Federal investigators hear feedback on Cedar Rapids schools

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids School District has come far in addressing the needs of students of color, district administrators and staff told federal investigators from the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights Tuesday during an open forum. But some at the meeting felt more needs to be done.

The investigation of whether the district's discipline practices discriminate against black students was initiated in response to a request from community members, said attorney Tamara Perry with the Office for Civil Rights. Several measures of discipline, suspensions and referrals show that black students are disciplined disproportionately to white students, according to district data.

Black students account for 18.6 percent of districtwide enrollment, but 46.5 percent of all suspensions are handed down to black students. At the high school level, black students make up 41 percent of referrals while they only make up 18.7 percent of the enrollment.

Nelson Evans retired as the district's director of elementary and secondary education in 1999. He said he was asked to speak at the forum by several community members who were not able to attend.

Evans said his experience was that many disciplinary issues could be better resolved with more understanding and sensitivity to the challenges faced by minority students.

'I feel as though the district has perpetuated a culture of not meeting the needs of these students,” he said. 'The district has been unwilling to address a long list of grievances that have been expressed.”

Several administrators said the district is working hard to address such concerns. Ken Morris Jr., manager of student equity for the district, praised 'the district's willingness to own up to its own deficiencies.”

'They've been willing to put in the hours and resources to address the things that have brought us to this point,” he said.

Superintendent David Benson and several others cited a long list of efforts to better engage minority students. Those efforts include mentoring and cultural programs and a recent restorative justice workshop,

'We are not ignoring issues of cultural diversity in our community,” Benson said. 'We're continuing to engage in efforts to bring the cultural competency of our staff forward.”

About 30 people attended the meeting. Most appeared to be district staff or administrators.

One parent in attendance, Aaron Doolin, told investigators he was disappointed with the forum's setup. He said its timing - from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. - and its location at the Ladd Library made it hard for working parents to attend.

'I don't feel parents are here. There's no way for them to get here,” he said. 'They're the ones who need to be here.”

Doolin said he heard about the meeting at the last minute from his brother Dedric Doolin, who is president of the Cedar Rapids branch of the NAACP.

'A lot of things are being done, but we've got to be honest. We have some challenges,” Dedric Doolin said. 'We need to communicate with the parents better.”

Parent Rafael Jacobo, on the other hand, praised the district and the opportunities available to his three children.

'It's been a great experience throughout the school district,” he said. 'I support the district 100 percent.”

In addition to Tuesday's meeting, investigators are interviewing staff and students at district schools.

Those who did not attend the meeting but wish to submit a comment on the investigation may contact the Office of Civil Rights Chicago branch at (312) 730-1560 and refer to docket 05-14-1076.