The purpose of this blog is to know and understand the teacher's perspective concerning current issues on education reform and the teaching profession. Inputs from the ones who probably knows what is best for students academically -- the teachers -- are rarely considered in decision making of policies. Yet, these so-called education experts and lawmakers dictate how we do our jobs and what we should teach. That's not right!



Sunday, September 19, 2010

Young Black Men...The Hopeful Storyline

Despite the troubling news concerning how the public schools have failed our young black men (among other things), there are some signs of hope and optimism:

  1. In the Schott Foundation of Public Education's recent study on the lack of progress of black male students in public schools, it mentioned that success of New Jersey 's Abbott plans, which are legal mandates ordered by the NJ Supreme Court to provide equitable resources available to all students. Consequently, New Jersey has the highest percentage (69%) of young black men graduating from public high schools, followed by Maryland (55%), California (54%), and Pennsylvania (53%)
  2. Last week, a news article reported, in Massachusetts, black public high school students are outperforming their peers nationwide on the SAT.
  3. Earlier this summer, The Urban Prep Academies, all-male charter schools in Chicago for young black men, announced that 100% of their 107 graduating seniors were accepted in four-year colleges and universities.
  4. Deonte Bridges, 2010 valedictorian of Booker T. Washington HS in Atlanta City Public Schools (which by the way, is dealing with an embarrassing standardized test cheating scandal), has been awarded over $1 million worth of scholarship funds for his college education. Listen to his moving testimony at his HS graduation ceremony:



The next video clip is a follow-up on how Mr. Bridges is dealing with his new found fame and being a inspirational role model:



In conclusion, I would like to share a few quotes about hope for our young black men:
  • We all are in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. ~ Oscar Wilde
  • What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessing in disguise. ~ Oscar Wilde
  • Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. ~ Albert Einstein
As former presidential hopeful and civil right activist Jesse Jackson used to say -- KEEP HOPE ALIVE!

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