My complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights requesting an investigation of the University City School District is not solely about the GATE, Honors and Advanced Placement classes.
My concern for the last 32 years has been about African-American students reading below grade level. The district appears to be satisfied with graduating African-American students who are functionally illiterate.
The solution to improving the achievement for African-American students is to lower the pupil-to-teacher ratio and provide teachers with more time and resources to instruct students who are performing below grade level.
Currently, only two of the seven school board members are African Americans. The Board of Education has always been majority white. It is important that the African-American citizens of University City demand accountability from the Board of Education. We must show up and cast our votes in the April 3 school board election.
Walter Daniels
University City