Reply to "My Brother's Keeper" and at-risk kids... thoughts?

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Reply to ""My Brother's Keeper" and at-risk kids... thoughts?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm a bit concerned about the "discipline reform" piece.  I certainly agree there are better ways that discipline can and should be handled but there are a hundred ways to NOT do it.  Certainly there do need to be interventions and probably things like mentoring, counseling and other supports to deal with disruptive behavior and other things, rather than just leaping to suspensions but I am a bit concerned about the evident reluctance to escalate more serious issues.  When there are things like violence, threats of violence, property damage or theft - basically anything in the criminal code - those accordingly need to be dealt with in a serious manner.[/quote]

I don't fundamentally disagree, but the discipline that black boys are subject to in the educational system is, on the aggregate, harsher than other populations of students. Black boys and young men are nine percent of the total school population, but one-quarter of all [b]physical punishments[/b] meted out in schools are to black boys and young men.[/quote]

"Physical punishment?"  What is this, 1950, when the principal had a paddle?

As for your statistics, you are [i]assuming[/i] the numbers should be commensurate, but studies show that there are significantly greater rates of violence and aggression among at-risk African American youth than among most other youth demographics.  It's not as though most of the kids receiving discipline are sitting there sweetly, innocently, quietly and attentively following the teacher's direction to the letter, only to be singled out and sent to the principal for absolutely no reason whatsoever.[/quote]

Very true. The fact that this program or the need for it is actually being debated is making my head spin!

The REASON black men fill prisons at an alarming rate, have a sky high unemployment rate, have a higher rate of drug/alcohol abuse, are have babies without supporting them, drop out of school at higher rates, etc. stems from a past where they were made to feel inferior, had rights taken away and were subjected to systematic and targeted rules to ensure a bottom feeder position.  Come on folks, my parents went to a black only high school and had to use the old middle school books from the white kids who were 4 years younger. Once they graduated, there were no jobs for them (because they were black and not educated as well as white kids).  I experienced difficulty in school with parents who did not understand how to help me and had no money to hire tutors.  Education was and remains unequal.  Black boys are incarcerated far more than any other group for the SAME offenses. There are cases all the time citing the unfairness... no question there. The court system was and remains unequal. Black boys were made to sit in back of buses, use different fountains, were hung... not too long ago folks and the scars are still there. We see the effects of this today.

But here's what REALLY gets me upset...

Instead of saying "Oh my goodness, how could we let this happen to this group of young boys. Most of them can't read at grade level. Most of them drop out of school. Most of them do not have fathers. Most of them have a parent or parents who got little to no education. Most of them are suffering psychologically and have low self esteem. We need to DO SOMETHING."

You question a program to help these kids who have obviously not be given what they need since the cycle repeats.

YET... I recently read a post on DCUM talking about the unfortunate deaths of a few high school kids over the past 4 years. Someone said it was an epidemic and we have to do something!

I do want to help everyone (especially kids) BUT I'm sick of people ACCEPTING that black boys are suppose to drop out of school, kill each other, go to prison FAR MORE than any other group.

And you know what... President Obama said that there are some programs that are WORKING!!  That means there's a solution to the problem. Yes, a solution!  One that doesn't even require tax payer money. That means that you don't have to pay for it.

So, why did this thread arise that questions this program???

Unbelievable. This is the lowest level I've ever seen DCUM go and it's been pretty low.[/quote]

The problems you talk about were 50, 60 years ago, our parents generation, and maybe a little bit of our own childhoods.  But this is TODAY.  Youths today are not having rights taken away from them, they get the same classrooms, books and curriculum as the next kid, but now the problem is that it is they themselves who relegate themselves to inferior status, who don't try, who resort to scams, violence or aggression to try and get their way in life because they lack the skills to do it any other way.  It's a part of ingrained, learned culture lingering from prior generations when things were worse - that needs to be dalt with and overcome.  Yes, some programs are working - look at the renaissance happening in Harlem.  It takes strong, concerted engagement at the community level - people reaching out to people and mentoring them early on in terms of proper parenting, life skills and so on.[/quote]

Wow, you really are out of touch aren't you?  Same classrooms? Really?  Same books?  Really?  Tell me - when was the last time you volunteered at an urban school?  Seriously?  They don't have the same.  Even in DC.  My son goes to Deal.  It's amazing.  I recently volunteered at a school in SE DC.  It was not the same.  It was sad.  The kids had never been across the river.  It seems impossible, but it was true.  I fear for my black boys every day.  Do you fear for your boys?  People automatically assume that because of the color of their skin, they will rob them or something.  My [b]son wears his pants low and his hat backwards[/b] - and yet, he has an A in Latin II Honors.  It's tough for all boys, but especially boys of color.  Please educate yourself.  The stats are there for your viewing.[/quote]

If your kid goes through life looking like a thug, why are you surprised that people would treat him like a potential thug?  [/quote]

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