Maledy are vying for two open seats on a school board that has faced criticism from some community members for decisions regarding a return to in-person learning.

From Columbia Missourian - School Board Filing Ending Soon

 

School Board candidate filing ends soon — here's who is running so far

• BY GRACE NIELAND
 
• Jan 15, 2021

There’s less than a week left for interested parties to file for Columbia School Board candidacy. So far, six people have thrown their name in the hat.

People interested in running for the School Board have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to file. Two board positions are open in the April 6 election. Whoever wins those seats will serve on the board for three years.

As of Thursday evening, six candidates had filed — two sitting board members and four newcomers. Here’s what we know so far:

Teresa Maledy

Teresa Maledy, a retired Commerce Bank executive, is running to keep her seat on the board after being elected in 2018. She said she wants to run because of a strong belief in the importance of public service and the benefits of public education — the same reasons she first ran three years ago.

She said working on the School Board is complex and has a steep learning curve. If reelected, she hopes to use the experience she’s gained to help the board achieve its goals. She also wants to ensure that any gaps in student learning caused by COVID-19 are promptly filled.

“Because of the challenges we’ve experienced this year, we’re going to need to spend some time really understanding and evaluating each student,” Maledy said. “So we know what kind of support they need to catch up, if need be.”

Maledy has six kids, three of whom are currently enrolled in the Columbia Public School District. She came from the banking industry where she served in several leadership roles, time that she said taught her how to work within a large organization. She’s also worked on boards for several nonprofits and was a trustee for Stephens College.

Susan Blackburn

Susan Blackburn is also running to maintain her seat on the board after being elected in 2018. She has three sons who graduated from Hickman High School and is a retired CPS teacher.

Blackburn said her priorities lie in ensuring student literacy, closing the achievement gap and recruiting and retaining quality teachers. She said it’s important to her to build relationships within the Columbia community and to ensure stakeholder participation.

“I think one of the most important functions of a board member is to be able to hear from the public and really listen and then come together with other board members to solve the problem,” she said.

Blackburn worked in the CPS system for nearly three decades as a speech pathologist and literacy teacher. She said her time spent teaching helps her lend a “teacher’s perspective” to the board as well made her familiar with the inner workings of the district.

“I’ve worked in the district for nearly 30 years and had the opportunity to work in many of the schools in our district with our incredible staff,” she said. “I feel like I know the school community really well.”

Lucas Neal

Lucas Neal is the area director for Young Life, a faith-based organization for high school and college students. If elected, he would be a newcomer to the board.

Neal said he believes strongly that public schools give kids their best chance and that he would be excited to work from the current board’s progress to help navigate the difficult times caused by COVID-19.

He said his priority as a board member would be to address key issues, such as literacy and closing the achievement gap, while still working to remedy issues caused by the pandemic.

“I feel really strongly about making sure that every kid in our community has an equal opportunity for success,” Neal said.

As the area director of Young Life, Neal says he’s spent “thousands of hours” around high school students. His wife works in the CPS system, and he was a track coach for 16 years at Hickman High School. He’s had 18 years of experience working with boards, which he says has given him the ability to navigate group conversations and find compromises when needed.

Neal has two elementary-aged children who attend private schools in Columbia. His children attended Fairview Elementary School until this past year, when Neal and his wife’s schedules required the certainty allowed by in-seat learning. Neal said they hope to move their kids back into CPS after this year.

Aron Saylor

Aron Saylor is a web developer for the Missouri Department of Transportation and has two kids in CPS.

Saylor said his priorities, if elected, would be to ensure that students can have an in-school learning experience and do so safely. He said his job maintaining traveler maps and internal inventory applications at MoDOT has given him the ability to handle and understand important data.

“I am a very logical person with my job,” Saylor said. “If I say something, I can prove it.”

He said he decided to run for the School Board after paying attention to the current board and feeling like not everything was “adding up.” Feeling like the board didn’t always cite their sources for their reasoning for certain decisions, Saylor said he “felt like (he) needed to do something.”

He acknowledged the work the current board is doing to return students to in-person learning but said he wished it would have made those plans sooner.

“I know they’re currently working on some things now,” he said. “But they were supposed to have been doing those things last summer.”

Katherine Sasser

Katherine Sasser is one of the latest applicants for the School Board. She is a longtime educator and has two children currently enrolled in CPS schools and another entering kindergarten next year.

Sasser calls herself an “advocate and avid supporter of education as a human right.” If elected, her goal would be to engage the community in an impactful way to ensure access and inclusion in Columbia public schools.

“For me, it’s not about presenting my position in particular, but it’s using that position to bring a voice to folks in our community who need to have a voice in that space,” she said.

Sasser is an educational program coordinator for the eMINTS National Center at MU, where she works with federal grant funding to bring better STEM education and design thinking to rural schools in Missouri and Kansas. She also worked as a teacher at CPS for nine years before spending time working with international schools.

“My professional experience has given me a lens into the needs, aspirations and celebrations in a variety of communities, both here in our community, communities across the state and across the world,” Sasser said.

Jeanne Snodgrass

Jeanne Snodgrass is the executive director of Mizzou Hillel, a nonprofit dedicated to giving Jewish MU students a place to meet each other and get involved in Jewish life in mid-Missouri. She has experience in both education and business and has three children in the CPS system.

Her decision to run was heavily influenced by the current board’s decisions related to COVID-19. If elected, she said one of her main priorities would be ensuring the health and safety of students and staff, both mentally and physically, in the face of COVID-19 and dealing with any issues caused by the pandemic.

She said that she’s also dedicated to ensuring an equitable experience across the CPS system, whether that be in terms of the quality of the school buildings themselves or the types of classes offered within them.

“My kids have had really great experiences (in CPS), but those experiences aren’t the experiences that everyone has had,” Snodgrass said. “I want to make sure funding is a little more equitable for our schools so that students in all schools have access to the same resources.”

Snodgrass said she’s worked with boards for years and said that experience combined with her business experience has given her the skills necessary to build relationships in a community, interact with the public and how to manage a budget.

“I am a strong believer in the public school system,” she said. “It’s really important that everyone who has access to the system has good experiences. Columbia public schools is really amazing, but it can be even better.”

Don't Be Fooled by Amendment 3!

 

Watch the Debate Between MO SD 19 Candidate Judy Baker and MO SD 19 Sen. Incumbent Caleb Rowden

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

ABC 17 News aired a debate Oct. 8th, between two political veterans seeking a contested state Senate seat Wednesday.

State Sen. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, and Democratic challenger Judy Baker faced off in the debate televised on KMIZ. Watch a replay of the debate in the player below.

Rowden served multiple terms in the House before winning election to the Senate in 2016. Baker has also represented Columbia in the House and run unsuccessfully for Congress and state treasurer.

 Click to watch SD 19 Senate Debate

Former Sen. Claire McCaskill Defends MO Sen. Candidate Judy Baker

Former Sen. Claire McCaskill defends Judy Baker in impromptu press conference

By Langston Newsome

Columbia Daily Tribune

Clair McCaskill Defends MNEA MO Sen. Candidate Judy Baker 

Former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill held a press conference in Columbia on Thursday to defend state Senate candidate Judy Baker against “terribly unfair” and “dishonest” attack advertisements. 

The appearance at the Boone County Courthouse plaza took place less than 24 hours after Wednesday’s state Senate debate between Baker and Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

The political campaign ads allege that McCaskill accused Baker of “bad management practices” that cost taxpayers nearly $2 million in 2002. 

McCaskill strongly refutes that claim. 

McCaskill, the then-Missouri state auditor, concluded that “the University Hospital and Clinics lost almost $10 million in revenues due to insurance denials and other write-offs that could have been prevented. The University Physicians (UP) also lost over $2 million for similar reasons” in an audit of the University of Missouri’s health care system from July 1999 through January 2002. 

Baker served as interim director of the University of Missouri’s University Physicians practice plan in 2001. 

“He’s lying in those ads about me and about Judy Baker,” McCaskill said of Rowden on Thursday. “... The facts behind that audit are very simple. That audit began before Judy Baker ever worked for the University Physicians group and in fact, for seven months of the audit period, Judy Baker had nothing to do with that group.” 

McCaskill also said that Baker was hired to help solve the issues cited in the state’s audit. Those problems included issues related to billings, accounts receivables and credits within University Physicians. 

“To say that I criticized her for a problem that she was hired to fix – well that’s just lying,” McCaskill said. 

The Rowden campaign doubled down on its position on McCaskill’s audit in a statement issued Thursday.

“Partisanship can’t stand in the way of facts,” the statement reads. “I understand the statements Claire McCaskill made as Auditor are inconvenient today to her political preference. However, her statements were factual then and they are factual now.” 

McCaskill also refuted claims that Baker personally profited during the rollout of the Affordable Care Act while serving as a regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

The reason for scheduling the press conference was to help correct the record after seeing the attack ads, McCaskill said. She did not notify Baker beforehand. 

Though McCaskill speaking out in defense of Baker comes right after the only 19th District Senate debate, the 2002 audit in question was not discussed during the forum. 

“We stand behind Auditor McCaskill’s audit — even if MSNBC political commentator McCaskill won’t,” Rowden’s campaign statement reads.