A teacher’s public school survival guide
By Kem M. Jeffery
Guest Columnist
As a relatively young, informed public school teacher, I often listen to talk radio. This past week I tuned into Phyllis Schafly Live. A caller gave his comments on the show; and although I am paraphrasing, this is the gist of what he said:
“Schools will never work as long as we have to mix races. If you look at the white private schools and the black private schools, whites perform so much better than blacks. White people have had to carry blacks for far too long.”
As I listened to this man, I once again realized why I switched careers midstream and became a middle school teacher. Our children need an advocate. I work in a school that is 67 percent African-American, 30 percent white and 3 percent in its student mix. However, the teaching staff is somewhere around 93 percent white.
I believe that a lot of people, though not bold enough to say it, agree with this man. Chances are some of those people may very well teach in your neighborhood school. Therefore, I am writing this commentary because I believe we can do something about the status of education as it relates to Black America.
European Americans enslaved African Americans. The good news is that slavery ended. However, hatred and oppression live on. Our history of dealing with marriage being illegal, families separated, health care denied, and literacy punished has become internalized. We no longer need a oppressor to keep us down, because many African Americans feel defeated and have adapted an “I can’t” or “I don’t need school” attitude. This problem has prevailed for too many generations. It is time we each empower each other.
I have worked in several school districts, some affluent, some poor, but the majority middle-class. I have learned that the school your children attend makes a big difference in their education. It has little to do with money and everything to do with effective parental involvement. All parents want what is best for their children and for their school district. In order for that to happen, there is some inside information you need to know.
Find out your child’s standardized test scores. Compare their scores to students around the country. These are the people they will compete against when applying for scholarships. The achievement bar should be measured by worldwide progress, not just your local school’s curriculum.
Obtain a copy of the grade level expectations. Every teacher in the state of Missouri should have a copy of the Missouri grade level expectations. They are available on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website at www.dese.state.mo.us (click on “Curriculum and Instruction”). Everything you need to know about how your child is being assessed is on this website.
Learn what is being done to attract and retain quality black teachers.
There are good African-American teachers who want what is best for your child. However, many school districts do not have policies that are in place to attract them. Also, there are districts that work in cooperation with local colleges to help aspiring teachers obtain teaching credentials. Is your district one of them?
Learn what is being done to improve race relations among the staff in your district. Do African-American teachers feel accepted as colleagues and respected in your school district? Have issues such as internalized oppression, white privilege and racism been dealt with? There are programs your district leaders can participate in that will teach teachers how to better relate to each other.
Be proactive about college entrance exams. Find out what is on the ACT/SAT and begin preparing your child now. If your child is not in grade level in reading by the end of first grade, they will struggle with reading for the rest of their academic career, unless you do something. If your child is not on grade level in math by the end of third grade, they will struggle with math for the rest of their academic career, unless you do something.
Most children need tutoring. As adults, we have learned that it is impossible to master every subject. Take advantage of any tutoring offered by school, church, or community programs, even if your child is receiving good grades. Their areas of weakness will improve with additional practice.
Start a savings program. Consider canceling extras for your child such as cell phones, overpriced clothing and shoes. When they turn 18, there should be a minimum of several thousand dollars saved to help them begin their new lives. Go to www.most529.org. Start saving today.