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Consultant says race holds black students back
By MONIQUE FIELDS, Times Staff Writer
Parents alleging in a lawsuit that Pinellas schools discriminate against black students have added new specifics to their claim. A consultant hired by the plaintiffs concluded that FCAT scores are as much as 28 points lower for blacks than whites, that black students are not promoted at the same rate as white students, and that black students are 3.8 times more likely to be disciplined. Three more parents on Thursday also joined the lawsuit, filed in August 2000. The plaintiffs seeks class-action status. The lawsuit was filed by Tampa attorney Guy Burns, who also has represented members of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement in various civil rights cases. The 30-page consultant's report released Thursday illustrates a "dismal failure as far as black student achievement," said Chimurenga Waller, international president of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement. "We believe somebody has to step up and fight against that and say this is wrong," he said. In 2000, U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday declared Pinellas schools free of discrimination and ended a 36-year federal lawsuit that required forced busing. In ending that lawsuit, Merryday approved a negotiated settlement between the school district and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, to address "black student achievement, black student discipline and the assignment of black students to classes and programs." District administrators agree that there is an achievement gap between white and black students and don't dispute the consultant report's claims. But they say the settlement approved by Merryday resolved the issues raised in the parents' lawsuit. "This issue has been litigated and resolved by the federal court judge who said we are treating and educating blacks equally with whites," said School Board attorney John Bowen, who has tried to have the lawsuit dismissed. Burns and his clients aren't satisfied with the district's effort, including its school choice plan. Their lawsuit contends the school district is violating the state Constitution by failing to provide a quality education for black students. The consultant's report was distributed at a news conference at Bethel Community Baptist Church and prepared by Robert A. Bardwell, who has testified as an expert witness in racial discrimination cases. Bardwell, of Denver, examined data provided by Pinellas County Schools from 1990 through 2001, including FCAT, SAT and Florida Writes scores. He concluded that race is a bigger issue than poverty in student achievement scores. "There is no chance these performance statistics are not racially influenced and racially based," Burns said. The district has been addressing student achievement since 1998. "I'm not sure it's saying a whole lot that we didn't already know, with the exception of perhaps the person who analyzed the data is claiming that race is a stronger predictor for school achievement than poverty is," said Steven Iachini, director of research and accountability for Pinellas County Schools. Eula West-Vandergriff, one of the plaintiffs, said her son is an example of what's wrong with Pinellas schools. Her son, Donovan, is a junior at Gibbs High School's Pinellas County Center for the Arts. He has a 2.0 grade-point average, despite scoring high on standardized tests. "I feel very strongly there is disparity in treatment within the school system with a culture created in the classrooms, supported by favoritism and nepotism, which has had a negative impact on my son's classroom performance and thus his quality of education," she said. -- Kitty Bennett and information from Times files contributed to this report.
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