Summer school zones
So, I finally have an answer… sort of. I talked to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, and they said they will enforce school zones this summer if summer school is taking place in the building. What I haven’t been able to track down is where all the summer schools will be held. It is rather random from what I understand. So, in the meantime, if you see a lot of cars or children at a school during restricted hours, slow down. I will keep you posted if I find out specifics on schools. I know the high schools may be locations throughout the summer.
Home > Blogs > Lakota Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > May > 19 > Entry
Why schools need to lead the change
What can we change when it comes to the achievement gap?
In response to a previous comment, we can’t change the number of unwed mothers who have children.
We can’t eliminate poverty. We can’t change the way people parent. We can’t change cultural norms.
However, we can change the experience students have in school buildings. Think back to a teacher that made an impact on your life. I can think of so many of them. One that stands out is my high school Spanish teacher. She made me love the language and the cultures. She inspired my love for art. She took me to Spain to tour castles. She brought in children from Guatemala who were here for special surgeries they couldn’t get there. I learned to be socially aware under her leadership. I learned how to communicate and translate to help people. I went on to study Spanish in college because of her.
Now, let’s say a child hates school. He gets no encouragement at home. He barely has enough to eat, and no one in his family has ever dreamt of going to college. What if he encounters a culture within his school that touches a place in his heart? What if it is a connection with a teacher who seems to understand him … who encourages him to go to college? What if he feels like an equal to students, challenged equally to succeed no matter how much money his parents make? What if he has a person in his life who expects him to make good choices and holds him accountable? Whether he is black, brown, red, yellow or white, this student overcomes the statistics that he will not achieve simply because he feels differently about school.
Teachers and administrators are taking on this challenge, realizing this is one area they can change. They can assess what is working and what isn’t. They can analyze past programs and see why there is a growing achievement gap in Ohio despite all the efforts to change that in years past. This is what I have learned from the organizers of this consortium. In a sense, this is a black and white issue. We are either equal or we aren’t. We are either respectful or we aren’t. We all have biases. We all have prejudices. We all fall short when it comes to loving each other.
But, what happens if we never try to grow and change? What happens if we never talk about race? People keep making comments like, “Why isn’t there a national association for the advancement of white people?” or “What about black people taking jobs away from white people?” “Those Hispanic people should go back to their own countries.” “What about reverse discrimination?”
Why grumble and complain, yet refuse to change something? Why not look into the issue and talk about it. Why do you feel the way you do? What perspective are you coming from? Did you grow up during a time of social unrest? Did you experience a situation that changed the way you view a racial group? Do you associate with people who look differently than you? Have you ever been discriminated against? Has something come more easily to you because of the color of your skin? Have you ever felt threatened because of the color of your skin?
Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
We encourage you to talk about it. We encourage you to talk to your school districts. We have come so far in the past few decades, but we must not grow complacent.
Before I sat down with these administrators, I didn’t understand the big deal about race. I looked at things from a white perspective. I looked at things from the lens of middle class. I have never feared someone would think I was an illegal immigrant because of my skin color. I have never had to worry about people judging me because of my color.
Judging by all the comments we have received, I know people are fired up about this issue. I just hope they can take that passion and channel it for good.
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Comments
By Rick
May 19, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this
The problem with “discussions” about race and racism is that they are one-sided. What about reverse racism? That is a huge problem in the Dayton Schools, but, oh, so sorry, we can’t talk about that. You call it grumbling. I can tell you that a lot of white students in the DPS feel threatened because of the color of their skin. The drop out rate for white students in Dayton has been higher than blacks for years but the Administration did not care. Look at your post, it is dripping with white guilt. Sorry, but if we can’t have an open discussion, where black racism cannot be discussed, then I am not interested.By Anne
May 19, 2008 8:37 PM | Link to this
It’s that way everywhere. You cannot have a true discussion where opinions, fears, concerns, etc. are expressed on all sides of the issue. White people are told that they can’t know what they are talking about because they pull from their “invisible knapsack of white privilege.” This problem will never be solved until everyone puts their guard down and does an honest evaluation of their own personal values, choices, and expectations. This includes the black community. You cannot ignore statistics. An unbelievable 70% of black children are born to unwed mothers. This compares to 25% of white children born to unwed mothers and 50% of hispanic children in the same circumstances. This is a breakdown within the black community. This is a direct cause of why over 50% of black students drop out of high school. If you say this is not true, you are deluding yourself and buying into the biggest lie and travesty ever perpetuated in this country. We are making the schools the scapegoats for what is not getting done in the home. Juan Williams, former NPR host, says it best, “I think it’s a terrible signal to our young people about who black people are to have us constantly wrapped in the cloak of victimhood, and to have black leadership that in a knee-jerk fashion defends negative, dysfunctional behavior.” But I can’t say that. I would be speaking from my invisible knapsack of white privilege.