Bronx Charter School Disciplined Over Admissions - NYTimes.com
Showing posts with label Academic Excellence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Academic Excellence. Show all posts
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Bronx Charter School Disciplined Over Admissions - NYTimes.com
There is a pattern slowly emerging around education reform.What we are seeing is that there is no silver bullet. It certainly is not charter schools. You can not avoid the five essentials for excellence. It takes a Motivated student to show up for school, supportive parents, high quality teaching, high quality principal leadership and a rigorous curriculum to achieve excellence. There simply are no short cuts! These are the elements found in any successful school: urban, suburban,charter or non-charter. These are the basics that should be vigorously identified and promoted at the community level.
Bronx Charter School Disciplined Over Admissions - NYTimes.com
Bronx Charter School Disciplined Over Admissions - NYTimes.com
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
About | Khan Academy
Check out this free educational site. Free video help on many, many subjects.
It is very neat and useful. You will not be disappointed. Just click on the
link below.
About | Khan Academy
It is very neat and useful. You will not be disappointed. Just click on the
link below.
About | Khan Academy
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
When Black Civil Rights Groups Hurt Black Children | Dropout Nation: Coverage of the Reform of American Public Education Edited by RiShawn Biddle
Agree or not with the position taken by Mr. Biddle, this is a good debate to have in the black community. We need to develop a fact based understanding of the whole reform question, and then settle on positions that truly put kids first.
When Black Civil Rights Groups Hurt Black Children | Dropout Nation: Coverage of the Reform of American Public Education Edited by RiShawn Biddle
When Black Civil Rights Groups Hurt Black Children | Dropout Nation: Coverage of the Reform of American Public Education Edited by RiShawn Biddle
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Study Links School Safety to Achievement, Relationships
This study should encourage those who do not feel poverty or the neighborhood dooms a student to failure.
Study Links School Safety to Achievement, Relationships
Study Links School Safety to Achievement, Relationships
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Vision 2020 Right for Caddo
Dr. Gerald Dawkins has demonstrated significant courage and wisdom in pushing forward with his bold plan for the Caddo school system. This strategy seeks to right size the district and therefore make better use of all district resources.
Better resource deployment means an overall better opportunity for Caddo students to excel.
Change is always hard and significant change is only that much harder. I have long since given up on buildings in favor of people. The right decision is the one that favors people. In this case, the people most important in the calculation are the students themselves.
Calls for more time to study the plan and its implications were without merit. They demonstrated the usual paralyzing fear of the unknown.
As one board member astutely noted, if some elements of the plan are wrong, then admit the error and change it.
Congratulations to Dr. Dawkins for standing on his convictions in the face of an orchestrated community onslaught. Of course it is not over yet. Those who oppose change will not go away quietly. They never do.
But this important victory is a critical first step of a journey in the right direction.
Better resource deployment means an overall better opportunity for Caddo students to excel.
Change is always hard and significant change is only that much harder. I have long since given up on buildings in favor of people. The right decision is the one that favors people. In this case, the people most important in the calculation are the students themselves.
Calls for more time to study the plan and its implications were without merit. They demonstrated the usual paralyzing fear of the unknown.
As one board member astutely noted, if some elements of the plan are wrong, then admit the error and change it.
Congratulations to Dr. Dawkins for standing on his convictions in the face of an orchestrated community onslaught. Of course it is not over yet. Those who oppose change will not go away quietly. They never do.
But this important victory is a critical first step of a journey in the right direction.
Monday, February 7, 2011
What Teachers Wish Parents Knew | Psychology Today
From the teacher to the parent. Click the link below.
What Teachers Wish Parents Knew | Psychology Today
What Teachers Wish Parents Knew | Psychology Today
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Education Week: Early-College High Schools: 'Why Not Do It for All the Kids?'
This is an example of why I will not accept POVERTY as the catchall excuse for poor kids not learning.
Click on the link below for a rewarding view at what success looks like in a economically depressed community.
Education Week: Early-College High Schools: 'Why Not Do It for All the Kids?'
Click on the link below for a rewarding view at what success looks like in a economically depressed community.
Education Week: Early-College High Schools: 'Why Not Do It for All the Kids?'
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Frederick Douglass (a black male role model)
I have just finished reading "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave."
Of course I have read other material about Mr. Douglass in the past, but this experience was quite different.
In this case, I was reading his first hand account of his life as a slave, up to the time of about 1845 which would have made him all of 27 years old.
To briefly illustrate the eloquence and tone of the book, note the following:
"I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!"
"You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man."
"My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place; and I now resolved that, however long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact. I did not hesitate to let it be known of me, that the white man who expected to succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me."
Frederick Douglass, born into slavery, taught himself to read and write. Remember, a slave who could read was considered a danger to the very system of slavery.
This volume should be highlighted to black males. He is truly a role model for the challenges facing black males discussed on this site and others.
Low academic achievement, high unemployment, low graduation rates, etc., are but a few of our modern day issues.
I believe a close read of this book and seeing the world as Mr. Douglass saw it, would do wonders to motivate today's black males to conquer the world now as we see it.
Your thoughts?
Of course I have read other material about Mr. Douglass in the past, but this experience was quite different.
In this case, I was reading his first hand account of his life as a slave, up to the time of about 1845 which would have made him all of 27 years old.
To briefly illustrate the eloquence and tone of the book, note the following:
"I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!"
"You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man."
"My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place; and I now resolved that, however long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact. I did not hesitate to let it be known of me, that the white man who expected to succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me."
Frederick Douglass, born into slavery, taught himself to read and write. Remember, a slave who could read was considered a danger to the very system of slavery.
This volume should be highlighted to black males. He is truly a role model for the challenges facing black males discussed on this site and others.
Low academic achievement, high unemployment, low graduation rates, etc., are but a few of our modern day issues.
I believe a close read of this book and seeing the world as Mr. Douglass saw it, would do wonders to motivate today's black males to conquer the world now as we see it.
Your thoughts?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Money and power clouds debate on education reform
The world of social media is buzzing with all sorts of activity in the overall debate on what constitutes true education reform.
And this fight (yes it is a fight) is full of the usual elements of any good fight. We have lots of name-calling, use and abuse of statistics, finger-pointing, and scapegoating.
But what else is new when the real fight has less to do with educating children, particularly poor (most often black) children and more to do with money and power.
The latest debate is being sparked, in part, by the movie Waiting for Superman. I have not seen the movie but I did study the article by Diane Ravitch titled "The Myth of Charter Schools."
Ms. Ravitch does a very thorough job of reviewing the movie before she launches her analysis and rebuttal.
Her article has been well received in the social media arena. It is all over Twitter and being celebrated as the knockout punch for the movie.
I have always admitted to not being an educator or policy expert. But, I am not intimidated by those who are either or both.
My overarching concern is focused primarily on the black community. I am trying to raise our level of appreciation for the real value of a good education and how that relates to the ability to make a living.
That's it. A good education is a tool that helps you protect and care for your family.
I am also in favor of a strong public school system. I am a product of public schools and most of the people I know are also like me.
However, I do not care to witness an endless debate over the merits of charters vs. non-charters. Frankly, I do not care what works, as long as it works.
And, works for me means that black kids are:
1) graduating from high school on time and on grade level,
2) performing on unbiased standardized tests as well as any other ethnic group,
3) attending and graduating from college or other post secondary training programs in numbers similar to any other ethnic group, and
4) prepared to compete for and win a fair share of the many rewarding career opportunities available in this wonderful country.
Now poor kids (remember mostly black) are being highlighted as the real problem. Well, let's frame it the way at least two recent presentations say it.
Mike Rose in a piece for the Washington Post blog, The Answer Sheet, says "There is a crisis in American education, and it involves mostly poor children, and thus it is a moral as well as educational outrage. But it is just not accurate to characterize public education itself as being in a 30 -year crisis."
Mr. Rose goes on to point out the well worn nexus between poverty and low achievement.
Diane Ravitch in her rebuttal to the movie makes the statement that "Guggenheim seems to believe that teachers alone can overcome the effects of student poverty, even though there are countless studies that demonstrate the link between income and test scores. He shows us footage of the pilot Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, to the amazement of people who said it couldn't be done. Since Yeager broke the sound barrier, we should be prepared to believe that able teachers are all it takes to overcome the disadvantages of poverty, homelessness, joblessness, poor nutrition, absent parents, etc."
Well that's it folks. Poor kids are not generally getting a good education because of the impact of poverty, and they sure as hell are not going to break the cycle of poverty without a good education.
Sadly, too many are buying into this struggle over money and power and not staying tightly focused on the real issues.
Schools must be expected to educate the population they serve.
Educators and policy makers must be held accountable for devising the right combination of strategies to get the job done. The job is not to come up all the reasons the child is difficult to teach or reach.
Finally, I am also unforgiving when it comes to expecting parents to assume the ultimate responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the children they have been blessed to have.
Parents can not delegate or abrogate that responsibility to anyone.
Now all stakeholders should begin to hold each other accountable for providing a high quality education to all this nations' children. Anything else is just plain criminal.
And this fight (yes it is a fight) is full of the usual elements of any good fight. We have lots of name-calling, use and abuse of statistics, finger-pointing, and scapegoating.
But what else is new when the real fight has less to do with educating children, particularly poor (most often black) children and more to do with money and power.
The latest debate is being sparked, in part, by the movie Waiting for Superman. I have not seen the movie but I did study the article by Diane Ravitch titled "The Myth of Charter Schools."
Ms. Ravitch does a very thorough job of reviewing the movie before she launches her analysis and rebuttal.
Her article has been well received in the social media arena. It is all over Twitter and being celebrated as the knockout punch for the movie.
I have always admitted to not being an educator or policy expert. But, I am not intimidated by those who are either or both.
My overarching concern is focused primarily on the black community. I am trying to raise our level of appreciation for the real value of a good education and how that relates to the ability to make a living.
That's it. A good education is a tool that helps you protect and care for your family.
I am also in favor of a strong public school system. I am a product of public schools and most of the people I know are also like me.
However, I do not care to witness an endless debate over the merits of charters vs. non-charters. Frankly, I do not care what works, as long as it works.
And, works for me means that black kids are:
1) graduating from high school on time and on grade level,
2) performing on unbiased standardized tests as well as any other ethnic group,
3) attending and graduating from college or other post secondary training programs in numbers similar to any other ethnic group, and
4) prepared to compete for and win a fair share of the many rewarding career opportunities available in this wonderful country.
Now poor kids (remember mostly black) are being highlighted as the real problem. Well, let's frame it the way at least two recent presentations say it.
Mike Rose in a piece for the Washington Post blog, The Answer Sheet, says "There is a crisis in American education, and it involves mostly poor children, and thus it is a moral as well as educational outrage. But it is just not accurate to characterize public education itself as being in a 30 -year crisis."
Mr. Rose goes on to point out the well worn nexus between poverty and low achievement.
Diane Ravitch in her rebuttal to the movie makes the statement that "Guggenheim seems to believe that teachers alone can overcome the effects of student poverty, even though there are countless studies that demonstrate the link between income and test scores. He shows us footage of the pilot Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, to the amazement of people who said it couldn't be done. Since Yeager broke the sound barrier, we should be prepared to believe that able teachers are all it takes to overcome the disadvantages of poverty, homelessness, joblessness, poor nutrition, absent parents, etc."
Well that's it folks. Poor kids are not generally getting a good education because of the impact of poverty, and they sure as hell are not going to break the cycle of poverty without a good education.
Sadly, too many are buying into this struggle over money and power and not staying tightly focused on the real issues.
Schools must be expected to educate the population they serve.
Educators and policy makers must be held accountable for devising the right combination of strategies to get the job done. The job is not to come up all the reasons the child is difficult to teach or reach.
Finally, I am also unforgiving when it comes to expecting parents to assume the ultimate responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the children they have been blessed to have.
Parents can not delegate or abrogate that responsibility to anyone.
Now all stakeholders should begin to hold each other accountable for providing a high quality education to all this nations' children. Anything else is just plain criminal.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
D.C. Chancellor Deserves Much Praise
My hat's off to chancellor Michelle A. Rhee for her untiring and focused work to improve the D.C school system. From most outside and objective observers, she made significant improvements and laid a solid foundation for the future.
With the recent election results that saw Mayor Fenty lose, it is perhaps only a matter of time before Ms. Rhee moves on. And of course Ms. Rhee will be just fine. Her career is only just beginning. The real victims here are the children of the D.C school system.
It is past time for parents and community leaders truly interested in education excellence to wise up. Rhee and Fenty were not in a popularity contest. Grownups should have known the educational ship was sinking and it needed strong and sometimes bitter corrective action.
Good luck and best wishes to Ms. Rhee and may you never compromise your principles where a child's education is concerned.
With the recent election results that saw Mayor Fenty lose, it is perhaps only a matter of time before Ms. Rhee moves on. And of course Ms. Rhee will be just fine. Her career is only just beginning. The real victims here are the children of the D.C school system.
It is past time for parents and community leaders truly interested in education excellence to wise up. Rhee and Fenty were not in a popularity contest. Grownups should have known the educational ship was sinking and it needed strong and sometimes bitter corrective action.
Good luck and best wishes to Ms. Rhee and may you never compromise your principles where a child's education is concerned.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Black Academic Achievement (Stopped)
This site has attempted to foster understanding and conversation regarding the challenges that face the black community from an educational perspective.
Although slow to catch fire here, we shall nevertheless continue to voice our concerns and point to good material that helps us better understand our problem.
So it is with a new report from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The report called The Black-White Achievement Gap (When Progress Stopped) is a must read for any who seek clarity on the issue.
Not all material in nor conclusions reached by any one report should be taken as definitive on almost any subject. However, I like this document and believe it could easily service as a working document for the black community.
Now get ready to read about some painful facts. Such as the unacceptably high births to unwed/uneducated black women; and the consequences to children who find themselves in these fatherless homes.
For example, the report documents some of the consequences as follows:
The complete document may be viewed at WWW.ETS.ORG and click on RESEARCH, then select "Progress Has Stalled in Closing the Black-White Achievement Gap."
Look forward to your comments.
Although slow to catch fire here, we shall nevertheless continue to voice our concerns and point to good material that helps us better understand our problem.
So it is with a new report from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The report called The Black-White Achievement Gap (When Progress Stopped) is a must read for any who seek clarity on the issue.
Not all material in nor conclusions reached by any one report should be taken as definitive on almost any subject. However, I like this document and believe it could easily service as a working document for the black community.
Now get ready to read about some painful facts. Such as the unacceptably high births to unwed/uneducated black women; and the consequences to children who find themselves in these fatherless homes.
For example, the report documents some of the consequences as follows:
- Less academic success
- Behavioral and psychological problems
- Substance abuse and contact with the police
- Sexual relationships at earlier ages
- Less economic well-being as adults
- Less physical and psychological well-being as adults
The complete document may be viewed at WWW.ETS.ORG and click on RESEARCH, then select "Progress Has Stalled in Closing the Black-White Achievement Gap."
Look forward to your comments.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
SAT Bias Against Blacks
Independent researchers Maria Veronica Santelices and Mark Wilson recently assert that "...the SAT, a high-stakes test with significant consequences for the educational opportunities available to young people in the United States, favors one ethnic group over another. Neither the specifics of the method used to study differential item functioning nor the date of the test analyzed invalidate Freedle's claims that the SAT treats African American minorities unfairly."
In 2003, Roy O. Freedle, then a retired research psychologist, first made the nation aware of the bias. The irony of Freedle's assessment was that he was retired from the Educational Testing Service (ETS), owners of the SAT.
Apparently he was roundly criticized by his former bosses for his position on the SAT at the time.
With the independent research of Santelices and Wilson confirming his work with respect to African American students, perhaps now more research will be undertaken to identify and understand the causes for the bias.
Regarding cause, Santelices and Wilson state that "We do not know if Freedle's (2003) hypothesis about cultural and linguistic differences, which was based on the work of Diaz-Guerrero and Szalay (1991), is driving the result or whether the systematic relationship between DIF and item difficulty is explained by some other cause. Our methodology also does not allow us to explain why there is White/African American DIF and not White/Hispanic DIF."
The trailing question now is what should the black community do with these new findings?
Should some powerful organization institute litigation to stop critical educational decisions from being made based on the faulty test?
Or should we work harder than ever to instill a competitive instinct into black students. Should we teach our students the absolute requirement to read widely and learn to write with power and clarity. Should we stress also the advantages of speaking standard English and doing your very best in school no matter what biases are found in instruments that purport to measure knowledge and predict future achievement?
I suggest we do both.
A defective test should be corrected immediately and not used to further disadvantage those already behind the curve.
But, as a community, we should not rest one second from pursuing known techniques for achieving academic excellence. If we do not create a "culture" that values doing well in school and achieving at the highest levels, correcting a defective test will not put food on the table.
In 2003, Roy O. Freedle, then a retired research psychologist, first made the nation aware of the bias. The irony of Freedle's assessment was that he was retired from the Educational Testing Service (ETS), owners of the SAT.
Apparently he was roundly criticized by his former bosses for his position on the SAT at the time.
With the independent research of Santelices and Wilson confirming his work with respect to African American students, perhaps now more research will be undertaken to identify and understand the causes for the bias.
Regarding cause, Santelices and Wilson state that "We do not know if Freedle's (2003) hypothesis about cultural and linguistic differences, which was based on the work of Diaz-Guerrero and Szalay (1991), is driving the result or whether the systematic relationship between DIF and item difficulty is explained by some other cause. Our methodology also does not allow us to explain why there is White/African American DIF and not White/Hispanic DIF."
The trailing question now is what should the black community do with these new findings?
Should some powerful organization institute litigation to stop critical educational decisions from being made based on the faulty test?
Or should we work harder than ever to instill a competitive instinct into black students. Should we teach our students the absolute requirement to read widely and learn to write with power and clarity. Should we stress also the advantages of speaking standard English and doing your very best in school no matter what biases are found in instruments that purport to measure knowledge and predict future achievement?
I suggest we do both.
A defective test should be corrected immediately and not used to further disadvantage those already behind the curve.
But, as a community, we should not rest one second from pursuing known techniques for achieving academic excellence. If we do not create a "culture" that values doing well in school and achieving at the highest levels, correcting a defective test will not put food on the table.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Barack Obama and the Achievement Gap
Our nation and the world just witnessed a history making event. With the election of Barack Obama as this nation's 44th president, the first African American to achieve such a goal, America clearly has demonstrated to itself and the world that what seems impossible can be turned around with the right preparation and effort.
So it is with the troubling academic achievement gap that has perplexed so many.
I believe Obama's election, with its accompanying high profile, will serve to inspire underachievers to recognize the fact that their futures are more within their own control than many have previously understood.
There is at last clear and compelling evidence that personal responsibility, hard work and high academic standards can propel anyone to new and previously unimaginable heights.
Parents, you remain the key to creating the right environments within which your impressionable youngsters can succeed. They will model your actions and expectations.
Study this site and others for suggestions and ideas on how to make it happen.
At this point, there simply are no more excuses.
So it is with the troubling academic achievement gap that has perplexed so many.
I believe Obama's election, with its accompanying high profile, will serve to inspire underachievers to recognize the fact that their futures are more within their own control than many have previously understood.
There is at last clear and compelling evidence that personal responsibility, hard work and high academic standards can propel anyone to new and previously unimaginable heights.
Parents, you remain the key to creating the right environments within which your impressionable youngsters can succeed. They will model your actions and expectations.
Study this site and others for suggestions and ideas on how to make it happen.
At this point, there simply are no more excuses.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Low Performing Schools-Caddo Parish
There are apparently 11 identified "low performing schools" in Caddo parish that are currently sweating possible state takeover. Recent news media reports indicate superintendent Dr. Gerald Dawkins is planning some major changes at each of the schools.
There is also state superintendent Paul Pastorek breathing down everyone's neck, threatening (or maybe promising) major changes as well.
OK with me! Something clearly must be done to generate real change which leads to improved academic performance.
In the October 22, 2008 edition of Education Week, I came across an article about a program called Making Waves. This program appears to look at a wide range of student needs and provide the necessary services. These services go well beyond the usual tutoring etc., and of course, the program is voluntary.
I wonder if the interested parties ( State Legislators, State School Board, Caddo School Board and local citizens) could reach a consensus around recommending the following elements of change on a non-voluntary basis.
There is also state superintendent Paul Pastorek breathing down everyone's neck, threatening (or maybe promising) major changes as well.
OK with me! Something clearly must be done to generate real change which leads to improved academic performance.
In the October 22, 2008 edition of Education Week, I came across an article about a program called Making Waves. This program appears to look at a wide range of student needs and provide the necessary services. These services go well beyond the usual tutoring etc., and of course, the program is voluntary.
I wonder if the interested parties ( State Legislators, State School Board, Caddo School Board and local citizens) could reach a consensus around recommending the following elements of change on a non-voluntary basis.
- Zero-tolerance policy regarding unexcused absences
- Required parent workshops to aid in equipping parents to participate in the child's education
- Mandatory parent/teacher conferences
- Mandatory additional support for students who earn a (C) or below in any core subject
- Make psychological services easily available to students in need of same
There is also the need to make certain the students have inspired leadership at each location. This battle to improve academic performance starts in the home and will be won or lost there.
What do you think?
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Black People at Risk of Returning to Pre-Civil Rights Conditions
I am amazed at how frequently the condition and future of black people is concealed in language that attempts to cast the nation at risk. In my view, that is simply wrong and some would call it "spin."
We do ourselves no favor by trying to put everybody, including the nation, in the leaking boat we (black people) obviously occupy.
And black Americans in position of leadership and responsibility must immediately communicate the hard truth as well as issue a clear and concise call to action within the black community.
The Shreveport Sun recently carried an article by Mr. Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. Morial reports on a new study regarding student achievement. He identifies four major areas of impact: 1. whether children live with both parents. 2. whether children were read to as youngsters. 3. whether children were permitted to watch more than four hours of TV on schools days. 4. whether they skipped school (attendance).
Now, these four areas of importance are not new to this site. But note the spin!
"...our nation's leaders need to start thinking outside of the box and the school in light of an increasingly low-income public school population if they hope to achieve their No Child Left Behind goals. Without some major investment soon, the United States, especially the South, can kiss goodbye to the standard of living it enjoys today."
Not one word in the article about the nation's black people needing to think "outside the box" in order to improve their own lives.
This should no longer be a debate within the black community about blaming the victim. This is a question about our overall quality of life and indeed perhaps about our very survival. We must have a candid presentation of the facts and recommendations to the black community for self-help.
My prescription:
1. The Learn to Learn strategy;
2. Poverty (and how to avoid it)
What do you think?
We do ourselves no favor by trying to put everybody, including the nation, in the leaking boat we (black people) obviously occupy.
And black Americans in position of leadership and responsibility must immediately communicate the hard truth as well as issue a clear and concise call to action within the black community.
The Shreveport Sun recently carried an article by Mr. Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. Morial reports on a new study regarding student achievement. He identifies four major areas of impact: 1. whether children live with both parents. 2. whether children were read to as youngsters. 3. whether children were permitted to watch more than four hours of TV on schools days. 4. whether they skipped school (attendance).
Now, these four areas of importance are not new to this site. But note the spin!
"...our nation's leaders need to start thinking outside of the box and the school in light of an increasingly low-income public school population if they hope to achieve their No Child Left Behind goals. Without some major investment soon, the United States, especially the South, can kiss goodbye to the standard of living it enjoys today."
Not one word in the article about the nation's black people needing to think "outside the box" in order to improve their own lives.
This should no longer be a debate within the black community about blaming the victim. This is a question about our overall quality of life and indeed perhaps about our very survival. We must have a candid presentation of the facts and recommendations to the black community for self-help.
My prescription:
1. The Learn to Learn strategy;
2. Poverty (and how to avoid it)
What do you think?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
