My friend, please let me restate my point, not withstanding the point you are making.  We pay public schools to educate, they are not doing it.   

I know of no company whose product line would have a 50% or higher default rate or defective rate or rejection rate and still remain in the marketplace. 

Public schools can do it because they are a monopoly from which low and moderate income parents cannot escape. 

You and I have choices and so do the teacher union leaders who stand in the way of parents and the tax dollars they have paid being sent to the school of their choice. 

Think of what a religious school could do if it has the assurance of an ongoing revenue stream derived from the self-directed tax dollars of its customers, the parents. 

Think of the accountability of this approach: If schools are not performing, parents pull their kids out. 

This is just too much power and those who want to hold on, say that these parents do not have the capacity to make such decisions. 

Talk about the bigotry of low expectations.

Be that as it may, please follow my point this way:

 

  1. Public schools are funded by property tax dollars
  2. Parents including low and moderate income parents pay taxes whether directly or indirectly through their rent
  3. Most parents have no choice but to send their kids to an under performing neighborhood school
  4. Those who choose to opt out cannot do so because of cost of a private or religious school
  5. Religious or private schools cannot stay open or hire quality teachers without an adequate revenue stream
  6. Parents have paid taxes but cannot direct those tax dollars to schools of their choice
  7. Research shows In areas where parents have choice plus the right of self-direction, the dropout rate plummets
  8. It is discriminatory pure and simple to deny parents the right to access their tax dollars

 

  1. It is also doubly burdensome for those parents who do sacrifice and find ways to pay for private or religious schools and yet not get a rebate of their tax dollars
  2. Most teachers do not put their kids in public schools

 

I do not discount your call for more volunteerism but that is not my point.  My point is the absolute shame of a system that is failing our kids at a rate higher than anything any of us would accept in the real world and we do not hold candidates in both parties accountable

 

Bill Calhoun

 

T. West:                                     June 7, 2007

We MUST ever be so mindful, that the President of the; National Education Association, who is a Black American male, Dr. Reginald Weaver, along with the National Council of Social Studies-Director: Susan Griffin-- made the following statement last year; "Students of Color Can't learn normally— the instructional strategies and learning styles are inconsistent with the cognitive styles and cultural characteristics of some group of students of Color"

Statements like that, gives credence and support to the wicked, evil and racist theories of Nazism eugenics--biological superiority. This forces us to re-visit, the Black Codes and Jim Crow, of-- yesterday!

And most importantly, we must be cognizant of the fact, its been; 53 years pass Brown v Board of Education, 43 years-since the passage of;1964 Civil Rights Act; and 39 years of Affirmative Action. Plus, 500 billion of educational dollars in Elementary & Secondary ED 1965, including Compulsory ED., for slow learning, low-income students of Color.

And our children are further behind--then when we stated!

Dr. Thomas Sowell's research from 85 years, present compelling and indisputable evidence; "That in four high schools [1 Black and 3 White schools--in D.C.], from 1870 until 1955. Standardized tests were given, and students in the Black high school/Dunbar high--consistently average higher test scores then students in the three White schools"

Its important to note, these academically high achieving Black Students--were from low-income families! Dr. Sowell, also name other successful Black high schools, which were; P.S. 91, in Brooklyn, St. Augustine Back Catholic high school etc.

It can be done--and we can accomplish it! Then and it MUST be--NOW—those students had parents that believed in the value of education--and were involved!

Willis Papillion

 

I will begin with what was just shared with me.  The following are some of the words of Barack Obama recently in Los Angeles:

 

"We know that if we put a dollar into early childhood education that we get seven dollars back in reduced dropout rates, reduced delinquency, reduced prison rates, that our young people can go to college.  We know what it takes to improve our schools.  We know that if children are learning in dilapidated buildings, with teachers that are underpaid, and textbooks that are twenty years old, and curriculums that are uninspired and don't reflect the experiences of our children, that they will not learn.  But if we put some money into making sure our teachers are paid a decent wage and treated like professionals, and engaged and given flexibility, and if the textbooks and curriculum reflects the experiences of our children and made relevant, then our children can learn.  There are models of excellence in every urban community; we just don't scale it up.  "And the reason we do is not because of the lack of knowledge of how to do it, but because in the back of our minds there's a part of us that still thinks that actually, not every child should learn.  Every child doesn't need to learn.  There's that bullet in our psychology. 

Barack Obama

 

Curriculums that are uninspired…….  Mr. Obama just scored a touchdown.  If Black youth hang out with me, I will motivate them to learn.  How?  I will instruct them in a targeted way with the power points related to them and their people, the Black people.  I would only briefly deal with the historical foundation of African greatness, where so many of us tragically start and end at.  The majority of the focus would be on the here and now, the contemporary and what we shall do.  Their eyes will widen with excitement because the button is pushed that unlocks the genius within them that is beyond a rhyme, a beat, a unique shake of ones hips, head, torso or breasts.  Yes, we are all that but far, far more.

 

I came through the public education system.  I came through the struggles of being one of 13 siblings from a father and mother who were either divorced or separated.  I am happy about what I learned in the public school system.  Sure, some things could  have been done better and I would have concluded the same had I been in the best of private schools.  The power is within me and you and the models that impact our lives.

 

Let’s compare within those same schools that have a “50% or higher default rate”.  I assume that you are referring to Blacks within those schools.  If so, what about other ethnic groups, their failure rate is not 50% or more.  The failure rate of the children of African immigrants is not 50% or higher, at least, not yet.  This means we are not doing near as much as we can do.  Too often, we immediately turn to the American government for our educational solutions.  The American government commissioned a program in 1970 to quietly murder tens of millions of Blacks around the world (see the CART Analysis, “A Dying Family”).  Observe as many of the “PhD Bo Bo’s” put forward programs so that they can earn a good salary applying band-aids to a “sick segment” of Black America.  To say it more clearly, it is in the interest of a pure capitalist to maintain a level of sick people in order to justify “getting paid”.  Why would a pimp want his or her “product” to do too well?  This is the wrong path and is secondary to what we ourselves must first do. 

 

My youngest daughter, when she was in 3rd grade, I was told that she would have to be placed into a slower learning class.  This was in a public school and predominantly White.  I took the responsibility to professionally talk to the teacher and told her that such would not happen and that she was to notify me of any challenges she felt my daughter was facing.  Knowing the daughter, I already knew she was brilliant and that it was likely the relationship between the teacher and the daughter.  The daughter remained in the class and consistently scored at the top.  She is now about to go into her 4th year at the University and is maintaining a 3.5 or higher average.  She’s one of three daughters who did well in public schools.  That is not to say they would not have done better in a private school.

 

Wall Street Profits is The Game

Products are the blood that flows through the veins of the capitalist system, schools are not and never will be.  Basic education is a benefit to the capitalist system.  Limited education serves as a tool for the Investor Class.  Too much education would steal the “thunder of the gods”.  It is a system that benefits most when a few have a high degree of training and knowledge, not the masses.  Medial education helps to assure wages that are best for maximizing profits and justify paying lower wages.  The push of the Ford automobile corporation to create and support public schools was all about corporate profit with minimal wages to the laborers.  Some would say that corporate America should be concerned with the dropout and low scores.  However, in an era where corporations can go practically wherever they want on the globe, that does not carry much weight any longer.  If it is cheaper to outsource or insource by bringing foreign workers into America versus paying the dollars to educate and train a spoiled American population, it is obvious what most corporations will choose.  This requires a new paradigm in Black America!  When too many young Blacks tell Oprah their interests are more in an iPod, this reflects the mis-direction within a large segment of Black America.

 

“Negro” Escape Mentality

Escape to what?  Later, you indicate that private schools are having difficulty paying good teachers.  Sounds familiar to a common complaint in the public schools.  You also indicate most public school teachers send their children to private schools which contradicts a common position that public school teachers are not paid enough.  This was reflected in Senator Barack Obama’s statement above.

 

The basic assumption is that competition turns out a better “product”, i.e., student.  That is, assuming everyone will involve themselves in the competition.  If public schools are carefree because they have a monopoly then the same would happen with private schools as they become more pervasive.  In other words, the core cause must be addressed.  If a number of Black youth are unruly and parents don’t have them in check, why should or could the average teacher at a public or private school be capable of controlling them?  I certainly agree that some schools do a far better job under these scenarios than others, both private and public.

 

Naturally the unions are going to be against anything that affects the “collective”.  Wall Street is a union of bloody rich bankers and swindlers.  I would like to see the case studies, the comparative studies.  There is a “privatization” frenzy that has helped decimate unions.  Frankly, unions came about because of the power private companies had to do just about whatever they wanted with labor.  The full scope of this discussion must be put within the context of history and the contemporary based upon our goals of where we need to be.

 

Keep “Charlie” Out of Spirit Realm

Religion itself is in upheaval in America.  A school within that body will also reflect the ills of the greater society.  There is a problem with religious organizations feasting from the government’s trough.  Tax exempt is enough.  It would simply continue to be another tool to silence the Black Church on socio-political matters.  This particular strategy leads to no ultimate good.  If the church wants to provide supplemental education, that would be ideal and it should be supported by the members of the church, not the government.

 

Flight or New Vision

Running, overall, has not been beneficial.  Pulling children out of schools have an adverse affect in relationship to social friendships, and not knowing where the topics of a new school begins at.  In other words, your child could be far behind or far ahead.  Issues will be found with learning, more or less, in any school one puts their child in.  The task is to determine how you will supplement that education.  We have personal responsibilities and accountabilities to make it possible when it seems impossibility is all there is.

 

Many Blacks who ran to the suburbs following those they sought to be as, now regurgitate what they hear others saying, i.e., gentrification.  The spirit of flight must be confronted.  We are the answer to the plight of our own people.  That answer cannot be heard when we are constantly trying to find “Charlie”.  “Charlie” wanted to remove his children from the public school systems which are now about a majority non-white.  Guess what the “Negro” does?  He wants to remove his as well.  It is a repeat of White Flight and then White Return (gentrification) but with the educational system.  Listen to the new vision………

 

Stacking It On

Yes, this is sometimes said and it is true of some parents who have an extraordinarily busy schedule, trying to keep everyday living effective.  A small number of parents relish having the opportunity to participate in this buzz word, “choice”, as if it is the solve all.  This is more true of White parents who already have resources that allow them to take on more “choices”.  Blacks require a plan for bringing its own resources to bear in facilitating a solution.

 

It is not always bigotry but sometimes the reality of cramming everything into a limited amount of time with limited resources.  Generally, most parents do not want anything else thrown on top of the mountain of issues and decisions they already have to make.

 

Gambling Pimps

Yes, public schools are funded by property taxes and were, largely, suppose to be funded by much of the billions of dollars taken in by state lotteries.  This was the selling point to initially put these lotteries into place that now saturates America.  The school systems still don’t have enough money because the promised funding often went elsewhere.

 

Banging The Seniors

True, we all pay taxes for schools whether we rent or own a home.  However, the current elderly generation is the richest ever in American history but their children and grandchildren are doing the worst socially, economically and educationally.  In part, this is why we have seen two widely dispersed videos of two young Black males brutally beating two elderly persons.  Many of them have no respect and, frankly, many of the elderly have not shown the respect in helping to provide the youth with the assets to assure that they will have a happier and productive life.  Again, the blame comes back to those doing the most yapping and those who hate to pay taxes for schools.  Some even want to opt out because either their children are grown or they never had children.  I have a word for such persons that I will not use here.  The elderly cannot be as President Bush who constantly pushes the blame elsewhere.  Most recently blaming Russia for the degradation in U.S./Russia relations.

 

Crocodile Tears

We must stop the crying and roll up our own sleeves and provide supplemental education for those who are under achieving.  When Black women are talking on their cell phones for hours, sitting in the beauty salon and the Black men are sitting around playing a card game, watching a ball game or on the golf course on the weekends – this is a time when their children or grandchildren can be in a Saturday School gaining additional knowledge about themselves and the type of economic system they could have with the 54 African nations.  With the males, they are in the “boy mode”.  With the females, they are in the “I can’t be pretty enough mode, and he isn’t giving me enough attention”.  Let’s get serious about our own business.  Stop the self-pity and allowing being the victim to keep us on the canvass.  Get up and increase the precious “oil” you have been given.

Ah, so it comes right back to cost.  Offset it with consistent personal time and involvement.  Teachers in the school are not the best teachers of practical methods of applying what your children are going to school for.  The real earnest learning starts the day school education is over.  Many who carry on dialogue such as this, either have good paying jobs or businesses.  We are the supplemental teachers who are to give our own an economic lead.

 

Again, this is the same for public schools and to move dollars from one side of the table to the other without addressing the real issues will do nothing to bring resolution.

There is almost absolutely nothing that parents or anyone else who votes have the power to direct their tax dollars towards.  Even when such things are place onto the ballots, politicians and governmental entities find ways to skirt around it and spend portions elsewhere.  You might then say, “hold them accountable”.  Sorry, but they can find more ways to cover up their tracks than you have time to figure out what inappropriate money shuffling they are doing.  However, if some of the retired Blacks could dedicate their time to tracking such behavior you could then make some progress with this.  It is a question of priority with such individuals – a perpetual good time in retirement or giving something valuable to those coming along.

 

How large is that research set?  How does it compare to the overall situation?  Cite the “area”.  The case cannot be made on this sentence alone.

 

No, it is not discriminatory.  Show five areas where tax dollars can be accessed in such a way?  The only one that comes to my mind is when you do your taxes and you can make the decision to checkmark the box to contribute an amount to a general election campaign fund.

 

This statement is misleading.  Parents have received tax credits for a very long time when paying for private education, just as you would if you buy books for your education, uniforms, etc.

 

If it is accurate that most public school teachers do not put their children in public schools, we can conclude that they are paid quite well, or that a private school education is affordable.

 

The failure begins first with us.  That is where the discussion and resolution must first begin.  Secondly, it moves to what government and the school systems must do.  Our attitude must be, regardless of the system, we will make education work for our own.  The focus is in the wrong order.

 

Willis is on point.  The next step is for us to put together our own supplemental programs that hones in on the learning styles of most Blacks.  Most important is to motivate the youth to learn.  That learning must be targeted learning.  This is learning where key professional areas of need are identified and we identify the youth who have a knack for that subject matter and then promote it.