BUNNELL, Fla. — A school assembly is under scrutiny after African American students at a Flagler County elementary school were singled out for low test scores.
"Her teacher pretty much called out her and a few other classmates by their name," parent Dominique A., who did not want her full name revealed, said.
Dominique was one of many parents of fourth and fifth grade students who say not only did they not get a warning before their children were pulled out of class, but they are disappointed by what they say teachers told the students.
She says on Friday at Bunnell Elementary School, her daughter and about 30 other African American fourth and fifth grade students were pulled out of class.
"She let me know that when she looked back, all of her white classmates were still there, and all the black children were leaving," Dominique A. said.
Francine Howard's daughter was also there.
"It sounded very segregated to me," parent Francine Howard said.
The power point shows what three staff members presented to students inside the school's cafeteria. It includes several grammatical errors. Listed under 'The problem', AA referring to African Americans "have under perform on standardized assessment for the last past three years."
The power point says only 32% of students are at a level three or higher for ELA/Math when the school is supposed to have at least 41%. The solutions listed include that each student will concentrate and commit to earning a higher score. But parents say there was more said than what was on the presentation.
"They were told that students of their color can end up in jail or being killed if they're not successful. So it did come up as threatening," Dominique A. said.
In statements, Bunnell Elementary School Principal Donnelle Evensen and Interim Superintendent LaShakia Moore admit parents were not properly engaged.
“In speaking with Mrs. Evensen, it is clear there was no malice intended in planning this student outreach. However, sometimes, when you try to think “outside the box,” you forget why the box is there," Moore said in a statement. "While the desire to help this particular subgroup of students is to be commended, how this was done does not meet the expectations we desire among Flagler Schools."
Howard says the school should have taken a different approach.
"There's other kids that are not that don't have good test grades of any other rates, you know, white, black, green, yellow, purple, it wouldn't matter. No other child need to ever experience being singled out being targeted, being discriminated against because of their color," Howard said.
First Coast News asked the district Tuesday if students were separated by race, or if students were told they could end up in jail, shot, or dead. Flagler County Schools Spokesperson says it is still under investigation by the Office of Professional Standards.