Regarding the guest column written by Wyatt Kirk, "Schools working against blacks" (Ideas, Feb. 20) [not posted]:
Is this a response to the recent Counterpoint (Feb. 16) by Superintendent Terry Grier containing encouraging facts about the narrowing achievement gap in Guilford County Schools? Given the content of his article, one must wonder if Mr. Kirk shares the optimism.
Mr. Kirk suggests that our teachers are grading minorities based on "deeply held beliefs and values" instead of student performance. How dare he question the integrity of our hard-working, underpaid teachers?
Furthermore, does Mr. Kirk assume that none of the teachers are minorities themselves? He also blames assignment to low-level academic classes as a threat to minorities. I would think that any student willing to learn could defy the odds and excel in these circumstances.
Maybe the unfortunate truth is the high suspension rate and poor test scores are the direct result of parental failure and poor student performance, for which they should be held personally accountable.
Mr. Kirk, instead of pointing fingers, have some faith in the black community, celebrate progress, and channel your energy toward academic improvement in a more positive manner.
David Almond
Browns Summit
Comments (2)
I'm just wondering how many race cards come in a full deck. I would think that they would all have been played by now.
I can see that certain people in this country are at a disadvantage compared to other people in this country. That has always been and will always be. Nothing will ever change that. No matter how many 'programs' and taxpayer money is thrown at this 'problem', it will always exist. So let's continue to give all kids the same opportunities in schools and let the chips fall where they may.
Posted by another bigmouth | February 28, 2005 11:04 AM
Mr.Almond;
Obviously you haven't been to a school board meeting. Grier and the school board are spending 100's of thousands of dollars on research and data on other states findings on how to treat our current school problems.All of which are usless.
You're absolutly right when you stated they need to turn their energy on acedemic improvement, but they simply are too weak to do so. They are famous for pointing fingers never actually landing on the real issue.
In just about every case of poor grades and suspension, there has been no boundries set out in the home enviornment, but for some reason the board has chosen not to work on that problem. Even in the case of the black over whites suspension, it is Grier who is spineless when a white family shows up with their attorney and threatens a lawsuit. He alone is letting the white offender back into the school system. We are suppose to be a no tolerance county when it comes to these offenses and he, being weak, keeps letting it slide.
Communities of all races have to stand up supporting one another and support the boundries our school system (not the board) has had in place for years. If you are a single parent, or two parents working long hours and you do not have time to devote to your child(ren) then you need to count on the village to help raise that child, definitly not the school board...more struggling families need to start working together. But for some reason this is taboo to talk about. Different groups tried to form and help out with this issue back at the start of the (yes oximoron) choice plan, and again it was Grier who said he would love their help and kept canceling meetings with leaders and eventually hiring paid workers to do the work of what the volunteers were more than willing to do.
Until Grier has to own up to what he is doing with this absurd plan...he will continue to pull the wool over the eyes of his supporters, and mark my word...they don't have children in the school system and therefore think it sounds great, and it actually looks great on paper, but not having the right to actually choose, and forcing all of these families is simply criminal. Lets put the education back into the schools and stop all this other nonsense.
Posted by Concerned Parent | February 28, 2005 2:28 PM