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ok… as per the DeSoto Appeal:

“Department of Education figures reviewed by The Associated Press show blacks, who account for only slightly more than half of the state’s public school population, made up about 54 percent of students ages 6-21 in special education programs during 2002″

Ok… someone define “slightly more than half” for me, please. Because when I read slightly more than half, I’m thinking 52-53%… and then they say that 54% of the students in special ed represent this group that is “slightly more than half” of the student population. So I think… yup, that’s about right. Apparently, I’m wrong.

Someone explain to me how the numbers mentioned above justify this quote: “It’s easier, unfortunately in our school systems, to remove African American children and place them in special education . . . away from the general education population.”

I hope there are enough educated people left in the world to see what is wrong with the above statements. I guarentee that most people that read that in DeSoto county will go, ‘oh my goodness… they’re right… all of our teachers are racists! I can’t believe they would put so many black children in special education just because of their culture… ‘

Don’t get me wrong… if there was a statistically significant problem over a long enough time period to account for common variation (rather than the snapshot presented in the article), then yes… I would say let’s examine the problem… not go off on a crusade, mind you… just objectively examine the problem.. But looking at numbers for one time period that may or may not show anything significant and then turning and blaming the problem on discrimination is unjustified…

ya know, stupid people find new ways to amaze (pronounced ‘annoy’) me everyday.

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