By:
Dr. Mike Robinson
What
is the future of education for African Americans relative to the academic
achievement of African American children?
If you or anyone working as a civil rights advocate, community organizer
or civic leader knows, please share it with the rest of us. Because from where
most of the African American community sits the vision and pathway is not
really clear.
The
ongoing failure of school systems to educate an increasingly high percentage of
African American young men is frightening. In some urban school districts the
dropout rate is as high as 70%. What become of those who leave the thousands of
school systems? Where do they go? What do they do? Those are just a few of the many questions
that confront the African American community.
Is
it time for a massive nationwide protest for our rights for a quality
education. Should we march and rally on our State capitals demanding justice in
education? Maybe we need to galvanize on Twitter and Facebook and any other
forms of social media to get the word out; that we want quality education for
our communities and we want it now!
It
is likely that an approach using those methods above will generate some public
responses from civic leaders and community advocates. There is even a
likelihood that some forms of legislation requiring access, increase funding
may come out of the outcry for educational justice. However, herein lies the issue, “been there,
done that and have the T-shirt.” So at the end of the day, we eventually find
ourselves right back where we started. A community with high dropout rates
among African American young men; African American female students graduating
at a lower rate than white and Asian females; fewer African Americans entering
college; a disproportionate number of African American students entering
college unprepared and needing remedial educational courses; the steady decline
in the number of African American men matriculating through institutions of
higher education. I could go on and on, but we get the picture and in many
cases, we have lived or we are living it.
With an unemployment rate hovering near 15% (probably higher) our only
solid hope to turn this tide for future African American generations is to emphasis
the need for an educational system that is filled with academic rigor,
demanding and competitive classes and state of the art equipment which ensures
our children can compete nationally and internationally.
It
is time for a National Educational Agenda for the African American community?
This would be agenda should outline the expectations of the academic
achievement for African American students from a nationwide perspective. What
would such an agenda look like? Well let me offer the first few components:
- Increase in the number of African American male teachers in the classroom
- A national meeting between all HBCUs, the United States Department of Education and the 50 Secretaries of Education representing each state in the Union create MOUs to hire over 100,000 male teachers by 2025
- Every African American church should adopt at least one school in their community to provide educational support not religious doctrine
- Entrepreneurial based curriculum should be included in the academic courses starting as early as 4th grade
- Extend the learning day
- Increase multicultural training for teachers and staff as a means to reduce the disproportionate number of African American students suspended or placed in special education
- Parental involvement that is supported by schools, churches and employers
These
are just a few of the components that should make up the National Educational
Agenda for African Americans. We have to
demand more academic rigors and once we have it, demand performance from our
children and their friends. Respect and celebrate the academic achiever, make
them the rule, not the exception.
I agree completely. Ready to do my part & encourage others to do theirs.
ReplyDeleteDr. Robinson,
ReplyDeleteEntrepreneurial-based curriculum is a big deal. My wife stared a program for middle through high schoolers called Teen Biz Venture. To get this out program out to the schools has been one closed door after another for all the reasons I stated earlier. They love it but oh I have I program I want to create or we work with junior achievement. I think your right though the foundation can be laid in earlier grades and forth would be a great time to start principals or accounting and money handling. We in America like to thing our kids won't understand high-level math and science at a young age. Truth is everything is in the delivery and what you taught them previously. Actually using blocks to count and subtract in Pre K or kindergarten can lead to higher-level math in 1st grade. I had an idea I wanted to try when I tried my school but I felt my first year I would start with pre K and work on staffing for K in year 2. My 2nd year K would launch and I would work on curriculum and staffing for 1st grade. I would do this because there would be no way to teach a child that is not up to our standard. Think about it when would you start something like this. You can't introduce another level to a kid that is already lost in the system.
Increase the male black teachers great yes yes yes. I would like to propose something else though also. I feel that a standard should be held for applicants. They must be qualified and should be Bachelors top of the class or Master, PhD graduates. I feel the pay should also be comparable, that way people that want the job and qualified are applying. Not those that want a pay check. Teaching should be one of the best jobs in this country. They raise our kids. You wouldn't let a person watch your kids that are sub par so why would you let them teach them. If you look at some of the countries that do the best academically you'll find this is one of the principles or standard they share.
Muli cultural training is a big deal. You know I used to teach and take some of these classes in the military. It’s a big deal and I even blogged out how I feel its needed in corporate America. Now more than ever with all of this Trayvon Martin and elections coming up. The most divide I think we've seen in years has happened with the last two. Dealing with the misconception or view of others needs to be felt with. Media play a big role in it and it’s getting very ugly. Students getting suspend or doing certain things sometimes is a reflection of the leadership, standards and surrounding of the school. In the Army they sat you down day one and your heads told you their expectations and how you will be dealt with when you didn't meet the standards. Now they just go to class and teachers sort of set that standard in each class, the problem is that could vary from class to class.
I also feel that if we could get business professionals involved for middle and high schoolers. Let them see what education can get them. The reason they’re so influenced by dope dealers, rappers and athletes is because they can see the outcome. The shiny things they can have. They need to see doctors that look like them and CEO's with those same things. That should in turn inspire a want for education and long-term goals.
Ok I think I got it all out. Thank you for giving me the opportunity and platform to state me opinion. I hope to see more on this subject or another subject that I'm super passionate about.
D.Jones