Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 July 2002 — Page 4

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, JULY 26,2002

4

(MpOMtt* COMKI (antw aiatng it

A* akwl 'Wiywf •

‘17 s5

parboil

lOraa* Mart art

LSAYRES OPTK'AI MiMRtMKNT

Lafayette Square (317)293-7113

IVf OMtt*VNKMMK»UMS>C*ERMOHT MRVCt MMLAPLC

That’s why today’s woman needs a life insurance policy of her own. State Farm Life Insurance can help meet your immediate needs and help secure future goals.

See your local State Farm Agent

State Farm is there for life. 9 Stale Farm Life Insurance Company Home Office: Bloomington, Illinois statefarin.com ni

BESIDES CLASSROOM There needs to be more education going on

The struggle to get the best education for our young people is an endeavor that we must forever continue to pursue. In the next 10 years, our public schools will be in need of at least 2 million new certified public school teachers. Currently, 12 percent of the nation’s teachers are minority. With less than half of those being male teachers. However, 1 out of every 3 children who attend public schools is non-white. Teacher shortages are prevalent in just about every urban school district across the country. The large urban under-perform-ing schools face the highest shortages. Unfortunately, these school systems have to hire non-certified and unqualified persons to fill these shortages. These are the schools who need the most qualified teachers to work with the lower performing students. Sadly, this is not the case. And we have low performing students being taught by teachers who are not qualified to teach. It is no surprise that their test scores are low, their behavior is bad, and they are dropping out at record numbers. We have an everincreasing percentage of young people who elect to end their formal education after they reach the

Business News that you can use call today 924-5143

lie’sfliitlie|iofiticilijglit He’ifnni tiie pofitical left and they’re ready to nimble tt'm m (fimrfc ritnwn tieftlle nf fcl—a nn TTm ffecofrir flour amiy 2nd and 4th ThundByat 4 p.m. on ThBitan Solomon Show on Nowntnlk 96, tho now WPZZ 98.9 FM. Tuno In, Join In orjuat hold on no right mooto loft. Join In by easing 237-9989 or 1-900-TALH-290.

\4nm4 V. Hohnoo

age where they can make the decision to continue for themselves. Many of these dropouts are frustrated with their lack of success in the classroom. Many of these early dropouts may never read another book or gain any formal instruction from an educator for the rest of their lives. What does the future hold for today’s early dropouts? Many of them eventually become adults, who still do not value the need for learning or further education. “Sad to say, a number of us stop learning with any ferocity at an early age. It may actually be despite our best intentions that the door to our mind closes. The demands of earning a living, of raising a family, and of contributing to the community in which we live crowd our lives, leaving little time for nourishing our minds," author Eric V. Copage writes in Black Pearls.

It seems that there are so many other “important” things that take precedent over many adults’ need to continue reading and learning. It is sad to visit the homes of many Black families and see no reading materials in the entire home. Some may possess some old copies of Ebony or Jet magazine, but how much education content is included in either? Each is filled with many large colored pictures and photographs and brief, easy to read articles and reviews. The books and magazines that contain well-written and informative articles, and very few pictures, generally do not populate die homes of many of our Black families. This is a sad situation for adults and a travesty for all of us if there are school age children in the home. Copage goes on to say, “We dole out our hours this way and that, perhaps allocating time for physical exercise, time for relaxation with friends and family, but no time to feed our intellectual hunger outside of the odd museum visit or public-television show.” Honestly, there is no need to discuss the many unnecessary hours that we spend watching noninformative television shows. Shows that entertain us at best and perpetuates the negative stereotypes at worst. We require and ex-

pect so much of our young people. Even though they look to us for role models and examples to follow, we tend not to pursue any learning or educational experiences after our required schooling is finished. With the large urban public schools facing more teacher shortages, the hiring of unqualified staff, and working with such low numbers of minority teachers, the community outside of the classroom is going to have to become better educated. We cannot sit around and rely solely on the public school system to educate our children. There are restrictions and limitations on what can and will be taught in the classroom, so we have to do a better job of educating our children outside of the classroom doors as well. “At 22,1 thought I knew everything. Now, at 67,1 find I haven’t tasted a drop from the sea of knowledge. The more I leam, the more I find out how little I know," John E. Copage wrote. For speaking engagements or education workshops, contact me a t [email protected] or write me at: 9701 E. 63rd St., Indianapolis, IN. 46236. My contact number is 317-502-0272.

CORPORATE GIVING Fortune 500 companies contribute to Indiana Black Expo

Radb poroonallty Stan Solomon

Rev. Charles Williams, president Indiana Black Expo (center right), and Rep. Bill Crawford (center left) joined Budweiser executives as they celebrated the company’s $50,000 donation to Indiana Black Expo.

Wl \ I A KI \ 1)11 II RI \ ( I

When it comes to your homeowner insurance protection we tailor different solutions for your different needs. Let us show you how Nationwide* Insurance can help you protect your most valuable assets...your home and your precious belongings. So call us today for more information.

Mel Fox Urban Sales and Service Center Manager Indianapolis Sales and Service Center 3 East 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46203 317-927-0903

mmoOmoo Ow ataMMNi Mas* rmmmm CmnniTZM • mo Mil -MwiwC—pi

During Indiana Black Expo’s Summer Celebration, the Coca Cola Foundation presented $10,000 to the Indianapolis Public School’s Career Technology Center. Students from the center give thanks.

Above average IBE’s 2002 Scholarship winners were blessed with $2,500 each at the IBE Governor’s Reception, (all photoe/C. Guynn)