The latest government data, analyzed recently by Howard Witt in an article in the "Chicago Tribune," shows that black students are getting a raw deal in American schools when it comes to discipline. In the average New Jersey public school, reports Witt, African-American students are almost 60 times as likely as white students to be expelled. Nationally, they are three times more likely than non-black students to be suspended or expelled for the same offenses. The problem has gotten worse, not better: In 1972, black students were suspended at just twice the rate of other students. Today's numbers cannot be explained away by differences in class or income, since even middle-class and wealthy black students are being punished more often--and more severely--than their non-black peers. Problems of inequity based on race are not confined to discipline. Black students are far more likely than other students to be taught by inexperienced teachers, score lower on standardized tests, be referred for special education services, and fail to graduate. It is a difficult subject to confront. As the national population of students of color nears 40% while 80% of teachers are white, it is an issue schools need to take on. In this article, the author discusses how to address the low academic achievement and discipline problems of black students and improve the racial climate in schools.