That's some problem

The local daily front page reports "a long-stanmding and growing problem: Black students are disciplined at far greater rates than their white peers, though the vast majority of districts hav far fewer black students."

Yes, you read that right.

Reasons?
No. 1: white teachers don't understand black culture.
Yes, you read that right.
No. 2: teachers have poor classroom management skills and overreact to disruptive students.
Yes, you read that right.
No. 3: teachers don't understand how a suspension hurts a student.
It can't possibly be that you read that right.
No. 4: too few teachers can relate to minority students (sounds like reason no. 1, but I guess you can never have too many reasons.)

I am speechless. Not once does the story discuss whether the students are being disruptive. I guess it must be assuming they are.

It seems to me the domain has three outcomes:
1) students are less disruptive than the disciplinary rate, in which case you have a scorching case of racism;
2) students are disruptive near the rate of discipline, in which case the schools deserve a medal;
3) students are disruptive more than the rate of discipline, in which case, you have a scorching case of racism (we can't expect the dears to behave like civilized people, because they're black).

I'm guessing the likely outcomes are 2 and 3, because one thing is sure: school discipline is ineffective, no matter what your race, and when an article like this can't even bring itself even to allude to, much less discuss, the actual behavior in question, then it's clear there is no actual inquiry or debate to be had.

UPDATE: I missed it the first time I read it, but we'll have to add this to Great Moments in Journalism Math, too: "Black students are disciplined at far greater rates than their white peers, though the vast majority of districts hav far fewer black students."

Well, yes, that's what a rate is. This is sort of like saying, "The percentage is high, although the denominater is relatively low." I think reporters neeed to adopt a rule: Whenever you write a story about "black students," substitute "Asian students " and see if the story is too stupid for words. If it is, maybe you could go back and rethink it? Or maybe just, think it?