Who is Justice? I would like to know Whosoever she is, I could love her so; I could love her, though my race. So seldom looks upon her face. -John Henrik Clarke-
While one would think, after years of fighting the institution of Slavery and subsequent Jim Crow Laws, the nation would be able to move on to a new day of freedom and justice for all Americans, it just has not happened. “An unjust law is no law at all”, said St Augustine, providing the foundation of civil disobedience movements across the globe. If a law is not really a law at all, it is argued, one has a right — even a duty — to break it. Martin Luther King articulated this view in his Letter from Birmingham Jail: “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”.
Apparently, there are new racist laws which have replaced the old unjust laws. And so once again, we must take up the mantle to strike them down. In the past we had courageous leaders, white and black, Jews and Gentiles, who would make the ultimate sacrifice to see that justice was served. We had dynamic lawyers like Thurgood Marshall who crisscrossed the nation to fight injustices. However, today, there seems to be less outrage to the injustices which plague our nation as the growth of intolerance continues. The quiet storm of outrage is limited primarily to the affected communities. But perhaps this may change as national and international outrage grows as we mourn the loss of Trayvon Martin due to the” Stand Your Ground Law. ”
In 2007, Julian Bond said that each and every citizen, irrespective of color, should be assured of the equality of opportunity and equality before the law, which underlie our American institutions and are guaranteed by the Constitution.
Martin Luther King said:”I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.”
Fredrick Douglass warned, “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”
I believe Douglass, King and Bond were correct. However, not many people were listening. Because today our basic rights are not fully protected. And therefore, the racial profiling in Arizona and New York and Florida which impedes our liberty, justice, and pursuit of happiness must end.
King also stated that “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” If that is true, we must applaud Governor Paterson and President Obama for taking a quantum leap forward in the right direction. “Because human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."
“The Arizona immigration law is poised to inflame the already widespread problem of racial profiling in the United States. This law, S. B. 1070, would require law enforcement officers to investigate a person’s citizenship status, if they think that the person could be in the country unlawfully," said the ACLU. "This is a clear invitation to racial profiling, and because of this new law, more people will be put into jails and the criminal justice system merely because of their race or ethnicity. When law enforcement is invited to question people based on appearance and without evidence of criminal activity, dire consequences occur.”
“Similarly, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s support for New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk policy is another abysmal example of racial profiling in law enforcement. According to the New York Times, in 2009, African-Americans and Latinos were nine times more likely to be stopped than whites, but no more likely to be arrested. From 2004 to 2009, almost 3 million people were stopped and frisked; 90 percent of these people were not charged with a crime.”ACLU
Surely there will be more difficult days ahead. The U.S. Justice Department recently sued Arizona over SB 1070. Yet, throughout these tumultuous times, we can take comfort in knowing that, ”The moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice.” Martin Luther King 1964. May the moral arc of the universe bend once more so that justice for Trayvon Martin is served.
The NYC Performance Assessment reviews the values and attitudes fostered in our school programs. It evaluates the effectiveness of the student government, peer mediation, community service projects and individual/group guidance program. The Grow Report and School Report Card are also published assessments. They are available to all invested parties. These in-depth assessments will also tell us where we need to go as we press ahead. Everyone is accountable as we move toward creating emotionally safe schools and emotionally safe communities.
We need more programs and services in the Hunts Point Community which can prevent violence. These programs serve as safe havens for our youth. Parents should also set curfews for their children. And if random acts of violence occur in the evening, children should be supervised closely in the evening.
"In the Bronx, we have seen the number of murders increase this year, up from 68 to 80 at this time last year, according to the most recently available statistics. And this problem does not only affect the Bronx. Citywide, we have seen 40 more murders, from 280 to 320, than we did at this time last year. Increased violence, and the turmoil and loss that comes with it, have taken a hold in all five boroughs," said Ruben Diaz, Jr.
We applaud the tireless and dedicated effort of the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr who has invested his time an energy in an attempt to ameliorate the growing problem of gun violence in the Bronx from 1996 to the present. However, everyone must be held accountable as we move forward toward creating emotionally safe schools and emotionally safe communities. Everyone: The parents, teachers, students, police, as well as our elected officers are all stakeholders. And if we are not a part of the solution, then we are a part of the problem.
It is unfortunate that Paraprofessionals are among the first to be excessed once cash-strapped schools have to balance their budgets. But if we look closely at the paraprofessional, we will see that they are an untapped classroom resource. These dedicated professionals eventually take their place in all facets of education. The paraprofessionals should be applauded and supported along their long journey. Therefore, the United Federation of Teachers honors paraprofessionals during the Annual Teacher Union Day celebration: These Paraprofessionals have moved to another UFT title. Today they are now secretaries, teachers, guidance counselors and social workers. Adelante!
The article “Focus On An Untapped Classroom Resource: Helping Paraprofessionals Become Teachers ”Christine L. Smith, SREB, April 2003)... highlights the important role of paraprofessionals. Let's visit this point.
“Paraprofessionals are a key resource of future classroom teachers for many important reasons."
Paraprofessionals who become teachers may have high retention rates. One program, the Pathways to Teaching Careers Program sponsored by The Wallace Foundation has reported great success with paraprofessionals who became teachers. Paraprofessionals and career-changers from outside the teaching profession are awarded scholarships and other support services to earn professional certification. In return, they are typically asked to commit to teaching three years in public schools. A 2001 evaluation of the program revealed that more than 80 percent of paraprofessionals who had graduated from the program were still teaching after three years.
Paraprofessionals may be able to help with critical shortages. Southern Regional Education Board states are experiencing a shortage of teachers in certain geographic areas. Graduates of traditional teacher preparation programs tend to take jobs close to the college or university at which they studied, creating problems for other areas of the state. In addition, there are critical shortages of teachers in subject areas such as math, science, special education, and foreign languages because not enough education students graduate from preparation programs and become certified in these subjects. Furthermore, more teachers are approaching retirement than in years previous.  The Pathways to Teaching Careers Program evaluation found that nearly 90 percent of all paraprofessionals who graduated from the Pathways program and were still teaching after three years were teaching in urban areas. A 1997 National Education Association (NEA) survey of members in educational support revealed that more than 70 percent of paraprofessionals work with special education students. Other researchers show that bilingual paraprofessionals would be good candidates for teaching in bilingual education or working as teachers of English as a Second Language.
Many paraprofessionals are already rooted in the community. The NEA survey found that three out of four paraprofessionals lived in the school district where they worked and had lived in the area an average of 25 years. Other research indicates that many paraprofessionals are rooted in the community and are often familiar with the language and culture of the students.
Paraprofessionals may diversify the pool of teacher candidates. A recent SREB report, Spinning Our Wheels: Minority Teacher Supply in SREB States indicates that only 21 percent of teachers in SREB states are minorities, compared with 43 percent of students. A report from Recruiting New Teachers found that the majority of paraprofessionals in teacher education programs were minorities. ”
Furthermore, the UFT Career Ladder Program has been instrumental in launching the educational journeys for thousands of paraprofessionals. Recognizing the merits of the work that professionals do in classrooms throughout New York City, one should advocate to pay UFTers as professionals and not attempt to diminish their value with unfair attacks. Lest we forget: “The richest nation on earth has never allocated enough of its abundant resources to build sufficient schools, to compensate adequately its teachers, and surround them with the prestige their work justifies,” said Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964
We need teachers unions that advocate for the rights of children and those who serve them. And in a “society requiring even higher standards of knowledge,” we need the UFT even more.
“And they shall bend their swords into plowshares and study war no more.” These words are an appeal for nonviolence. Thus, we might read these words in the Bible and on the wall outside the United Nations. Yet even today, mothers are grieving all over the world because of the violence that consumes the headlines worldwide. And we grieve with them.
Lest we forget, our leaders who spoke out against violence, discrimination, and hate crimes were assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King, Jr. And, lest we forget, our courageous and vibrant young leaders were also assassinated: James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner.
Today, mothers are grieving from New York to Tucson, Arizona because of the wanton destruction created by youth on missions of hate and bigotry: white-on-white crimes and black-on-black crimes. Racial, ethnic, gender bias, religious intolerance and bullying continues.
Mothers grieve around the world in the war zones of Afghanistan, Palestine, Uganda, and Jerusalem, as their children become the casualties of war in areas affected by war related crimes. And mothers also become targets as violence against women continues domestically, nationally, and internationally. And a new world of slavery continues in human sex trafficking of women and children who are traded illegally around the world.
This propensity for violence continues. It continues whether by air, by land, or by sea. Violence even continues en utero as infanticide becomes medically acceptable and partial birth abortions become a form of birth control in the 21st century.
Today, mothers grieve around the world. We grieve with them as we speak up and speak out against crimes against humanity.
How do you measure a teacher? The students know, because the students are the direct recipients of a teacher's work. And in most cases, it is the hard work of the teacher, which produces the best results. There are many tangible as well as intangible markers of a child's growth and development. One of the best that I have seen was crafted into a poem by students in a tribute to their teachers.
Perhaps the DOE should listen to a child because as Educator/TV host Art Linkletter once said, "Out of mouths of babes often times comes gems."
WHAT IS A TEACHER Written by Bibana, Ashanti, Jamal, Ellenah, Diana, John Henry and Mohammed
A teacher is a symbol of learning: a leader of learners and a miracle to education. A teacher is an educational god that leads us to goodness while caring for our learning spirits. A teacher is the captain of our educational journey; Exact about everything. A teacher has the courage enough to teach; And knows mostly all the answers.
Teachers become our heroic inspiration. Teachers educate us with all of their knowledge. Smart and spirited, teachers can make our brains work like computers. Yet, our teachers can also hold our hands when we need it.
Teachers reach to the sky to get what we need; And exit a subject just at the right time.
A teacher possesses the academics and grace that we all love. Teachers care for us in every imaginable way.
Our teacher is the hero in our learning lives.
Education is the key to success. That is what our teachers have taught us.
Teachers are a class struggle in liberty: Believing in kids; Reaching out to kids; And instilling pride within all of us.
Our education is important to our teachers. Therefore our teachers struggle hard to teach every student: Checking exams after school; explaining things so they are easier; And reading to us or teaching us how to read.
Each one of our praises we give. And for everything our teachers do, we will thank them today, tomorrow and always.
One must realize that the responsibility for educating a child is placed squarely in the hands of the teacher. Teachers in the inner city are aware of this fact. And once the teachers have rolled up their sleeves...the process begins with commitment, dedication, care, and concern for a human soul. For the students who have found teachers who are there to support them on their educational journey, I say, press on! These students are the fortunate ones, because it is their teacher who must dream for them before they can dream for themselves. It is the teacher who prepares children for a future which is not his/her own.
These exceptional tenured teachers are fortunate because for every ounce of energy that they use to invest in the child, they will see the rewards of their investment in the child's continued growth and development throughout the year.
When I asked these students to define the word "teacher", it was not a difficult task for them because after years of benefiting from instruction by master teachers, they knew what being a "teacher" was all about. And of course the genre used was sheer poetry.
The poem was dedicated to Ms Montalvo, Ms Tirado and Ms Elena Garcia.
There are many schools which are programming students for success. Their work is already worthy of much praise and emulation. The most recent is Green Dot.
"Green Dot has gained widespread visibility as it currently operates ten public charter high schools in Los Angeles highest-need communities that vastly outperform comparable traditional public high schools. The success of Green Dot is based on its Six Tenets of High Performing Public Schools calling for public schools to: (1) be safer and no larger than 500 students each; (2) implement a college preparatory curriculum for all students; (3) empower principals, teachers, parents and students to own all key decisions related to budgets, curriculum and hiring; (4) add more dollars to classrooms and significantly increase teacher pay; (5) value and support parent participation; (6) stay open later for community use. By implementing this model, Green Dot has produced real results for its students, graduating 98 percent of its seniors. In addition, 78 percent go on to four-year universities. These results are unmatched within the Los Angeles Unified School District where Green Dot currently operates," according to Leo Casey on EdWize.
Another High School addresses the problem of the plight of minorities in the Bronx inner-city.
"The Eagle Academy For Young Men was developed on the premise that Excellence, both in character and scholarship, opens doors and provides a bridge to equality. This school has a strategic partnership, whose partners include students, administrators, teachers, parents, mentors and community supporters, all of whom are focused and committed to the school's guiding principles of: Academic Excellence, Mentoring, Leadership, Integrity, Character Development and Community Service." The New York City Department of Education Directory also states, "The Eagle Academy prepares its students to join the ranks of future leaders in society. Professionals from a wide array of careers act as mentors to provide scholarship and internship opportunities. They are successful male role models who partner with students in their development inside and outside of the classroom environment."
Specific Programs in Westchester County High Schools have successfully targeted an at-risk population
The Woodlands Individualized Senior Experience; Ossinings High Hopes Expectations College Track; Byram Hills Intel Science Program; and Mount Vernon High School's Business Club, are proof positive that there are already solutions to the heightening dropout rate among African American Males in Westchester public schools. These programs should be replicated nationwide. And in order to replicate these programs, we need to see a reinvestment of economic capital in education. Then, we will see a revitalization of structured environments in school communities. We will see new programs which provide the skills and develop the competencies needed so that all of our students will become productive members of society.
An investment of economic capital would assure the development of new schools, state of the art libraries, supervised playgrounds and after school programs. New capital investments would seed programs of prevention and intervention for our at-risk students and increase guidance and counseling services to end a child's cycle of failure and frustration. Failure and frustration unabated, far too often, translate into assaults, disruptions in classrooms and heightening violent incident statistics.
If we are to continue to be a pluralistic society, we must make sure that the road to becoming a productive citizen--the road to being the best that we can be, is not impeded by unfair testing, which leads to unfair tracking, and unfair labeling. Every child must be given an equal opportunity to achieve and succeed.
It is obvious that all parents want their children to succeed. However, if parents have not traveled along the pathway which leads to success,they do not know which road to take. They will need a guide for their children. Without a guide, success may become a dream deferred from one generation to another. Therefore, it is incumbent upon educators/guidance counselors/mentors to invest in these human souls along with parents. This is the "strategic partnership" which is sorely needed as the child is programmed from Pre-K to B.A. And certainly, if we are not a part of the solution, perhaps we are part of the problem.
“There is a principle – which is compatible with the presumption of innocence, and is deeply ingrained in our sense of justice – that individuals wrongly accused of a crime should suffer neither stigma nor adverse consequences by virtue of an arrest or criminal accusation not resulting in conviction,” said Governor Paterson on June 16, 2010.
Thus, Governor Paterson signed a bill limiting Stop-and-Frisk Database collection of the names and addresses of those stopped. This action requires some reflection because we are living in the 21st century and not the 17th century. This action was necessary, because there is still a resistance to equity before the law for persons of color in this nation.
While one would think that after years fighting the institution of Slavery and subsequent Jim Crow Laws, the nation would be able to move on to a new day of freedom and justice for all Americans; well, it has not happened.
Apparently, there are new racist laws which have replaced the old unjust laws. And so once again, we must take up the mantle to strike them down. In the past, we had courageous leaders, white and black, Jews and Gentiles, who would make the ultimate sacrifice to see that justice was served. We had dynamic NAACP lawyers like Thurgood Marshall and Charles Hamilton Houston who crisscrossed the nation to fight injustices. However, today, there seems to be less outrage to the injustices which plague our nation as the growth of intolerance continues. The quiet storm of outrage is limited primarily to the affected communities. Today there is surveillance of Muslim students, tomorrow another religious or ethnic group will be targeted by the NYPD in the name of homeland security.
In 2007, Julian Bond said that each and every citizen, irrespective of color, should be assured of the equality of opportunity and equality before the law, which underlie our American institutions and are guaranteed by the Constitution.
Martin Luther King said:"I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."
Fredrick Douglass warned, "Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe."
I believe Douglass, King, and Bond were correct. However, not many people were listening. Because today our basic rights are not fully be protected. And therefore, the racial profiling in Arizona and New York which impedes our liberty, justice, and pursuit of happiness must end.
King also stated that "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." If that is true, we must applaud Governor Paterson and President Obama for taking a quantum leap forward in the right direction. "Because human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."
According to the ACLU, "The Arizona immigration law is poised to inflame the already widespread problem of racial profiling in the United States. This law, S. B. 1070, would require law enforcement officers to investigate a person's citizenship status if they think that the person could be in the country unlawfully. This is a clear invitation to racial profiling, and because of this new law, more people will be put into jails and the criminal justice system merely because of their race or ethnicity. When law enforcement is invited to question people based on appearance and without evidence of criminal activity, dire consequences occur."
"Similarly, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's support for New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk policy is another abysmal example of racial profiling in law enforcement. According to the New York Times, in 2009, African-Americans and Latinos were nine times more likely to be stopped than whites but no more likely to be arrested. From 2004 to 2009, almost 3 million people were stopped and frisked; 90 percent of these people were not charged with a crime," stated the ACLU.
Surely there will be more difficult days ahead. The U.S. Justice Department recently sued Arizona over SB 1070. Yet, throughout these tumultuous times, we can take comfort in knowing that "the moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice."
“Standard English is that set of grammatical and lexical forms which is typically used in speech and writing by educated native speakers. It includes the use of colloquial and slang vocabulary, as well as swear words and taboo expressions. There are no set rules or vocabulary for “Standard English” because, unlike languages such as French, Spanish or Dutch, English does not have a governing body...," said Dr. Peter Trudgill a sociolinguist.
Knowing that we adapt our use of English to specific environments, it is not surprising that our language changes whenever we are relaxing at home with parents/family, or in a classroom, board room, or university. And our regional accents or dialect are often reflected as we speak. Class may also be added as another variable which influences our speech patterns. All of the aforementioned become the language we must capture as we write as we find our voice.
Writers adapt their writing styles for many reasons…as well. When Sandra Cisneros writes that she has “returned for those who have no out,” her message is very clear. She is aware of the correct English grammatical patterns. However, she chose to use the words which matched the context of the story. The story dictated how language would be altered to create the mood and picture conveyed.
It is interesting to note that Paul Lawrence Dunbar (1872-1906) could not find a market for his verses in “Standard” English.
“I am tired, so tired of dialect,” he said. ” I send out graceful little poems, suited for any of the magazines, but they are returned to me by editors who say, Dunbar, but we do not care for the language compositions.” Today Dunbar is remembered because of the poetry which was written in dialect. For example:
LITTLE lady at de do’, W’y you stan’ dey knockin’? Nevah seen you ac’ befo’ In er way so shockin’. Don’ you know de sin it is Fu’ to git my temper riz W’en I’s got de rheumatiz An’ my jints is lockin’?
Conversely, in the 1770s Phillis Wheatley wrote:
TWAS mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew, Some view our sable race with scornful eye, “Their colour is a diabolic die.” Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train
Phillis Wheatley died penniless in 1784.
Therefore, we soon realize that creating new pieces of literature in the classroom is an arduous task. And prior to launching the writing process, I have found it necessary to saute the students in some of the best literature possible as Lucy Caulkins recommends. Although the list of books is long and wide, I rely on the magic of Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street” to facilitate this journey.
Quite often the word from another culture is the only word that works in a particular context. Before using the word “temerity” to describe a situation, I changed it to “audacity.” However, I could have used “chutzpah” or any one of the following synonyms: HARDIHOOD, EFFRONTERY, NERVE, CHEEK, or GALL. Frank McCourt, like many of today’s gifted writers, has also brilliantly infused his cultural heritage into the language of “Angela’s Ashes.”
Today the English language is becoming more and more inclusive. And as Hip Hop vocabulary words become infused in the media, dictionaries, and universities, a new genre is emerging. Thus, I have encouraged my students to use words from any known lexicon. However, they must use italics to distinguish these words from the words that are not found in our English Dictionary. This phenomenon is also witnessed in Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street.”
When my students took an imaginary trip to their ancestral home, their essays were filled with words and phrases which described the foods, greetings, and land of their ancestors. This fifth grade class had students from 15 different nations. And although many had never stepped foot on foreign soil, they used the information their parents had imparted to them over the years, to guide them on their vicarious journey. Their stories validated the land and language of their ancestors. It was truly amazing to watch the lesson unfold with revelations from Yemen, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Nigeria.
As educators, we are reminded by Haim Ginott that it is our approach that creates the climate in the classroom. It is our daily word that makes the weather in our classroom. And if the environment in our classroom is safe, many good things will happen.
Our students are writing to be read. Thus, they are very vulnerable. They are truly putting their life on the line as… Lucy Calkins reminds us.
Teachers have the power to nurture emergent writers. They also have the ability to nurture dreams as well as validate the work of their students.
“The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros is a beginning. Like so many pieces of great literature, “Mango Street” shows how the author can weave the language of two cultures to produce a masterpiece. And as students write in the genre of the author, they will find their voice in a remembrance of things past and present which will become their gift to the future.
In 1991, it seemed difficult to comprehend how 8,800 prison cells were on the drawing board in New York State. Yet the prospect of building new schools to replace our crumbling schools had become a dream deferred. So the question is asked: Where were the political pundits who campaigned on a platform for education? How had their commitment to education manifested itself? Today we see the results of their actions.
“There are currently two million Americans in prison — 25 percent of the world’s prison population. In the US, it costs $56 billion dollars a year to maintain our nation’s prisons, and an additional $2.6 billion dollars is poured into building new ones annually. Therefore, the Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) are calling for designers to stop investing our national economic and social resources in the construction and renovation of prisons," announced ADPSR in January of 2006
"Prisons drain our economy our money that could be used for education and social services.”
According to the ACLU, “The 'school-to-prison pipeline' describes an alarming trend wherein public elementary, middle and high schools are pushing youth out of classrooms and into the juvenile justice and criminal justice system. Under the banner of 'zero tolerance,' schools increasingly are relying on inappropriately harsh discipline and, increasingly, law enforcement, to address trivial schoolyard offenses among even the youngest students.”
“Hearing sponsors in Florida heard testimony from innumerable witnesses, including prosecutors and juvenile court judges, who expressed grave concerns that schools have turned away from education-based approaches to discipline and now handle far too many instances of typical student misbehavior by relying on law enforcement and the courts, and imposing punishments that needlessly remove students from school,” said the NAACP in 2007.
In May 2007, Congressman Rangel addressed the United Federation of Teachers. He cautioned against allowing the streets to educate our youth. Rangel called for government incentives to develop youth and not give up on those who have fallen. He reminded us of the 2 million children who are “locked up” and the high cost of incarceration of these children; the incarceration which costs the taxpayer approximately $100,000.00 per annum for a youth-offender on Rikers Island.
Today, Rangel advocates for more resources in the schools as well as different resources for the myriad problems which the students have to face. “If we can spend 10 billion dollars on an unnecessary war, we can feed the minds of our kids.” said Rangel. ”We cannot survive by losing one half of the brain power.”
It was forty years ago that Martin Luther King addressed the UFT. At that time he said the following:
“The richest nation on earth has never allocated enough of its abundant resources to build sufficient schools, to compensate adequately its teachers, and to surround them with the prestige their work justifies. We squander funds on highways and the frenetic pursuit of recreation , on the overabundance of overkill armaments, but we pauperize education.”
Surely, Rangel has an awesome task ahead as the new chairperson of the Ways and Means Committee. He is in the position of power in a place where he can influence change: Our Nation’s Capital. And as a well-seasoned public servant, who has remained on the frontline on many battles from 1948 to the present, we can be assured that the future of this nation is in good hands. However, as Americans we have every right to challenge those who represent us in government. We have every right to hold legislators accountable for the pledges they have made regarding their commitment to education. We can see from the past mistakes of legislators exactly why it would have been more economically sound and beneficial to this nation if the legislators had invested in education and not in prisons.
“The richest nation on earth has never allocated enough of its abundant resources to build sufficient schools, to compensate adequately its teachers, and to surround them with the prestige their work justifies. We squander funds on highways and the frenetic pursuit of recreation, on the over abundance of overkill armaments, but we pauperized education,” said Martin Luther King in his speech at UFT Spring Conference, 1964.
But, how is education pauperized, today?
“Just last week, 300 New Orleans school children were shut out of schools and denied an education they badly need because the city says it doesn’t have enough space or teachers. So, instead of studying in classrooms, 300 students are sitting at home waiting for space to open up in schools,” wrote James Parks of the American Federation of Labor in his January 30th Weblog.
“The first district is New Orleans, where the Bush US Department of Education and the Louisiana governor used the devastation caused by Katrina as an opportunity to dismantle the public school system. Like everything else that the Bush administration has done in post-Katrina New Orleans, the result was a man made catastrophe on top of the natural disaster,” wrote Leo Casey on Edwize.
It is inconceivable to think that there are children in this great nation who are missing out on an education. And if something is not done very soon, history will repeat itself.
History teaches us that the students of Prince Edward County were denied the benefits of a public education in Prince Edward County from 1959 – 1964. For five years the public schools were closed . Hence, the black students who remained in Prince Edward County were not afforded the benefits of any formal education. Consequently, they have been variously dubbed “the lost generation” and “the crippled generation” by reporters and researchers studying the long-term effects of educational deprivation, according to Bagly; Longwood College, Virginia.
How are funds squandered on the frenetic pursuit of recreation, today?
It is ironic that the bridge which collapsed in Minneapolis caused a cancellation of a ground breaking ceremony for a new baseball stadium. Furthermore there is a proposal for another stadium under consideration on the University of Minnesota’s campus estimated at $288 million. It is reported that this stadium would be funded with private and corporate contributions, as well as funds from the state of Minnesota.
How do we squander funds “on the over abundance of overkill armaments” today?
Case in point, the war in Iraq: “If we can spend 10 billion dollars on an unnecessary war, we can feed the minds of our kids.” said Congressman Charles Rangel, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee.”We cannot survive by losing one half of the brain power.”
Therefore, I believe a basic education should not be a dream deferred but a dream realized. Our public schools must become structurally sufficient. Our public schools can no longer afford to produce youth who, like former slaves, are “partially educated sufficient to make their work efficient, but insufficient to raise them to equality,” said Martin Luther King.
And finally, I believe it is necessary for all United States legislators who ran on a platform of educational equity and access must be summoned back to the legislature to map out a plan to get all disenfranchised students back in school. The bridges to nowhere can wait. Surely, the education of all children must be a national priority and not another national tragedy.
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