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