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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1997)
Page B4 OCT. 1, 1997 (The |Jortlanò © bseruer School Days: Please Hold, We Appreciate Your Call B y P rof . M ckinley B i rt f you’re tired being put through the diabolical elec tronic maze devised by the phone com pany in con junction with a business community that didn't wish your complaint in the first place — then don’t push any more buttons at their insipid commands. Hang up! But, suppose the recalcitrant insti tution is your school district and the interaction you seek is not so much electronic as about the need for some good, old-fashioned(and honest) in- your-face dialogue concerning your child’s progress in the education system. Even though you are down I to one frayed nerve, you can’t “hang up” on your child’s future. Mr. Bierwirth, the departing su perintendent, has detailed the prob lem during his ‘swan song’. “We the critical questions that to answered hear parents had about homework and absenteeism by shoving stacks o f [feel good’] paper at them.” He readily admits that there was a language barrier that focus groups did not overcome. Somehow, in the midst o f all the questioning, arguing and despair over “a failing system”, there does seem to be the necessity for asking the ulti mate basic question; What is an edu cation? What does it look like, what does it feel like and how will we rec ognize a well-educated’ product o f the system? e could, o f course, rely on the rather circular reasoning o f the dic tionaries - which, at times, appears to be about as far as some o f the district ’ s administrators or curriculum planners have gotten in their development o f learning paradigms. Or in translating them. And defining this rare beast may be as difficult a task for the educator as was the problem that Supreme Court Justice had in defining ‘por W nography’; "I can’t tell you what it is exactly, but I sure know it when I see it!” And I'll w arrant you that theover- whelming m ajority of parents in the P o rtlan d School D istrict” know whether or not their children are get ting a good education (Parents have always known, since schools were invented). But they should not have to be linguists or erudite education ists - when their concerns about ba sic school responsibilities are met with glowing descriptions o f Cims and Cams. Not that those “ Year 2000” educa tional goals w eren’t just what the in the third grade.” And believe me, doctor’ (and industry) ordered. And, that deficit is seldom if ever made up. o f course, we have President Clinton Ask me about my experiences as an in typical flamboyant paraphrase ex instructor at Portland State Univer claiming, “National Standards will sity. “Blowing up schools” is no the ensure 21st century competence.” answer. But those o f us who for several de ith so many “dumb’em cades have been critics or activists in down” practitioners respect to the Portland School Dis unleashed upon a de trict know that, first, you have to get fenseless population (whole lan past the “Humboldt Syndrome. guage, blessing that so many chil hat is to say that despite all dren do acquire basic survival skills; the rhetoric, polemics and but with greatly diminished eco statistics released to the nomic and societal futures. There media, we have thousands o f parents must be basic, if gut wrenching - both white and black - complaining c h a n g e s am ong e d u c a to r and that “Johnny and Mary can’t read or teacher unions. C on’t next week. count any better in K-6 than 1 could W T Police Officer Exposes The Truth About Traffic Tickets Based on a series o f Pulitzer Prize-winning articles by Washington Post journalist Leon Dash, R O S A LC C is the harrowing true story o f one black family's battle to survive against insur mountable odds. “ Unflinching...the best picture there is o f life inside the urban underclass.'-Nicholas Lemann, author o f The Promised Land. Clowns smile on all Continued from Front Metro Muchacha”, Spanish for “girl” ) be cause it reflected the Hispanic part o f her heritage, which also includes French-Canadian. After 20 years as a mime and eight years as a clown, this year she finally had a chance to perform at P o rtlan d ’s C inco de Mayo celebration. “One advantage o f being a clown is you are no longer white, black, yellow or red,” said Bob Benson (“ Harley the clown” ) o f northeast Portland. I le was dressed as a farmer with straw hat, yardstick yellow sus penders and a humongous horn at this side. “A big hearted clown is blind to colors.” Two African-American girls ran up to a whitefaced Sunflower the clow n,to show theirow n white faced makeup. Soon the clown had Tiairre Pratcher, 10, o f Humboldt Elemen tary School, and Shanice Wright, 7, o f M artin L uther K ing School, laughing uncontrollably. “There’s an orange guy with a purple hat who invited me to be in the parade,” said an excited Jeanette Warthoe, 8, also from Humboldt Elementary School. Cally-Co the clown took one look at the “Tigerette" makeup on the little African-American g irl's face, g rabbed her hand and the tw o marched down the parade com peti tion route for a round o f applause and a big smile. aking great personal and pro o f Kelley ’ s new 49-page manual, “HowTo Talk Your Way Out Of fessional risk, California H igh- way patrolman (CHP) David Kelley, A Traffic Ticket”. has violated the sanctity o f police As a 26-year police veteran, with confidentiality, and revealed the se service on both highway patrol and local police departments, he’s an ac crets o f talking one’s way out o f a knowledged expert on traffic tickets, traffic ticket. He asserts that m any people, police thinking, police actions and mostly because o f their bad attitudes, driver reactions. pre-conceived ideas, and misunder Kelley believes that being fore armed with knowledge will not only standings about the police, will actu ally Talk Themselves Into a traffic assist the motorist who finds him self ticket they might not have otherwise in trouble.. .but will actually help pre vent traffic violations and accidents received. T here’s a prevailed factor to con in the first place. Advice in the manual includes: sider if one is to talk his/her way out o f a ticket, and too many people sim * W hat a police officer may be ply don’t understand the true func thinking as (s) he approaches you. * Things never to say to a police tion o f the police. In most instances, the average officer. person can ’t understand a police * How to put the odds in your officer’s perspective towards law favor. enforcement. And that’s the subject * A list o f excuses never to use. T "The Cell he Bridge Builders is call ing all African American high school males in pur suit o f excellence “ When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.” In the spirit o f Umoja, The Bridge Builders is inviting African American high school males to “The Call,” an informational session about The Pro spective Gents Club ' Rites o f Pas- T * Advice to “name droppers”. * How to respond to any police officer. * What to expect if you’re a teen ager. * Ho w to respond to a radar ticket, and how to spot its weaknesses. * How to fight a ticket in c o u rt- and win! * How to respond to the judge. * The “Key” to beating a ticket in court. * Things about the police you should never tell the judge. * Ho w to behave if you ’ re stopped for drunk driving. * How a police officer determines if you’re legally drunk. * Why you should never tell an officer you’ll “see him in court”, even if you intend to do so. * How and when to prepare your own case. If sage program. ‘Rites o f Passage’ is an African custom th at p roperly prepares youth to become productive adults in their tribes. The Bridge Builders have adapted this concept and cre ated a male-responsibility program that prom otes scholarship, high moral character, values and commu nity service. Participants in The Prospective Gents Club will meet with business executives, college administrators and community leaders while build ing strong comradeship with a posi tive peer group that reinforces achievement. Additionally, members have the opportunity to perform with the step and cane precision team, participate in weekly peer tutorial sessions and leam the entire college application process. Interested candidates and then- parents should attend “ The Call” on Sunday, Oct. 5 from 5 to 7 PM or Tuesday, Oct. 7 from 7 to 9pm and hear The Bndge Builders presenttheir Passage concept. Both sessions will be held at the House o f Sound -- Isaac/Peggy Brooks Building, 3620 N. Williams Avenue. Application for membership is lim ited and open only twice a year, so it is crucial for those who have interest to attend “The Call.” For more information, contact Jacqueline Debnam at 735-9805. T he K orean A merican A ssociition of O regon Living Color, 5001 NG. MIK Blvck, Portland, OR 97211; Phone: 287-7788 Boston Market, 726 NG. Killingsuuorth Portland, OR. 97211; Phone: 282-6776 Bargain Place Meet, 710 NG. Killingsworth Portland, 97211; Phone: 287-8082 Dekum Food Market, 800 NG. Dekum Owner: Sonny Kim; Phone: 283-1240 Alberta St Market, 915 N.G Alberto Portland, OR 97211; Phone: 281-6388 Knott St. Grocery, 2709 NG. 7th Portland, OR 97212, Phone: 284-7490 Ainsworth Market, 5549 NG. 30th five. Portland, OR 97211; Phone: 281-0479 Mid-K Beauty Supply, 5411 NG. MIK Blvd. Portland, OR 97211; Phone: 335-0271 Superfine Foods, 4803 N. Lombard Portland, OR 97203; Phone: 283-3866 LeAho Chateau, L.T.D. DBA King Food Mart 3510 M.l.K. Blvd., Portland, OR 97212 Phone: 281-0357 C.L. Inc.; DBA Prescott Corner Maket 1460 NG. Prescott, Portland, OR Phone: 284-7418 J’s Food Mart, 3275 NG. Killingsuuorth Portland, OR 97211; Phone: 281-8489 We AppReciFire Y our ßusiNess and S upport T hank Y ou
