NAACP issues call to end inequality in schools

AP ^ | Nov 15 2001 | Tamara Henly

[stainlessbanner]

WASHINGTON

[Faraday]

John Jackson, NAACP education director, said that more forceful efforts will be taken if the initial campaign is ignored.

LOL. What'll they do, boycott school? And if so, how will anyone know? Check out absence rates.

[Faraday]

One final comment. At the Veterans' Day Parade, I saw a large number of young black patriots in active duty, reserve, national guard, ROTC, and veteran organizations. These people are moving forward with America. The inability of NAACP to recognize them speaks volumes. The fact that the NAACP opposes vouchers for poor public school students is proof that their real agenda is the instillation of a victimization culture and not the educational advancement of all children.

[Eska]

Just the reflection of the social decay occurring at various rates in America today. Starts in the home.

Even in the suburbs, you see the changes; but you still see that 10% that excell and make teaching so rewarding.

[Down South P.E.]

This is true. I never had the opportunity to teach high school but I was an instructor in college for two years while working on my masters degree. I loved it. It was the best job I've ever had. It is also the best way to learn. There is nothing like teaching someone and watching their eyes light up when they get it. It is pure fun.

[Amelia]

It is also the best way to learn. There is nothing like teaching someone and watching their eyes light up when they get it. It is pure fun.

I think that's what keeps us going.

[Myrddin]

Hukd un foniks wurkd fer me!

I laugh every time I see that phonetic phrase. Phonics is the link from an individual who speaks and understands the language to one who can read it. I learned phonics in the 2nd grade. It has served me well for many languages. I can read and speak Welsh just fine...but I don't understand everything I'm reading. Many children learn phonics and read just fine...but they don't understand what they have read. One must explore the issue of comprehension of the words read. Demonstrate proficiency by correctly using new words in a sentence. Read paragraphs and explain what information was conveyed.

My kids have endured incompetent teachers for years. The teachers come to class and can't answer basic questions on the material. My middle son finally took the bull by the horns and started teaching/tutoring his classmates. It was imperative because the classes were Advanced Placement. The students have to take a standardized test at the end of the school term to earn the AP credits. My son earned scores of 4 or 5 on all his AP exams. The kids he tutored earned scores between 3 and 5 (necessary to get the AP credit). The other kids in the class fell through the cracks.

Summer and Amelia: I appreciate your experiences in identifying why black kids are not performing. A corollary to your experience is the one found in private schools. Parents pay large sums of money to place the children in a private school AND those same parents stay intensely involved. The parent involvement is every bit as important to success as the teacher competency.

[Don Myers]

It sounds as though the NAACP has no confidence in Black kids to make the grade. If their own people think that Black kids cannot achieve, what are the white people to think?

[Ol' Sparky]

The race-baiters at the NAACP won't admit it, but racism isn't the problem. Lousy public schools are the major culprit. School choice would the answer. Instead, these fools will ask for lowering standards and more equalization of outcomes.

[Eska]

A little off track but, As one new to the teaching profession as a second career; I have really had my eyes opened concerning special needs students. I usually have 7-8 spec ed in any class of 30 students.

I see both positive and negative sides of inclusion. Had a few SED kids that had to go, couldn't function without meds. Breaking up fights not what I look forward to.

I have also had the opportunity to work with various syndromes. Had a kid with aspergers, type of autism. The boy was very intelligent, straight A's in algebra & trig. He just couldn't process information out to other people; yet you could see what was going on inside of his head. How many other people out there have similiar problems that due to my ignorance, I was unable to see the total picture. Like that about many things I guess.

The bottom line is how will that boy fit into the real competitive world?

[summer]

BTTT to your post #53.

[summer]

BTTT to your post #66. Aw heck, Amelia, just put me down as a BTTT in response to everything you post! :)

[Amelia]

Lousy public schools are the major culprit. School choice would the answer.

There ARE flaws in public schools, and I agree that school choice would solve part of the problem, especially for children who have parents who would be concerned enough to put their children in better schools.

You have to understand though, that part of the problem, especially in inner-city schools, is children with no home life to speak of. It's very difficult to teach a room full of kids who have no discipline whatsoever. To a great extent, schools reflect the culture of the community - where the community is falling apart, the schools likely are too.

[Winged Elf]

In other words, they still believe that racial inequality is why children don't succeed in school.

I got news for 'em. Some kids just don't like school. There's no racial requirements for that.

[operation clinton cleanup]

I know! Lets fire all the teachers and give the kids 200,000 dollars! Cut out the middleman and maybe a few will actually do something with thier lives. Couldnt be any worse than things are now.

[kcvl]

Sometime after his 23rd birthday, an epiphany grabbed Frizzell "Pee Wee" Gray by the collar and told him to turn his life around. He was a dropout, a teenage father. Frizzell was from one those parts of Baltimore that don’t make it into any tour book, where he spent his time hanging on the streets, without purpose or hope. He was, as he likes to say now, going nowhere fast. But unlike many of the other boys in the hood, he was driven to make something of himself, to find a way to make his neighborhood and his world a better place to live. He started with the basics. Pee Wee had to go (yeah, Pee Wee!). He needed a name that would give clarity to his new purpose.

A great-aunt visited the west coast of Africa and, at his request, brought the name back. He wanted several so he could mull them over and choose just the right one. But she brought back just one.

"I was a little disturbed, but I could never let her know that," Mfume says. "She explained the name, it’s derivation. She pronounced it. She explained why she had selected that one name and I kind of huffed and stormed away as politely as I could.

[shuckmaster]

The public school kids around here are so dumb, they wear their hat's & pants backwards & don't even know how to tie their shoes. They've got a pretty good basketball team though...

[summer]

FYI -- The following is a very uplifting article, posted on FR by mafree:

Black Males Make Academic Excellence 'Normal'
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3be18ae458b5.htm

[leadpenny]

NAACP issues call to end inequality in schools

I wonder if this means they are going to call for the end of inequality at the, socalled, Traditional Black Colleges?

While they are at it, maybe they could call for the end of inequality in the NBA and the NFL. Just because my kid can't jump, shoot, block or make a diving catch, shouldn't mean they can't play professional sports.

No Justice (in sports)! No Peace!