Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 January 2005 — Page 7

0—A7

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2005

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE A7

2004 a turbulent year for education

By JOSHUA COHEN Staff Writer

The year of 2004 saw some highs and lows in education. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act drew more criticism for not fully funding the requirements it lays down, and after President Bush was re-elected to another term, Secretary of Education Rod Paige decided not to return in his position. Paige was the face on the NCLB Act and has worked hard to make the bill work successfully. In Indiana, Gov. Joseph Kernan furthered the late Gov. Frank O’Bannon’s efforts to institute allday kindergarten. State legislators were not able to get the bill passed, mainly due to Republican opposition. 2004 was also a big money year. IUPUI raised $1 billion in a fund-raising campaign that began in 1997- Indianapolis Public Schools received a $10 million increase in federal funding for Title I. IPS also fought a hard battle to continue school renovations by asking for $200 million in bonding from Marion County taxpayers. Another highlight for IPS was its second No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in as many years. IPS Paul I. Miller School 114 received the national award. As in 2003, the year brought many new charter schools, and approvals for more to come. The Knowl-

edge Is Power Program (KIPP) School, the Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School built in a renovated building in the Meadows neighborhood, and the first Goodwill school in the country, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Career Academy also opened. The schools already established were reviewed by the Progressive Policy Institute which found Indianapolis’ charter schools to be making compelling progress and early results in student achievement. Excellence in education was not overlooked either. Civil rights advocate and lawyer Henry J. Richardson’s legacy was honored by the Black Student Law Association, lU-Indy chapter. The association honored Richardson by presenting a portrait to be hung in the law school building. Richardson, a graduate of IUPUI, fought tirelessly for Black civil rights in Indianapolis. Mariama Shaheed-Carson, a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Eagle Creek Elementary School in Pike Township was also recognized with a national Milken Family Foundation Award. The $25,000 award was given to teachers with special dedication and commitment to their students and innovative teaching practices. The year brought many unresolved education issues that promise to bring many debates, funding battles and new ideas to the landscape of Indianapolis schools.

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EDUCATION DOES MAHER The mis-educaNon of our children: It's not my fault

By LEROY ROBINSON

With the start of this new calendar year and the recent release of the early I-STEP results, alongwith the introduction of several new charter schools, I often sit in amazement and wonder why so little progress is being made in the education of Afri-can-American school children. I often hear the passive voices of politicians, community leaders, entertainers, and concerned clergy speaking as if this issue really matters, but the overall action of our community speaksfor itself. Correction...the overall inaction of our community speaks for itself. I want to be clear in stating that there are a few individuals, administrators, educators, mentors, and those from the categories statedintheaboveparagraph, who are very committed in the struggle towards improving the overall education status of Afri-can-American public school students. However,thenumbersofthose committed ones are far too few. This educationstatusincludesthe high academic achievement of our male and female students, the proper school related conduct and behavior by our male andfemale students, andthe concept of restoring hope, pride, and trust (in the education system) into the hearts and minds of our male and female students. Much of the above has been lost. Prior to desegregation, when Negro children were attending substandardschoolsandwerebeingtaught with old and outdated materials,evenwhenachild’sparents did not finish high school, there was still a sense of pride, a sense of dedication, and a sense that an education was the best viable solution to neutralize and minimize institutional and overt discrimination and racism. As I look across the country at

the current status of our public schoolchildren, I seesomanyyoung people without hope, I see so many who do not dream, and I see so many of them who place socialization and peer acceptance over academicachievement. What I also see are African-American adults...parents, teachers, clergy, politicians, business people, etc., who are responsible for instilling this value system, fail miserably at their responsibility. I often hear many adults ask the question...what has happened to this new generation of young people? My immediate response is.. .us, weasadultshavefailedthem, given up on them, and turned our backs on them. And they are acting out the feelings of abandonment and isolation in so many ways, socially, economically, spiritually, but primarily academically. This combination of experiences and behaviors ultimately result in the dismal standardized test scores and poor social behaviors of large numbersofAfrican-Americanmale students primarily, andfemale students aswell. AstheAfncan-Ameri-can female numbers in the categories of school discipline, high school dropouts, and incarceration rates are all on the rise. You don’tthinktheyoungpeople see where our priorities are? You don’t think they have picked up on the notion that more is offered in the form oflip service as opposed to dedicated action? You don’t think they have figured out the game and the politically correct thing to say? Takealookattheprimatymedia outlets for African Americans: television, radio, newspapers, and magazines. How much of the airtime and topical or editorial space is dedicated to education? How often do these sources discuss or present topics of Black history, intellectual and critical thought, or some topic of academic relevance? It is vety clear that very few, if any, of our Black-owned radio stations and newspapers dedicate much time to education. Also, our young people do not see any relevant educational content on the Black produced and directed,orowned,televisionshows

on any of the major or cable networks. Our young people spend hours and hours in front of the television, listening to the radio, and reading Black entertainment magazines of which all have African-American adults responsiblefortheprogrammingor editorial content. Theyhear what we say and they see what we market. African Americans are in a lot more control of the messages that we send to our young people than what we would like to admit. Although others outside of our community play a role in the dumbing down and the destructive programming of our young people, we do not have to sit idly and continue to allow it to happen. If Afri-can-American youngpeopleare responsible for our future, who is responsible for their future? We cannot look at this generation and our future and act is ifwe had no role in the planning of it. The irresponsible role we played is that of adult providers presiding over the village, who failed to take the education and nurturing of our children seriously and we failed to take action and defend our youth against the bombardment of selfdestruction and negative images that have been and continue to be perpetrated against them. Now of which they perpetrate amongst themselves and towards each other, and ofwhich many ofus still sit by and complain, leading to more inactivity, self-destruction, and poor performances in far too many public schools across the country. Leroy Robinson is author of the newly released book, Fall From Grace: The Family Crisis in Black America, currently on sale at XPression Bookstore & Gallery, located at 970 Fort Wayne Ave., Indianapolis, IN., (317) 264-1866. For speaking engagements or education workshops, contact Robinson at: educationdoesmatter@,hotmaiLcom or write: 9701 E. 63rd St, Indianapolis, IN. 46236. For questions or comments, call (317)502-0272.

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