Saturday’s Sun Journal (May 16) included a lengthy front page article on racial bias toward kids in schools and our criminal justice system.
Sun Journal staff writer Christopher Williams wrote that “the Lewiston school system as one feeder for youths of color into the justice system.” The article further quoted University of Maine School of Law professor Christopher Northrup as saying “the Lewiston schools have been expelling a lot of kids … more than any other school system in the state, and many of the children they’re expelling are children of color.”
I have been superintendent of schools in Lewiston for 4 1/2 years. During my tenure neither this reporter nor the professor ever tried to contact me to verify their information or to learn more about what we are doing in Lewiston schools. In my mind this, in itself, is irresponsible journalism and bad research.
This is what Mr. Williams and Professor Northrup would have learned had they spoken with me:
1. While Lewiston is the second largest school district in Maine, other districts expel more students each year than Lewiston. I would be happy to share the Department of Education web link for this data.
2. Over the last three years, the Lewiston School Committee has expelled 31 students, out of a total student population of over 5,000. Thirty-two percent of the expelled students were African-American, and our student body makeup is 31 percent African-American. I don’t see any bias there.
3. While still in need of much improvement, the 4-year cohort completion rate at Lewiston High School is 70 percent for African-Americans compared to 69.9 percent for the total student cohort. I don’t see any bias there.
4. Expulsions can be with or without services. And, unlike many school districts, Lewiston continues to provide services to students after expulsion as we have the Dingley Program, the only school for expelled students in the state of Maine. Some students who have successfully completed our program are now pursuing college. This information would have been relevant to the article.
5. Since 2011 Lewiston has added four formal in-school suspension programs, which have resulted in a 75 percent reduction in out-of-school suspensions. Would the researcher have viewed this as a positive step?
6. Since 2011 we have increased the number of slots in alternative schools from 40 to over 100 to help students who need additional supports in a smaller setting. The behaviors of some of these students would have likely resulted in more expulsions had they stayed in Lewiston High School, but the writer does not appear interested in any good news from Lewiston.
7. Lewiston has many group homes that attract and result in placement of students from other communities, including many students who have already been expelled from their home school districts. We do all we can to meet their needs as well. None of this was mentioned in the article.
Any student who shows up in a Lewiston school with a weapon, assaults someone in school or is distributing drugs will likely be expelled from Lewiston schools. Safety for all other students is an appropriate priority, and I fail to see how this makes us a feeder into the justice system.
There are much broader community issues at play, and the needed solutions should come long before a student threatens the safety of other students at school. We do need to be doing more to help Maine’s youth, and I actually have some ideas beyond what is cited here. I invite Mr. Williams and Professor Northrup to contact me and learn more.
Finally, please know that when we do expel, we do not wash our hands of our educational responsibility. Expelled student are enrolled in the Dingley School where they can receive the more individualized academic attention, counseling and community service opportunities, all of which can contribute to future success.
Lewiston should not be maligned for its work. It should be celebrated.
Bill Webster, superintendent
Lewiston Public Schools
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