I frequently read Jameil's blog, specifically her continuing "State of Black America" series. Her latest one was on education.
Now here's where I weigh in.
Sadly, these kids are failing (and we are failing them) because of a vicious circle that just can't be stopped. Their parents are either helpless or don't care, and it's a sad fact, teachers in New York City get burned out FAST. And there's a legitimate reason for that. We are not just teaching these kids. We're raising them. For a good number of kids, we have to be everything their parents are not.
Another thing is segregation is alive and well thank you very much.
As my father says, "It's the Lambs vs. the Wolves."
In NYC there are probably five to seven or so “specialized” high schools. These schools are where you want to go when you DON'T WANT to go to my school. Bronx High School of Science is the “best” and most well known. Brooklyn Tech and Stuyvesant are two other schools.
Last summer I worked in a program to help kids prepare for the test to get them into these "specialized" schools. There were PLENTY of white faces. Also plenty of Black, Spanish and Asian faces as well. Will they ALL get into these schools? No. But the attitude, sadly, is when Johnny's parents find out he didn't get into Bronx Science, guess where he gets sent? Yep... Catholic school. That goes for the ALL the kids... White, Black, Spanish and Asian, they'll get sent to private school. Simply put, their parents do not want their "Lambs" going to school with the "wolves." The skin color doesn't matter... The color GREEN matters.
One of the best talks I had was with a fellow teacher, Ms. Gabby, who gave me the brutally honest words to use to my kids - words that I didn't want to hear myself, but I'm glad I head them. And I did tell them. And my class was never quieter.
She told me to tell them:
"White America does not care about you. Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut, Upstate... they just do not care what happens to you. Although I can only help you so much, there is only one person who is going to help you claw your way out of here. And that is you. You can not rely on the help of others, because it will not be there."
I sat and listened to her and thought, can I really tell them this? It's so brutally honest. But I did. And I think my kids got it. They know I wouldn't be here if I didn't care about them. In a way I see myself in them... alot of them come from my old neighborhood. When I tell them where I grew up, they say, "Mister... that's THE HOOD." Welllllll...it was an all Italian neighborhood when I grew up, but I won't tell THEM that. "Hell's yes," I say. And we now have a connection.
It's almost the last day. September will be here soon enough, there will be a whole new crop of 22-year-olds from Ohio or Kansas or whatnot who will be teaching alongside of me. They know they're going to be teachers right now, and they're probably crapping their pants. Good. Hopefully they will make it.
I'm excited about where my school is headed. For the past few years, my principal has been refurbishing my school to make it more desirable. She wants kids to WANT to come here rather than it be a school that you HAVE to go because you couldn't get into the school you want. Hopefully that will attract more kids whose families value education - regardless of color.
7 comments:
i love teachers. mine didn't have to raise me but i know most of them really cared. but i went to predominately white schools. most of them were schools you wanted your kids to go to. i went there b/c they were my neighborhood schools. it really pisses me off to know that in most urban areas the children are put in positions where they're doomed to fail and i don't know what to do.
oh yeah. and they needed to hear that.
the schools in brooklyn, ny gave me life. college was easy compared to tech. my hope is for the world to read what education did for me. visit, read, respond. i actually went back to bk and taught for two years before moving again. where you teaching?
i think we all have the capacity to reflect. it's difficult now in the age of instant gratification but you still have to fight for them. your student's minds are sacred spaces. you have to figure out a way to make their lives glorious in their eyes. if they do not see they are living literature --shakespear's tragedies, comedies-- there's no value in them. their lives have to be the things they see on TV. you have to make their mundane lives shine bright. if you can bridge that gap, it think you can start getting them to see the deatils and connection in their daze... at what school do you teach?.. their were fools at tech too. lots of them.
"the urban shephard" tag. don't read this the wrong way, but are you in the bronx to "save" wayward city kids? is this a crusade? what led you from maine to the bronx? you can email me directly at bygpowis@hotmail.com.
wachu up to, job?
I came over from Jameil's blog. I heard that speech too. I grew up in the suburbs, etc but at some point, my grandmother felt I needed to be aware that unfortunately racism is alive and well in some places and it isn't always the "n" word. Sometimes its being passed over for promotions, scholarships, etc. Too often people want to scream racism or discrimination without having their sh** together.
I was told that at the end of the day I need to make sure all my Is are dotted and Ts are crossed. That way no one can ever tell me I am not good enough.
Good post!
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