-
'
• * * .
• 9 * r > • „ * • •• . _ * 7 7 i .
■ v ’
. • » '
•• :
•
.j
>*•
;. « ■ ’• -< ••■ »• r »
«k
«î r v » .» . • r***T'*
♦ ,,•« •* r »
. / *
. * * - ».
.''t-*' <’ > •> < '. 1.-. / •. < *
..
" - i - , -<* '•■
... i : . .,*.••
$'•
P age A 6
O ctober 23, 1996 • T he P o r tlan d O bserver
City Kids, City Dreams
“Waiting Children’’
Around the United States, there are many children awaiting adoption. In
the state o f Oregon alone, there are over 200 children in need o f adoptive
families. We are a group of private agencies working with the state to help
find adoptive families. These agencies are completely waiving fees in order
to encourage the adoption of these children in need. Single adults, both
male and female, as well as couples are welcome to consider adoption. To
learn more contact The Special Needs Adoption Coalition at I he Boys and
Girls Aid Society, (503) 222-9661.
Below are some examples of the special children looking fora loving
home:
Issac, age 5
Issac is a warm-hearted, friendly
little boy with a dimpled smile. He
creates adventures, actively play­
ing with action figures and a toy
race track in dramatic play. Inquis­
itive, he asks thoughtful questions
as he strives for a clearer under­
standing o f the world. Therapy has
been helping him to process the
uncertainties o f his past. He has
made great progress as he learns to
channel his emotions constructive­
ly. Issac could brighten a home with
his spirit!
Maria, age 12
Friendly and outgoing, Maria is
a pleasure to spend time with. With
talented and di verse interests, she is
an accomplished horseback rider
and has even won equestrian awards.
Very affectionate and loving, Mar­
ia wants to please. Counseling has
helped her move forwards from past
traumas. Maria blends easily into
many different family constella­
tions, providing she gets the indi­
vidual attention she needs. She could
be a great asset to a new family.
BX W ll.t.lA M Ax ERS
xsn P atricia F ord
“ What is it,” we asked a huge
gathering of urban school adminis­
trators, "about the presence o f large
numbers o f poor, African-American,
or Latino city kids in your schools
that makes those places...,” we paused
dramatically, “wonderful'.’”
I here was stunned silence. Sever­
al looks o f disbelief. Some nervous
laughter. And then a forceful re­
sponse: "come on,” said one older
man, his voice ringing, almost angry.
"Our jobs are hard enough without
you ridiculing us."
The opening question was not
meant to ridicule but to examine a
glib fiction about city kids. It is true
that the last word - “wonderful” -
sounds a decidedly discordant note.
Until then the question hums along
quite comfortably, a familiar melo­
dy. But when the anticipated last bar
- something like "terrible,” or “dif­
ficult,” or “challenging” -- is not
delivered, the whole thing sounds
out o f tune.
It is within that jarring discrepan­
cy that we want to begin to think
about city kids and city teachers.
An insidious assum ption sits
heavy and dogmatic on most city
schools: that there is nothing about
the presence o f African-American,
Latino, or immigrant youngsters —
especially, in today’s environment,
Black boys — that is deemed valu­
able, hopeful, or important. Their
Emergency holiday food program available
The Northeast Emergency Food
Program (NEFP) seeks to match the
hunger in North and Northeast Port­
land with generosity that comes from
the community. NEFP provides three
to five days worth o f nutritionally
balanced groceries to people who are
in crisis and without food.
The program serves residents o f
Northeast Portland and part o f North
Portland. The program ’s office is
located at 1912 N.E. Killingsworth,
and its hours o f operation are 1:00
to 4 :0 0 P.M ., M onday through
Friday.
Receiving Food: For someone to
receive food from NEFP, he or she
must get a referral from the Albina
Ministerial Alliance (located at 1425
N.E. Dekum) or the Albina Emer­
gency Food Referral office (located
a t3 0 N . Webster). She or he can then
bring the referral to our office to
receive a three to five day food box.
l ow-income residents o f North and
Northeast Portland may also get bread
and baked goods at our office Monday
through Friday w ithout a referral.
Donating Food: Nearly all o f the
food distributed at N FT P comes from
donations b\ individuals, churches
and b u sin e sse s. N E F P tru ly
ap p reciates donations o f excess
garden or orchard produce. We are
often short o f fresh fruit and vegeta­
bles to give to our recipients. We also
accept donations o f non-perishable
items including canned goods (such
as chili, fruit, vegetables, tuna and
other meats), boxed foods and baby
items. Please bring donations by our
office weekdays between 1:00 and
4:00.
NEFP is a program o f Ecumenical
Ministries that was founded in 1982
to respond to increasing needs in the
Northeast Portland community. The
program operates with only 1.5 paid
staff, relying mostly on volunteers
for the h a u lin g , so rtin g and
distribution o f food.
very presence in school is seen as an
encumbrance. They are an obstruc­
tion, a handicap, and a burden. If
these youngsters are known at all,
they are known exclusively by their
deficits and their putative inadequa­
cies.
Schools tend to focus on the least
interesting and simplest o f questions:
What don’t these kids know? What
can’t they do? School becomes, then,
entirely a matter of remediation and
repair. Good intentions notw ithstand-
ing, feelings o f hopelessness and
despair define these places for kids
and teachers alike.
We were asked recently to look at
hundreds o f applications filled out
by city teachers who had been nom­
inated for an “outstanding teacher”
award. One question asked, “ What is
the biggest obstacle in your teach­
ing?” To our amazement, nearly half
of the respondents answered in one
way or another that the kids were the
biggest obstacle.
Not everyone just blurted it out
Many said things like, “ I used to be a
better teacher, but kids today have so
many problems.” Some wrote, “ If
these kids could only speak English
...” It added up to a powerful mes­
sage: that schools and classrooms
would function much better if the
kids would simply not show up.
Picture the Perfect School
Picture the perfect city school: the
classrooms are always quiet, the caf­
eteria calm, the hallways orderly. No
fights, no hassles, no graffiti. Bells
ring, mimeo machines hum, pay-
checks are delivered The place is
efficient, clean, peaceful. No kids?
No problem. In this context, even to
raise the question of the value o f city
kids is to sound slightly mad.
Most city teachers struggle might­
ily to do a good job despite inade­
quate resources and difficult circum ­
stances. But the structure o f most city
schools — the strict schedule, the
division o f know ledge, the press of
time, the pretense toward rational
efficiency, and the huge numbers of
students — leads to a factory-like
operation characterized by hierar­
chy, control, and anonymity. This
structure, in turn, transforms teach­
ers into clerks and student into ob­
jects to fear and coerce.
We do not contend that teaching
in the city is identical to teaching in
wealthy suburbs or rural areas. It is
better in some ways, harder in others,
interestingly similar yet importantly
unique.
Most powerful, hopeful learning
begins with the learners. Knowing
city kids as learners, discovering
them as three-dimensional beings,
as fellow creatures, is an important
place for teachers to begin. What
experiences, knowledge, and skills
do kids bring with them to school?
What kinds o f thought and intelli­
gence are there to challenge and
nurture? A sustained engagement
with these questions is a basic start­
ing point for city teachers. It is fol­
lowed closely by the demand to cre­
ate and environment for learning
that is wide enough and deep enough
to nurture and challenge the huge
range o f students who walk through
the classroom door.
We reject the notion that city kids
(or city teachers or the city itself, for
that matter) can best be understood
as all deficit, all danger. We see,
instead, a sense o f life, energy, free­
dom, and hope in the city and in poor,
immigrant, and African-American
communities.
This country faces and unmapped
future whose core demand will be
learning to live together, united ye,
diverse. It is a future being rehearsed
in our schools and in our cities today.
We need to embrace the energy and
the freedom that is the signature of
our cities and the hope o f our city
kids. Only in that way can helping
our students create the future.
The above is an adapted excerpt
from City Kids, City Teachers, edit­
ed by William Ayers and Patricia
Ford (New York: New Press, 1996).
T h in gs Are Goin’ On
a t Lee Owen Stone.
Margaret Carter to
meet with parents
State Representative Margaret
Carter will meet with Albina Head
Start parents to hear concerns and
issues facing their children and
families. She will meet with parents
at the following locations:
N ovem ber 12, 1996 5:30pm
Carlton Court Center 5249 N.E.
Killingsworth Portland, OR.
November 19, 1996 5:30pm R.
Brown Center 606 N.E. Fremont
Portland. OR.
On O c to b e r 16, 1996 Rep.
Margaret Carter meet at Hughes
Center and on October 22. 1996 she
meet at PCC Cascade-Center.
Lee Owen Stone Cooperative Preschool
Is now accepting enrollment for school
year 96 97. So now’s the time to regls
ter. There’s art, dance, gym and music,
for kids age 2 1/2 to 5. Register now for
some serious fun!
7412 N. Mississippi Portland, OR 97217
(New Location)
283-0140
Margaret Carter
• Certified Teacher
• Scholarships funded by
• Child Centered
The Black United Fund Of Oregon
• M u ltlcu lu tral/ M ultiethnic/A ntlblas*
TRICK OR TREAT
BIG SAVINGS
*
Prices Effective 10/23/96 thru 10/29/96 at your nearby Safeway store.
Fresh Oregon Grown
Fryers
• ECONOMY PACK
• Whole Fryers, 690 lb
• Cut-Up Fryers, or
Fryer & 1/2, 890 lb
• SAVE UP TO 500 lb
• First 4
Ovenjoy Bread
• White or Wheat
iSol(J oi J our- « U
Safeway
Weekly
Shopping Guide
In Your Oregonian FOODday in the
Coca-Cola
Portland Metro Area ...And Save
More Shopping A l Safeway!
J
I
Enjoy Extra Savings With The
SAFEWAY
EXTRA In-Store
¡n „ *
I
. « «
, 1 .
e n a b le a l , m Salewa, store.