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The Young Activists Coalition has been making similar demands for nearly a year, citing disproportionate discipline used against Black students.
Recent data from the ACLU of Ohio show Black students in CPS are five times more likely to face discipline than white students.
While Black students are 63% of the student population, they make up 93% of out-of-school suspensions, 89% of police referrals, 85% of in-school suspensions, and 78% of expulsions.
The protest was planned after the group says it was not allowed to present data about SROs at Monday s Health and Safety Committee meeting. Young Activists Coalition President Yousuf Munir says this happened despite members of the Health and Safety Committee encouraging the group to speak.
Should CPS schools have resource officers? Teachers, students to discuss Saturday wcpo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wcpo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education in December laid out plans to return to blended learning if the city remained below 40 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. When the board voted last week to return Feb. 1, the city was averaging 66 new daily cases. Some teachers are frustrated with the new plan, saying staff weren t given the opportunity to provide input, and they re worried about contracting the virus. Kia Alexander teaches science at the School For Creative and Performing Arts. The county has, as we all know, recently moved into purple, Alexander said. It worries me that we likely won t be fully vaccinated, almost any of us, before we re teaching in-person again.
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According to data in the petition from the Civil Rights Data Collection, 63% of CPS students are Black, but Black students make up 85% of the referrals to police within schools. The Young Activists Coalition wants police and punitive discipline removed from schools and funding increased for counselors, psychologists and social workers.
Vice President Owen Derico said the school board hasn’t taken any measures when it comes to the issue at hand.
“We’re going to let them see what the community actually thinks and provide a way for the community to make their voices heard if they aren’t in a position where they can sign on to meetings and speak directly,” Derico said.