Supporters of the diversity policy are rallying around the flag on Thursday.
On Thursday night, the YWCA of the Greater Triangle, the ACLU of North Carolina and WakeUP Wake County will host a forum on educational equity that "will discuss the significance of the school board elections." While no endorsements will be made, don't be shocked if you hear about the consequences of abandoning the diversity policy.
Calla Wright, head of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens for African American Children, will speak at the forum. It will come after she participates in a press conference earlier in the day with other groups to back school board candidates who support the diversity policy.
(I'm expecting to get details today on when and where the press conference will take place.)
Also occurring on Thursday is the annual meeting of the Wake Education Partnership. While the meeting will focus on the group's "Suspending Disbelief" report, it wouldn't be a surprise if the elections crop up.
Here's the press release for the Thursday night equity forum:
YWCA, ACLU to Hold Forum on Education Equity
Will discuss significance of school board elections
RALEIGH, N.C. (September 28, 2009) – Various organizations are joining forces with the YWCA Greater Triangle this week to make a significant impact on education in the community. On Thursday, October 1, the YWCA hosts a public issues forum: “Striving for Equality in Education,” in partnership with the ACLU North Carolina and WakeUP Wake County. The panel discussion takes place from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., and will focus on equity and diversity planning in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). This open public forum includes a question and answer session about the upcoming school board elections, and will feature frank discussions on critical issues such as the “school-to-prison pipeline,” racially biased disciplinary actions, the achievement gap, and more.
The YWCA, the ACLU of North Carolina, and WakeUP Wake County invite the community to join the discussion. Learn why these organizations support the WCPSS diversity plan and hear citizens voice their concerns on various subjects.
Panelists include:
· Rob Schofield, NC Policy Watch. He will discuss the importance of issues surrounding this election, particularly the current diversity policy; the role of the school board, and the Healthy Youth Act.
· Calla Wright, Coalition of Concerned Citizens of African-American Children. She will discuss the organization’s support for the diversity policy, and grassroots organizing and educational opportunities for parents.
· Rebecca Headen, ACLU North Carolina. She explains the pipeline-to-prison crisis, and how parents can be more involved in the public schools.
This free event is open to the public. Childcare and refreshments are provided.
· Date: Thursday, October 1
· Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
· Location: 554 East Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh
· Forum information: Crystal Hayes or Bridgette Burge; (919) 828-3205
The YWCA draws together women and men who strive to improve the social and economic conditions that affect girls, women and their families. Established locally in 1923, YWCA programs address disparities that still exist in health, education and economics to make life-changing differences for thousands of area families. These programs are represented through the YWCA’s four core initiatives: Women's Empowerment, Racial Justice, Youth Development, and Health and Wellness. As a private, non-profit organization, the YWCA is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people. http://www.ywcatriangle.org.
Comments
it says Calla Wright will
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 15:43 — AngelaWit says Calla Wright will discuss "educational opportunites" for parents...does that include the slanderous emails she sends out about unsubstantiated rumors fueled by Truitt? is THAT how she plans to educate them??
Subject: [CoalitionofConcernedCitizensforAfricanAmericanChildren]
> Stopping Integration and the Restart of Resegregated Schools -
> first board meeting agenda
> Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:58:05 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Calla Wright
Ignorance and misinformation
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 15:48 — woodstockIgnorance and misinformation abounds. Wright is asking for the very things that hold back students from low income famlies and many minority students. Why does she not want solutions that will elevate these students and that will help them achieve in school and in life? What is she and other who think like her afraid of? Someone, anyone, please explain this to me?
Editorial Not Chosen for Publication - Real Story
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 13:50 — btwalshNot happy with with N&O copy writers headlines today!
Submitted this to Steve Ford, never published it. When will the real stories get out?
Here is a real story about how the WCPSS diversity policy works. Maria (not her real name)was a Latino 2nd grader living in Cary learning English at Adams Elementary in Cary. Maria was bright but kept falling asleep in class. Her teacher realized Maria didn’t have a bed to sleep in, nor did her mother or brothers. School volunteers at Adams came together to buy beds for Maria’s family; 7 people living in a 1 bedroom apartment. After that, Maria stayed awake in class and made huge academic gains. Maria gave me a big hug of thanks every week. It was a heartwarming success story until 3rd grade. That was the year Maria and her brothers were reassigned to another elementary school in Western Wake County. Yep, a strong ESL school with a bilingual receptionist, bilingual PTA newsletters and supportive families wasn’t good enough for Maria. WCPSS knew better. They cherry picked Maria and her brothers to go to a low F&R school with no ESL program. This is just one example of how harmful the current WCPSS diversity policy can be to a child. I will never forget Maria’s hugs and I will never vote for a candidate that thinks the current WCPSS diversity policy works. It doesn’t, ask Maria.
Barbara Walsh, Cary
Why would these groups
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 13:53 — woodstockWhy would these groups support a system that gives us this:
Only 54.6% of economically disadvantaged (ED) students graduate.
Only 64.4% of black students graduate (50% for black males).
Only 52.2% of Hispanic students graduate.
Only 52% of Native American students graduate.
Only 38.6 of limited-English proficiant students graduate.
Only 56.3% of students with disabilities graduate.
Mandatory year-round schools
Magnet schools that are only available to a lucky few
Continuous reassignments
Hour-long bus rides one way
Rising drop-out rates
Decreasing numbers of children seeking higher education
Increasing numbers of families and students opting out of public education
How can they support this? Because they value politics over education.
A decade of social engineering has sent literally thousands of former students -- mostly low income and minority students -- off into the world without graduating from high school.
It is shocking and shameful that the YMCA, Coalition of Concerned Citizens for African American Children, ACLU, and WakeUP Wake support such oppressive policies. What do they want to do to address these appalling statistics? Nothing! They want to continue down the same road. It makes no sense, but politics often doesn't.
If Ms. Wright actually cared
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 12:33 — changewcpssIf Ms. Wright actually cared about every child succeeding she would side with WSCA. Can she truly be so uninformed that she doesn't see minority and ED test scores declining with excessive busing? The WSCA candidates see through the meaningless diversity awards and care about healthy students; why doesn't she?
I bet all of 22 show up!
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 12:11 — g88ky07I bet all of 22 show up!
“Supporters of the
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 10:36 — user12345“Supporters of the diversity policy are rallying around the flag on Thursday. “
Interesting … WCSA, Republican Party, etc. should not allow others to coop the diversity issue …these groups have allowed others paint them into a corner and appear to be racists and elitists … I think the core problem is the perceived disparity between schools … I don’t think fighting for school equality has to be a liberal issue … I never understood why conservatives and the Republican Party were not in there fighting to make sure every kid has an equal opportunity , that every school offers an equal opportunity to succeed... talking about AA and ED metrics only each election cycle does not help change things ….conservatives might have a different way of doing it but they should have the same goal … and sending poor kids back to poor schools does not seem like a good plan to many people and seems to be self serving coming from those in the good schools …
Sending poor kids back to poor schools
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 14:47 — SDR256Sending poor kids back to poor schools doesn't sound like a good idea to me either. That has never been the 'secret evil plan' of WSCA for sure. It IS what the status quo has tried to rewrite and paint over what we are doing. Again, we are simply trying to get candidates in there who are willing to look behind Door #3. What if there was a cluster model, with choice and a KIPP school? What if we actually listened to what EEP and leaders like Geoffery Canada are doing? I'm not an educator but I'm not blind. I can see that what we currently have is NOOOOOOTT WORKING! So, why is the status quo so myopically focused on chanting the same incantation of busing, busing, busing? It makes them look so brittle and - sorry - dumb. Keep doing what isn't working? Its DUMB. Isn't there another way to achieve diversity while putting education first? I mean, isn't the REAL goal to empower and educate ALL kids? Busing was supposed to help poor kids. Instead its tearing them down. This busing isn't empowering or educating F&R kids - the data shows that. So, what's the point - - aside from politics?
"Sending poor kids back to
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 18:08 — user12345"Sending poor kids back to poor schools doesn't sound like a good idea to me either. That has never been the 'secret evil plan' of WSCA for sure. "
I think the question has been if the poor kids get kicked out of the good schools where will the land? It is assumed that if the neighborhood school is right for the rich kids it will be imposed on the poor kids and they will be sent to their neighborhood poor school with their neighbors ... if you know of another plan or outcome, I would like to hear it ...
I'd agree with you except
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 15:36 — RevHiDI'd agree with you except for these facts:
1. Poverty in Wake is concentrated on one side of the county. Neighborhood schools will concentrate poor schools in Southern and Eastern wake, even in "neighborhood clusters."
2. Supporters of neighborhood schools don't want to add funding. The percentages of money spent on administration in CMS, Forsyth, Guilford and Wake are all within 1 percent. CMS spends more on transportation, not less. I don't see how they'll come up with enough savings to pay teachers more in poor areas, or make other positive changes like expanding the magnet program to match our growth.
3. More money will be sent to build new schools to match growth in expensive new developments. Less money will be available to existing southeast wake schools unless we increase funding.
Expand what is working and make it better... don't start Wake county over from scratch.
"don't start Wake county
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 15:39 — AngelaW"don't start Wake county over from scratch"
Where have you EVER seen that as the goal? WHERE????