I'm going to write about the election a few more times depending on how many months it takes for us to ferret out the winner. And tomorrow's Africana.com column will deal with Bush's African American support base as well as the growing ignorance of Bush supporters in general. But let's be clear. Even though I do believe that this election is the most important one I've participated in--Bush won't get sixty Senators to override a filibuster.
It's time we begin to segue into the next phase. Getting back to the local issues that I think merit a real republican black/democratic black/leftist black/ black nationalist dialogue. Education is a biggie.
ANd today my wife has made the tentative decision to homeschool our kids, a decision I support. I say tentative because there are some details to work out.
But while I'm with Darkstar on vouchers, I do not understand how black parents with resources can do anything other than pull their kids out of urban public schools.
My daughter came home the other day and showed me her homework. She's learning decimals and greater than/less than symbols. I'm looking over the homework and see the following equation: 1 < 1.00
I tell her...that's not right. She says, "the teacher told me it was."
You mean the teacher who spells questionnaire with one 'n' rather than two?
But wait it gets worse. My son's first grade class (30 deep) does not have recess or gym.
Do any of you have boys? Do you know what type of impact this has on their ability to learn?
No Child Left Behind is a crock. Period. But as of right now there is no constituency willing to put the federal funding behind education we would put behind a national disaster area. And as powerful as black children are, as capable as they are of producing beauty out of chaos (see graffiti, hip-hop, house, techno, jazz, the blues, etc. etc. etc.), we're talking about a disaster area here. And in the wake of community organizing efforts that have yet to truly come up with innovative solutions...you've got to take radical INDIVIDUAL steps to make sure your children are taken care of.
I've been meaning to set up a blog for my wife. This might be the perfect time to begin.
I have changed my tune on homeschooling. 10 years ago I thought it was...mnn not usually a great idea. (The homeschooling families I knew were either, uhmn, a little out of whack somehow, usually the mom a screaming control freak, or the family was some flavor of fundamentalist religion.)
There's more and different curriculum available. More families are homeschooling, so there are things like joint field trips (more stimulating I think when there are two three or four 9 year old brains looking at and thinking about a piece of art).
My ideal first grade classroom for boys would have trampolines AND a batting cage. You'd recite your math facts while bouncing. Girls would have same but it is not quite the necessity.
It looks like the KIPP academies are really promising, though, don't sell them short.
http://www.kipp.org/
And if you get to the San Francisco area, you have to come visit
http://www.eastside.org/
Eastside college prep and
http://www.downtowncollegeprep.org/
Downtown College Prep
Posted by: Elizabeth Ditz at October 26, 2004 12:56 AMInteresting. On my way to work I was thinking about how when I entered the first grade in 1983 I didn't know how to read or write. I was placed in remedial classes with about 4-5 other kids to help us catch up with the other students in my 20-25 mostly white class. Deep inside I wanted to be with the smart kids who got to go on field trips and things. Ultimately it took about four years, but I got there.
I then reflected and said 'what the?? what if I was in the Providence, RI school system entering first grade with no understanding of the written English language?' How different would my life be if I entered today's urban school? I don't want to put my child in private school, for cost reasons and because part of me feels like I'm leaving all those other kids behind and giving up on the situation. However, I know this: if my little bright-eyed son goes to one these public schools, I'm going to set up a tent at that school.
1
I think that in order for us to see real change in schools requires attitudinal changes in those communities that are disadvantaged. I'm not trying to be pie-in-the-sky here but illustrate that government programs aren't going to get it done. The only folk that care about black folk ARE black folk. We need to face that reality and then start helping one another.
Posted by: Don at October 26, 2004 08:25 AMDon: "The only folk that care about black folk ARE black folk."
I hope you are speaking in hyperbole here. I, for one, care about educating any kid, black, white, asian, hispanic, mixed or whatever, and I'm not the only one. I just don't believe shoveling more money into the bottomless pit that public education has become is the right way. I agree that a large part of fixing minority education lies within the minority community, but that is largely because local schools are usually run by local school boards, not that others of different races are uncaring or disinterested.
Posted by: submandave at October 26, 2004 04:56 PMSupposing improving the collective standard of living for Blacks via education is the goal, we'd benefit by accepting the efficiencies of scale public education provides for the majority. I say this seeing the overwhelming majority of Blacks as unable to afford private education (including home schooling) in any form, the questions surrounding its effectiveness notwithstanding.
I tend to agree with Cobb that Blacks need to unlearn our institutionalthink, as it's become apparent the downsides of any Big Box generic approach. The kids -- especially those in urban schools -- require more personalized mentoring and curricula with greater rigor. There must be a way to detach scholastic administration while keeping the financing mechanism intact in a manner that would facilitate parents' self-empowerment. I'm thinking an evolution on the charter schools model, where every child is eligible for a uniform (and viable!) tuition stipend applicable at any qualifying school of the parents' choosing. School boards could then be focused on addressing financial and academic needs. The responsibility of achievement would be shifted onto individual schools, neighborhoods and residents.
Posted by: MIB at October 26, 2004 10:52 PMSubmandave: My comments weren't intended to belittle people who care about all children's educational opportunities. Instead, I was trying to say that depending on others is not the way to get out of this situation.
The government can give only so much money. Here's an example, in my city we have 4 large public high schools. Three are the worst schools in the state. One is probably the second best school in the state. They all receive the same amount of funding. However, the 'best' school has an entrance exam and has more white children in it than any other school in the city. In turn, this school receives far more in donations, grants, etc than do the other schools. Try locking the bathroom doors in this school?!?!
Anyway, point is, our children's education is our responsibility. You're right, no amount of money will be as effective as community involvement-which is what I tried to say. Until that time, I am afraid that our situation is going to remain the same if not get worse.
Posted by: don at October 27, 2004 09:43 AMI'm with you on your blog entry, 100%.
If your kids are in Baltimore City Schools, your story is not amazing.
I will comment on this at length, but I'm rather with Ambra on the matter of the brainwashing blacks have about education - which is that without it we are nothing. The quick and dirty is that we're hung up on institutions, and we need to fix that.
Posted by: cobb at October 25, 2004 11:21 PM