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2017 Black Minds Matter ~ the question is to whom... and why...

by CBM reprint
“Our goal is to demonstrate that there are replicable program models that the state and local districts should consider as they contemplate ways to close the achievement gap,” said Assemblymember Shirley Weber, Ph.D. a Democrat who represents cities in the San Diego area. She chaired the February 10 informational hearing in partnership with the Education Trust – West. The Oakland-based organization that advocates for educational justice and the high academic achievement of all California students, particularly those of color and ones who live in poverty.
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Building on success from 2016, "Black Minds Matter" comes to the California State Capitol to build energy and support.

Last year, state lawmakers held a briefing to examine findings of “Black Minds Matter: Supporting the Educational Success of Black Children in California,” which studied the plight of California’s Black school children.

“Our goal is to demonstrate that there are replicable program models that the state and local districts should consider as they contemplate ways to close the achievement gap,” said Assemblymember Shirley Weber, Ph.D. a Democrat who represents cities in the San Diego area. She chaired the February 10 informational hearing in partnership with the Education Trust – West. The Oakland-based organization that advocates for educational justice and the high academic achievement of all California students, particularly those of color and ones who live in poverty.

The report found that the California education system is failing Black students in various ways. For instance, Black students are less likely to graduate high school within four years, have access to college preparatory programs, or graduate from college.

“Black Minds Matter” also illustrates that Black students are, however, much more likely to be suspended or put into remedial or special education programs.

The briefing on the study comes in the wake of the two-year-old “Black Lives Matter” movement against police violence, which has drawn national attention.

Now “Black Minds Matter” is gaining momentum as another movement which aims to raise awareness about problems in the Golden State’s education system.

The ‘Black Minds Matter” movement grew out of a partnership between the Education Trust-West and the San Jose-based California Alliance of African American Educators (CAAAE), which provides culturally-informed services to students, families, and teachers.

Ryan Smith, executive director of Education Trust – West, said when people think about the needs of Black children in California, it is equally important to talk about the context and the history.

Only two out of 10 Black students meet the state standards for mathematics and only three out of 10 Black students reach the required standards for English, according to Smith.

“We’ve made progress in educating Black students, but if we are going to close the achievement gaps, we are going to have to make leaps,” Smith said. “We’d like to see the state address this issue.”

Statistics from the California Department of Education reveal that about 68 percent of Black students graduate high school within four years. But a closer look at the data reveals there are deeper problems, Smith says.

Only 40 percent of Black students who attend segregated (or predominantly Black) high schools in low-income areas graduate.

“Poverty plays a factor, but it can’t be explained by poverty alone,” Smith said. “A study in Houston found that Black parents are most likely to check their child’s homework than any other ethnic group. A national study also found that Black parents are most likely to value college as important for success.”

Smith recommended partnering with local community organizations to correct the problems, create incentive programs, and ensure that all students have effective educators.

Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, gave his perspective on the state’s role in education and acknowledged that there is room for improvement.

“Education is the key,” he said. “I know what positive expectations lead to and how important expectations are.”

Torlakson added that he was particularly moved by student presentations, and testaments. Several students shared the pain they go through dealing with prejudice and how some people around Black students lower their expectations of them.

Assemblymember Cheryl Brown, a Democrat who represents communities in the San Bernardino area, asked if the Department of Education dedicated any staff to the lowest performing students. Her question threw light on one area where immediate improvements can begin to be made.

The problem was a lack of resources, Torlakson indicated.

Before concluding the session, Weber noted part of the solution is having accountability even though California has a policy that allows local control over educational funding.

“It is about figuring out where that money is going, because it has not reached the children,” she argued.

“We’re in a critical state in terms of African-American children … If money were an issue, then we’d continue to see a decline in the achievement of everybody,” Weber argued.

Critical solutions also involve personnel, accountability, and curriculum, Weber said.

“It’s not only a moral thing that we have to do. It’s an educational thing. It’s an economic thing. We cannot continue to sentence these children to a life of prison and under employment and poverty because it’s a vicious cycle that we have to break,” she continued.

To call the state government’s attention to these problems, “Black Minds Matter” recently staged a rally at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. About 1,000 students attended and urged Gov. Jerry Brown to take immediate action.

Organizers said the coalition’s priorities include getting the state to increase funding to districts with high numbers of Black students. In addition, Debra Watkins, CAAAE executive director, said another goal of the rally was to empower Black students to take charge of their educational destiny. She said the education system is often hostile to Black students and frequently works against them.

“It is overtly racist at times,” Watkins said.
by KIMBERLY ROSE GUERRERO
WITH PUBLIC FUNDS ALOCATED FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL'S .HOW DOES IT GET DISPERSED? WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE? WHO CREATED A CURICULUM FOR OUR BACK AND MEXICAN CHILDREN? SHOULD IT NOT BE SEPERATET INTI ETHNIC GROUPS? WOULD IT NOT GIVE A POSITIVE "I CAN DO ANYTHING" ATTITUDE TO KNOW THE PLIGTS OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL FOR-FATHERS,PIONEER GRANDMOTHERS,THE OLDEST OF THESE PIONEERS COULD COME TO SCHOOLS AND TELL TRUE ACCOUNTINGS OF THE INDURENCE OF A RACE. A RACE WHO SURELY BELIEVED IN A POWER GREATER THAN THEMSELVES. AKA GOD AND JESUS.THEY HAD HOPE,AND FAITH FOR A FUTORE .WHAT WAS THEY'R VISION?AS A WHOLE. I AM SURE BLACK MINDS EVER GREW TOWARD FREEDOM BY BEING VICTIMS AND MARTERS.BLACK MINDS COULD SURELY GO ALONG VERY WELL ,WITH THE KNOLADGE OF WHO THEY ARE . WHEN ONE UNIT AS A WHOLE WORKS TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF A PEOPLE,SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE. WHY NOT COMBINE GRADE SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN OF COLOR, TOGETHER WITH BLACK CHILDREN OF THE SAME AGE.THIS ACCOMPLISHES 2 THINGS SCHOOLS FOR AMERICAN WHITE CHILDREN,PRIVATE? SEPERATE SCHOOL'S FOR THE 2 ETHNICK RACES THAT MAKE UP ?% OF GRADE SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE EAST BAY.OFCOARS PUBLIC FUNDS WILL BE NECCESARY.GATHER HYSTORY INTO CURRICULUM.COULD IT NOT BE POSSIBLE TO BUILD UP FAMILY UNITY BY RETURNING CHILDREN TO THEIR FAMIL'S? (another subject) VOLUNTEER'S WILL BE NEEDED TO WORK TOGETHER TO CREAT A CORICULUM THAT IS SPECIFIC FOR THE INTENDED GOALS OF BLACK MINDS TO BUILD AN INTEREST AND INSIGT INTO OVERCOMEING ADVERSITY .LETS START WITH SEPERATING OAKLAND INTO SEPERATE BURO'S.THERE MUST BE ACCOUNTABILITY.THERE FOR WOULD IT NOT MAKE SENCE TO ELECT SEPPERATE UNITS IN EACH BURO?TOGETHER THEY MUST KEEP EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.ALSO FAMILY PARTICIPATION IS INCOURAGED.LETS BUILD LEADERS! LET US NOT CONTINUE TO CREATE VICTIMS!IN MY RESEARCH I HAVE SEE'N FIRST HAND, THE MINDSET OF THE BLACK FAMILY STRUCTORE. THEY STICK TOGETHER AS FAMIL'S AND TAKECARE OF THEY'R OWN KIN.IN THESE TIMES, AND IN HYSTOREY,........IT HAS TAKEN A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD. MY MEXICAN ANCESTORS SURELY ARE A FINE EXAMPLE ;MY CHARECTORISTICKS TEND TO EMULATE MY GANDMOTHERS.ALSO MY GRANDFATHER'S.KNOWING WHERE I COME FROM,AND KNOWING WHO I COME FROM IS PARAMOUNT TO A HIGHER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED BY OUR CHILDREN. OPPORTUNITY IS EVERYWHERE! THE FIELD OF GOOD WORKS ALONE CAN BUILD POSITIVE FUTOR'S TODAY'S CHILDREN.IT WILL ALSO TAKE THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OPPRESSED VICTIMS WHO HAVE PERSEVERE'D INSPITE OF THE OBSTCALS IN THEY'R PATH.LET US PROTECT AND TEACH OUR OWN. IT IS TIME TO END OPRESSION IN OUR TARGET COMUNITIES.NOT TO WORY. THE MINORITY,( THE REMAINING WHITE,A'AMERICAN CHILDREN CAN LEARN WHAT THEY.R PARENTS DECIDE. PTA IF YOU WILL.THE TIME TO SRART EDUCATING CHILDREN ,WITH RESPECT AND THE SECURITY OF BELONGING,.....IS NOW. I RESPECT MY OWN PERSONAL BELIEFS,........I RESPECT,JOSE;S RIGHT TO CHOOSE FOR HIMSELF WHAT OR WHO TO BELIEVE IN.AS WELL AS HYSTORICAL BELIEFS.OF OUR FAMILY'S. WHERE DO YOUR ANCESTORS FIT INTO THE US HYSTORY? AMERICAN HYSTORY? SOME OF YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON THE WRITTEN WORDS OF INSPERATIONAL PEOPLE! THERE ARE MANY MORE TRUE ACCOUNTINGS OF A RACE.RESEARCH,RESEARCH,RESEARCH! IF YOU CONTINUE TO SEE OURSELVES AS VICTIMS..................DOES IT NOT MAKE SENCE TO BUILD EACHOTHER UP? MUTUAL RESPECT? LETS PLAY SPORTS IN OAKLAND.LETS GET LOCAL MUSIC AND ART INCOURAGED ! FAIR SPORTSMANSHIP WILL COME NATUREL. COMUNITY'S CAN SPONCER THEIR BUROS IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ,THAT WILL BUILD ENEREST IN? US AS A PEOPLE,MADE UP OF SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL COMUNITIES.CAN BE TAUGHT SPORTMANSHIP.FROM THE LEGENDS OF THE GAME. RESEARCH 1890, NEWYORK "AMERICAN'S"VERSES,"THE ST.LOUIS CARDINALS"! IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT WHEN TEAMS ARE FORMED IN A CERTAIN EREA OF THE YOUTH,AND TAUGHT FAIR SPORTSMANSHIP .WITHOUT ENVY OR MALICE FOR YOUR OPPONENT.ENOUGH SAID.I SUPPOSE. I MUST READ IT BACK.FOR I MAY HAVE MISSPELLED A WORD OR SO. WHILE WE ARE EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN COULD IT NO BEHOOVE US TO CREATE AN INTEREST IN THE FUTORE OF OUR STATE AS A WHOLE.SURVIVAL OF A COULTURE,AND THE TEARING APART OF MEXICAN FAMILIES,ARE NOT SENDING A MESSAGE OF LATE.THAT IS CUNDUSIVE OF A FUTORISTICK APPROACH. WE MUST PROMOTE LOVE. WHILE CHILDREN ARE YOUNG.LOOK BACK TO 70'S MUSIC.WAS IT NOT CREATED OUT OF THE CHILDREN OF THE 60'S? I SUPPOSE THIS WILL NOT BE SEEN BY ANYONE WHO WOULD I ADMITT TAKE THE TIME TO READ AND DIGEST IT.ALLTHOUGH............I DO ADMITT.I HAVE BEEN LONG WINDED.I ALSO MUST SAY,I BELIEVE EVERY WORD OF WHAT I HAVE SAID TO BE POSSIBLE.I ALSO BELIEVE IN FREE INTERPRIZE,RESPECT ,ORGANAZATIONAL TRAINING .FAIR AND ATTAINABLE RESOURCES.OPPORTUNITY'S FOR MENTALY ILL CONDITION'S AQUIRED IN THE PROCESS OF THE FALL FROM MIDDLE CLASS,RESPECTED,EVEN LIKED,TO LESS THAN NOTHING.BELIEVE THIS. THE STATYSTICS OF STREET CRIME FROM HOMELESS DOES NOT INCLUDE VIOLENCE AS MUCH AS MASSIVE THREAT OF MUTATING JERMS AND OR TOTAL UN-INTEREST TO THE PEOPLE WE VOTE INTO A POSITION TO RULE US.THERE IS A SOLUTION.(s). NOTHING WORTH HAVEING IN HYSTORY.HAS EVER COME FROM ONE MIND ALONE.THINK.
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