opinion
2012: Demand Excellence in Education
T
he best quality education is
one of the most important
issues that will determine
ones future life, prosperity and
destiny. But for Black American
parents and students, this is the
single most important issue that
will affect not only our overall
quality of life, but also will deter-
mine how we will achieve to the
fullest extent actual freedom, jus-
tice, equality and empowerment.
Excellence in education should
not be just a matter for national
political debate and dialogue; it
should be the cause for urgent
grassroots social action, protest
and demand.
The truth is we are not making
enough noise and clamor about
what is happening to the majority
of Black youth in the public
schools systems across America.
Why are 45 million Black
Americans so silent about the fail-
ures of the primary and secondary
school systems when it comes to
the education of our children?
The high school dropout rate for
Black students continues to be
double that of White students.
This statistic has become so com-
mon that in many school districts
it no longer serves as the subject
or predicate for policy change at
the school board level. Yet we
know well the direct correlation
e DuCaTIon
S ervICeS
Benjamin F.
Chavis Jr.
between low academic achieve-
ment and persistent high school
dropouts as well as the direct cor-
relation between disproportionate
high unemployment and incarcer-
ation.
Income inequality is directly
related to educational inequality!
Poverty persists disproportionate-
ly in the Black American commu-
nity because of the absence of eco-
nomic empowerment that would
be fulfilled if we would educate
hands to the extent to which we
demand and achieve the best edu-
cation in the world without apolo-
gy or excuse.
A recent study completed by
Stanford
University’s
Sean
Reardon established that income
inequality also predetermines how
well a student will do in school. In
other words, students from “rich”
families potentially do better in
school than students from “poor”
and working class families. For
the first time the study revealed,
“The achievement gap between
children from high and low
income families is far higher that
the achievement gap between
black and white students.”
But it should not be shocking
that the academic achievement
gaps are determine both by race
The future is in our own hands to the
extent to which we demand and
achieve the best education in the
world without apology or excuse
ourselves more fervently and
urgently with excellence in every
subject matter and discipline of
study. The future is in our own
and economic class status. The
question is what can we do about
these systemic inequalities? This
is why I have joined the ranks of
the Black Alliance of Educational
Options (BAEO). The mission of
BAEO is to increase access to
high-quality educational options
for Black children by actively sup-
porting parental choices policies
and programs that empower low-
the Board of Directors of Stand for
Children Leadership Center and
the Education Equality Project,
two groups that work on education
reform.
Legend emphasized, “Half of
my fellow students dropped out
The truth is we are not making enough
noise and clamor about what is
happening to the majority of Black
youth in the public schools systems
across America
income and working-class Black
families.
From Mississippi to Kentucky to
Virginia, New Jersey, Missouri,
and New York as well as in
Alabama and other states, there is
a growing national movement of
Black parents and advocates for
school reform.
We salute the involvement and
leadership of some the outstanding
performing artists and young
emerging leaders in the African
American community who have
taken a public stand on the crucial
education issue. Especially we
note the renowned leadership of
John Legend. He is a member of
before graduation, I was one of the
lucky ones — I finished high
school and went on to college
…With a different situation differ-
ent teachers, maybe I would’ve
been one of those 53 percent of
young black men who do not grad-
uate from high school. One of the
53 percent doing the low wage
jobs, unemployment and prison.”
ties in all of his work and conver-
sations about education, leader-
ship, business and the future of our
state. Education can be one of
those things that divides us
or brings us together and we are
all better off because President
Lariviere has chosen the latter.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is
Senior Advisor for the Black
Alliance for Educational Options
(BAEO) and President of
Education
Online
Services
Corporation and the Hip-Hop
Summit Action Network (HSAN).
Letters to the Editor
lariviere firing unjustified
Dear Editor;
Oregon is silencing one of the
exceptional voices in this state that
has worked hard for inclusion.
President Lariviere has contin-
ued dialogues with diverse audi-
ences to find more ways to include
and maintain diversity on the U of
O Campus both with students and
faculty. He recognized the impor-
tance of including these communi-
Faye Burch
Portland oregon
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november 30, 2011 The Portland Skanner page 5