Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 April 2005 — Page 7

FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2005

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE A7

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Crown Hill Advanced Planning Workshops Wednesday, May 4, 2005 1:30 - 3:30 pm or 6:00 - 8:00 pm

These Workshops will provide you with a unique opportunity to have all of your questions answered about your funeral and cemetery needs. Exclusive discounts and door prizes available. Seating is limited. Please call today to make your reservation (317) 925-8231. Crown Hill FUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY Crown Hill. One Wise Decision. 700 West 38th Street Indianapolis, IN 46208 Ph (317) 925-3800 WWW.CROWNHILL.ORG

Volunteers of America Public Auto Auction SPRING FLING SALE, SAT. MAY 7 Sale Start Promptly At 9:00 AM/Preview at 8:00AM $200 refundable deposit required for bid number. Cars, Trucks, Boats, Motorcycles. Buyers fee will be assessed. Sales tax will be collected from individuals. Dealers mush show proof of license. CASH. CREDIT CARDS and APPROVED CHECKS ACCEPTED Volunteers of America, 64 N. 1st Avenue, Beach Grove, IN For more information please call 7S0-2277

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The Friday May 13th editon of the Indianapolis Reorder will pay a special tribute to the graduting class Class of 2005. Our specially designed ads will feature a photograph of your graduate, their school and a 4 line message for only $30. • Recognize You Achiever • From Pre-School to College Issue Date - Friday May 13, 2005 Photograph and Copy Deadline Friday, May 6, 2005 at 5 p.m. Send check or money order, you name address, telephone number and four line message to The Indianapolis Recorder 2901 N. Tacoma Ave. Indianapolis. IN 46218- Attention Graduates INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2005 SENIOR YEARBOOK ON SALE MAY 13,2005

JAWS AWARDS ► Continued from Page 1 1. Lawrence North High School freshman, Kree Thompson was the youngest JAWS intern. Extremely shy during the awards ceremony, Thompson decided to say her "thank you's" from her seat. 2. Second-year JAWS intern Alyse Robinson won the Teen Voice Award for writing stories that focused on young adult issues. (Photos/J. Hurst)

JAWS instructors and interns pose after the awards banguet. Back row: (left to right) Christopher Jones, Shannon Williams, Garrett Gammons, Stephen Robinson, Oreanna Crain, Kree Thompson and Timothy Jones Jr. Front Row: (left to right) Alyse Robinson, Jared Goodloe and Ericka Thompson.

EDUCATION DOES MATTER

Many queslions lo ponder regarding cuffing 5-year-old

By LEROY ROBINSON

Thefootage continues to run over the airwaves, again and again. It seems that the more appalling a recorded image or incident is, the more our mainstream media, exercising their rights guaranteed in the First Amendment, bombards us with the video footage. The footage is shown so much, begging of the captivated viewing audience to weigh in and make a decision. The incident recently happened in St. Petersburg, Fla., and it involved the all too infamous handcuffing of a 5-year-old elementary school student. The female kindergarten student was seen on the video throwing what is commonly known as atemper tantrum. The young girl is shown swinging her fists at the Assistant Principal Nicole Dibenedetto and other staff members, climbing up on a table about four times, running around the office area, tearing papers from the bulletin board, and yelling “No” on several occasions, as the educational support staff made a feeble attempt to restrain her. Soon the St. Petersburg Police Department appears in the video, with their standard issued equipment of guns, mace, and handcuffs. The three officers wrestle back and forth with the 50-pound student, and finally are able to put the handcuffs on her and place her in the back of their police cruiser. After putting the girl in the back of the police car, she was taken in to be processed at the local police precinct. The police released the kindergartner to her mother after the

county prosecutor informed the officers that they would not file any charges against the 5-year-old. Let the lawsuits begin! Needless to say, the child’s mother Inga Akins has hired attorneys and plans to sue the school, school district, and local police department. She may even sue the teacher and assistant principal in personal lawsuits, all in the name of emotional and psychological damage that could harm her child for years to come and hinder her future growth and development. Just to throw more food-for-thought into the spectacle of a situation, the principal, the classroom teacher, and three police officers were white, and the 5-year-old kindergartener was African American. There are so many circumstances that surround this issue, that it will take a round table of attorneys, educators, and social workers to confront the task at hand. Questions to ponder: Did the school officials overreact? Could the student have been restrained without the assistance of the police officers? How should mom be judged, she was called, but stated that she could not come “right away.” Was this a situation of poor training or poor judgment by all of the adults involved, including mom? What long-lasting effects, if any, will the handcuffing experience have on the child? And, if the student had been white, would the police have been called? And lastly, would an African-American teacher or administrator have responded the same way as the white staff members did, and allowed the student to display that type of disruptive behavior to the extent that she did? As an educator, we are faced with so many situations and a variety of experiences each day that require split second

decisions. Many of them are judgment calls, which require us to draw from our previous experiences and educational background. We will never be right every time and with every decision we make, but I can assure you that in our second to second decision making, working daily with so many students who have different personalities, a multitude of backgrounds, and varied experiences, we will be right far more times than we will be wrong. The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. - William Arthur Ward Family Education and Empowerment Forum - Reaching African American Families and Achieving Student Academic Success, recorded live at the Madame Walker Theatre, DVD/VHS video can be ordered and purchased for $10, by contacting the IPS Office of Multicultural Education at 317-226-2430. Or send your request to: edu cationdoesmatter@hotmail. com. Best Practices - Teaching African American Students: Classroom Achievement and Academic Success, recorded live in the Marian College Library Auditorium, DVD/ VHS video can be ordered and purchased for $10 by contacting the Marian College School of Education at (317)955-6089- Orsendyour request to: educationdoesma [email protected]. For speaking engagements or education workshops, contact the columnist at: educati [email protected] or write: 9701 E. 63rd St, Indianapolis, IN. 46236. For questions or comments, call (317) 502-0272.

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