I'm sadly so wary of stories like these. Last year my godson went to a charter in DC with a similar claim to fame. Yes, he got accepted to quite a few colleges. And guess what? He did not fill out a single application or write a single essay. They did it all for him. He participated in a summer program at the university he decided to attend and did so poorly that he is not allowed to return until successfully completing a semester at community college, which is where he is now. He has to write a one-page paper for a class and is completely stumped. I asked him about writing papers in high school, and he told me he never wrote a single one.

I think programs like these are wonderful, I really do, as long as they don't get hung up on the numbers (100% graduation rate) and are actually helping the students be able to do the work, not just doing it for them/lowering expectations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so since that example of what black people are doing to "fix the problems" in the black community doesn't meet your standards how about this one then...
Group Of 100 Black Male Professionals Greet Students On First Day, Help Bust Stereotypes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-professionals-greet-kids-first-day-of-school_55e9d78be4b093be51bb647c



Looking forward to what you're going to say to rip this story.

I am an Asian and I really like this story. This idea was beyond awesome, go AAs! You can do it.

Am I the only person who thinks this is just a photo-op event?

Probably not...but that just highlights your own ignorance. This sort of event happens all over the country. You ever heard of 100 Black Men? This is a common event for that organization. My DH's fraternity also does it and has been doing it for years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so since that example of what black people are doing to "fix the problems" in the black community doesn't meet your standards how about this one then...
Group Of 100 Black Male Professionals Greet Students On First Day, Help Bust Stereotypes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-professionals-greet-kids-first-day-of-school_55e9d78be4b093be51bb647c



Looking forward to what you're going to say to rip this story.

I'm not looking to say anything about the black community's responsibilities to education or whatever. I don't see it like that at all. I am also not saying that the Brooklyn College Academy isn't going great things. What I am saying is that schools that select their kids -- either directly or through self selection- are not saddled with the kids that demand the greatest resources. They can devote tremendously more to the motivated kids and propel them much further. That's great -- but it's no miracle.

You mean like DC Charters?

EXACTLY like DC charters.

Except for the whole lottery thing?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a selective school, all. Not a great example.

Awwww...you mad cause it goes against the narrative of how you see young black men?

They are hand picked. What it doesn't say is how many are expelled or dropped out over the years.

Why is that important? Some kids will take advantage of the opportunity and some kids will squander it. That is true in EVERY aspect of life. But isn't the key that kids who might not otherwise are getting opportunities? Why isn't THAT the takwaway here?


A White teacher in a predominantly AA and Hispanic school district.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so since that example of what black people are doing to "fix the problems" in the black community doesn't meet your standards how about this one then...
Group Of 100 Black Male Professionals Greet Students On First Day, Help Bust Stereotypes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-professionals-greet-kids-first-day-of-school_55e9d78be4b093be51bb647c



Looking forward to what you're going to say to rip this story.

I am an Asian and I really like this story. This idea was beyond awesome, go AAs! You can do it.

Am I the only person who thinks this is just a photo-op event?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so since that example of what black people are doing to "fix the problems" in the black community doesn't meet your standards how about this one then...
Group Of 100 Black Male Professionals Greet Students On First Day, Help Bust Stereotypes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-professionals-greet-kids-first-day-of-school_55e9d78be4b093be51bb647c



Looking forward to what you're going to say to rip this story.

I'm not looking to say anything about the black community's responsibilities to education or whatever. I don't see it like that at all. I am also not saying that the Brooklyn College Academy isn't going great things. What I am saying is that schools that select their kids -- either directly or through self selection- are not saddled with the kids that demand the greatest resources. They can devote tremendously more to the motivated kids and propel them much further. That's great -- but it's no miracle.

You mean like DC Charters?

EXACTLY like DC charters.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so since that example of what black people are doing to "fix the problems" in the black community doesn't meet your standards how about this one then...
Group Of 100 Black Male Professionals Greet Students On First Day, Help Bust Stereotypes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-professionals-greet-kids-first-day-of-school_55e9d78be4b093be51bb647c



Looking forward to what you're going to say to rip this story.

I'm not looking to say anything about the black community's responsibilities to education or whatever. I don't see it like that at all. I am also not saying that the Brooklyn College Academy isn't going great things. What I am saying is that schools that select their kids -- either directly or through self selection- are not saddled with the kids that demand the greatest resources. They can devote tremendously more to the motivated kids and propel them much further. That's great -- but it's no miracle.

You mean like DC Charters?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so since that example of what black people are doing to "fix the problems" in the black community doesn't meet your standards how about this one then...
Group Of 100 Black Male Professionals Greet Students On First Day, Help Bust Stereotypes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-professionals-greet-kids-first-day-of-school_55e9d78be4b093be51bb647c



Looking forward to what you're going to say to rip this story.

I am an Asian and I really like this story. This idea was beyond awesome, go AAs! You can do it.

What would be really powerful would be to hear the stories behind how those men became professionals.

Probably like most other professionals. They studied and worked their asses off. Not all black men are born poor and grow up in the ghetto.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a selective school, all. Not a great example.

Awwww...you mad cause it goes against the narrative of how you see young black men?

They are hand picked. What it doesn't say is how many are expelled or dropped out over the years.

And you need the article to say that to confirm your prejudices correct?

It is like saying TJ is successful because of the hard work but it is successful because of the students they pick. Since when is pointing out the obvious being prejudice?

So predictable. On the very first page of a positive post about blacks here come the haters and naysayers.

+1. It just goes to show you that the goalposts are ALWAYS being moved. In this forum alone, the common refrain is that AA's are not doing anything in their own communities to make things better. Here, people have given several examples of schools that are tying to educate low SES AA kids so that they can "bootstrap" themselves out of their situations. And here come the "yea, but..." people. There is nothing negative that is credible that be said about the subject school and the other examples given. They are helping a very vulnerable group with great success.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a selective school, all. Not a great example.

Awwww...you mad cause it goes against the narrative of how you see young black men?

They are hand picked. What it doesn't say is how many are expelled or dropped out over the years.

And "graduating" has become a joke over the years.

However, if 25 of those kids really have strong skills and can move forward, then it's worth the time, effort and money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so since that example of what black people are doing to "fix the problems" in the black community doesn't meet your standards how about this one then...
Group Of 100 Black Male Professionals Greet Students On First Day, Help Bust Stereotypes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-professionals-greet-kids-first-day-of-school_55e9d78be4b093be51bb647c



Looking forward to what you're going to say to rip this story.

I am an Asian and I really like this story. This idea was beyond awesome, go AAs! You can do it.

What would be really powerful would be to hear the stories behind how those men became professionals.

Anonymous wrote:Okay so since that example of what black people are doing to "fix the problems" in the black community doesn't meet your standards how about this one then...
Group Of 100 Black Male Professionals Greet Students On First Day, Help Bust Stereotypes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-professionals-greet-kids-first-day-of-school_55e9d78be4b093be51bb647c



Looking forward to what you're going to say to rip this story.

I am an Asian and I really like this story. This idea was beyond awesome, go AAs! You can do it.

Anonymous wrote:It's a selective school, all. Not a great example.

It's a bad example if you are comparing it to a non-charter/selective public school. But thats not what the OP is highlighting. Contrary to what many folks assume, or how the media generally portrays AAs, black people do empower themselves and value education. In other news, the Earth is round?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a selective school, all. Not a great example.

Awwww...you mad cause it goes against the narrative of how you see young black men?

No, but it's just hard replicate a school's success if the school gets to pick the students and kick out the ones that fail.

All application based school do this - which frankly I think is great.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a selective school, all. Not a great example.

Awwww...you mad cause it goes against the narrative of how you see young black men?

They are hand picked. What it doesn't say is how many are expelled or dropped out over the years.

And you need the article to say that to confirm your prejudices correct?

It is like saying TJ is successful because of the hard work but it is successful because of the students they pick. Since when is pointing out the obvious being prejudice?

So predictable. On the very first page of a positive post about blacks here come the haters and naysayers.