My educational experience is not a product of the New York City Public
Schools,
but rather that of a segregated school system In the deep South - Georgia. For
ten years
my. teachers, principal, and fellow students were all Black. There was, in
hindsight I
believe, tremendous merit in having a learning experience in this type of
environment.
And had those white men who were at the helm of the Schley
County Board of Education
distributed the education funds equitably my educational experience would have
been
more comprehensive.
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My school would have had new books and/or at least not the raggedy books
that
the white schools no longer wanted. My school would have had
state-of-the-art
technology, science labs, and a swimming pool so that I and my fellow
classmates who
never learned how to swim could have.
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As a child. I'd always wanted to go to a big urban school in Atlanta or New
York.
As chance would have it, my initial experience in the New York City Public
Schools
wasn't as a student but as a parent. My foray In the school system began
during the mid
80s when my son began kindergarten at PS I on the Lower East Side.
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I remember his first grade teacher felt that he wasn't where she thought he
should
be developmentally, that he was immature. I felt at the time that she saw my
son more as
a problem rather than a person to patiently get to know and thus contribute
to his growth
and development. After one year of being totally disillusioned that he was
going to
receive the kind of education that the New York City Public Schools had
promised, his
father and I put him in the Montessori Academy. For two years we searched
for a
reputable public school to put both our son and daughter.
We didn't have anything
against public schools, but we wanted the best schools for them.
Having two children in
private school at the same time was a financial drain, as well. In the end
we got a friend
who lived in Brooklyn Heights to get our names on a utility bill as
"proof' that we lived
in the neighborhood. This 'proof' was an automatic open door for
"neighborhood"
children to attend P.S. 8.
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It was during this time that many of my friends began leaving the schools
feeling burnt out. I wondered, if my friends who were African American were
leaving,
then who was teaching our children. It was painfully obvious to me that in
all of my
son's and daughter's public school experience that my son only had one black
teacher.
And my daughter, who was a little more fortunate, had
three black teachers. There
continues to be, without a doubt, an urgent need to have more teachers of
color, both
males and females who understand the need to infuse our children with
history that
relates to their experiences. Not only history but, science, math, and
technology that is
relevant and skills that will prepare our students to be competitive in an
ever changing
society needs to be taught.
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I went into teaching out of a need and a deeply felt "calling." I
decided that as a
Social Studies/history teacher my job is to expose our children to different
sources so that
they can choose and help develop their analytical skills so they can
understand what's
happening and how to change those things that are anti-people.
My ten year experience has been an enlightening one. For example, the school
that I work in on the Upper West Side is divided into mini or theme schools
that, in theory, attract students who have a
particular interest in the arts, science, technology, etc.
In practice, the school is segregated.
The Art School has all black and Latino students.
The Science Museum School has approximately 50% whites, 30% Latino, 19%
Black,
1% other. The Computer School has 90% white students, 8% Black students, and
2%
others.
Other than the demographic breakdown, teacher expectations are disturbingly
low
for students in the Art School specifically, and Black students in general.
Yes, it is true
that many of our students have particular academic deficits, ones that I
believe, can be
overcome with adequate resources, reduced class sizes, and the correct mind
set.
I've discovered that white teachers and the principal are quick to bring
criminal
charges against students of color for the smallest infractions. Whereas, black
and Latino
teachers will spend time talking to the student, conferencing with the
parents, imposing
some consequence so that the student understands and learns from her/his
mistake.
Although schools are institutions of education, they are nonetheless
microcosms
of the larger society in which we live. The racism that permeates our everyday
lives also
impacts upon the children inside some of the schools. The question becomes:
Who is
teaching our children? What are they being taught? Is a well-nurtured
environment
created for optimum learning?
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors our children need us
to
get involved with their education. We cannot afford to surrender our children
to a racist
school system. We must become proactive, speak with the teachers, attend
meetings, participate
on a committee. Find out what teachers are teaching our children by speaking
to your child or relative about what she or he is learning. Also. ask
the teachers to see her/his syllabus.
The schools need more teachers of color, more black, Latino, and Asian male
teachers. Our students deserve and should be exposed to role models who look
like them
and can relate to their lives and their experiences.
Although the schools are fraught with problems, until we have organized
ourselves to establish our own schools to teach our own children, then we must
go to where
the majority of our children are. That's why I've stayed - for our
children!
WELCOME