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The National Appleseed network works to reduce social injustice by analyzing inequities in public systems and suggesting reforms to balance the systems. Many Appleseed affiliates, Chicago among them, are engaged in research and advocacy to ensure that educational opportunities are equally available to all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability or immigrant status—particularly through our work in advocating for parental involvement. Successful students, as National Appleseed notes, are the products of not only solid schools and good teachers but engaged parents who take an interest in their child’s success and assist teachers.

It was, therefore, with great interest that we noted two stories in the news today, based upon a new report of school suspension data released by the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles. The Chicago Tribune reports that Illinois and Chicago Public Schools have the highest suspension rates of students of color among the 47 states studied in the report. The racial disparity in suspensions, which is documented in the report, “underscor[es] concerns by many educators that African-Americans face harsher discipline than their classmates. “ The Sun-Times wrote about discipline inequities in CPS back in April.

The New York Times also covered the Center for Civil Rights report, focusing on how “students with disabilities are almost twice as likely to be suspended from school as nondisabled students, with the highest rates among black children with disabilities.”

Parental engagement in their children’s schools is a vital path to ensuring equality in school discipline systems because involved parents provide schools alternatives to harsh discipline. As noted in a June WBEZ story on suspension policies in CPS, where students receive support during periods of suspension, they are better able to recover academically and avoid future suspension. The parental engagement policies which Appleseed advocates improve communication networks between schools and the student’s home, which helps teachers better understand and meet the student’s needs. Additionally, as a 2010 Chicago Appleseed report (.pdf) has shown, improved parental involvement increases parental support of the student’s academic efforts and makes children more positive about their schooling.