Children in public schools

Black and Hispanic children in public middle and high schools are more likely than white kids to describe profanity, truancy, fighting, weapons and drug abuse as "very serious" problems.

30% of black students say teachers spend more time trying to keep order in class than teaching.

Black and Hispanic parents were more than twice as likely as white parents to call weapons and fighting a very serious problem.

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Based on phone interviews with a random sample of 1,379 parents of children now in public school, 1,342 public school students in grades six through 12, and 721 public school teachers.