Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 3 May 2007 — Page 18

Page 18 • The Muncie Times • May 3, 2007

continued from page 14 percent of middle grade teachers in white districts. On top of that dollars spent per black student was only 82 percent of what was spent per white student. On the economic front, the unemployment numbers overall aren’t great: blacks are twice as likely to be unemployed. However, as their education levels rise, so does their employment enough to surpass whites in some cases. For example, for blacks over 25 who have less than a high school education only 40 percent are part of the work force compared to 47 percent whites. That rate rises to 82.1 percent when they have college

degrees, which is five percentage points above the 77.5 percent participation rate of their white counterparts. But instead of dwelling on the statistic, let me propose some recommendations to not only help black males but all Americans: In universal early childhood education, all children in this nation should have a right to comprehensive early childhood education, which, as Head Start proves, is very effective in giving them a leg up when they start school. Greater experimentation with all male schools, longer school days and mentoring. All males schools such as the Eagle Academy and

Enterprise School in the New York City area combined with mentoring and longer days help keep young boys focused on education and away from the distractions that could lead them down the wrong paths. More second chance programs for high school drop outs, ex-offenders. These a programs aim to bring ex-offenders and disadvantaged individuals who are out of school and out of work back into the mainstream. Such programs help steer more Americans, especially those at risk, back on track by providing assistance in getting GEDs, skills training and new jobs. Restore the federal summer jobs program to

its previous state. At the end of the 21st Century, federal lawmakers agree to “reinvent” the federal Summer Jobs Program that had been in place for decades by changing its status from a stand alone mandatory program to one of 10 optional youth services programs. Under this reform, cities and municipalities have the option of offering the program or not. It resulted in a major scaling back of this successful federal program. Drive home the message that education pays big dividends in the long run. Parents need to instill into their children the value of education in achieving their dreams and improving their financial security. They

must continually talk to their children about how much better off they will be by graduating rom high school and college. They must tell them that their opportunities for professional and economic advancement are much grater with a college degree or higher than with out. So what we’ve presented here is blue print from which we are urging our nation’s leaders to work from. Empowering black men to reach their full potential is the most serious economic and civil rights challenge we face today. Imagine if our nations tapped the full potential of all the black boys languishing in the shadows? It would mean greater prosperity for all.

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