fanMAIL: Empowering Black Youth

Sandra Rose July 28, 2010

This video doesn’t contain images of nudity, violence, hood rat beat downs or Kat Stacks, so you probably won’t watch it. And those of you who say I never post positive things on my blog will probably ignore this post like you do all my other positive posts.

But I’m posting this anyway in the hopes that at least one parent or teacher will watch it and use the message to empower their youth.

Loyal reader Jarrett Mathis writes:

Dear Sandra Rose,

My name is Jarrett Mathis and I am a recent graduate of Dartmouth College. I am a Government Major. Also, I am a big fan of your blog!

Over the last 5 years, I have worked diligently to craft an interactive workshop that will help to empower black youth and reduce violence in the inner-city. I decided to create a workshop in order to get young people to think seriously about the importance of respect for self and others. I recently transformed this workshop into a documentary, which you can view on my website www.EmpoweringOurselvesNow.com.

I am a young brother who cares deeply about the black community. I think this website/film can have a very positive impact in our community. But, I do not have money for advertising. I would really appreciate it if you could post this information on your blog.

Thank you for your consideration!

All the Best,
Jarrett

fabulous city

aww, I wish I could see the video… but I am definitely checking the website! More power to you Jarett.
ardentphotog

Self respect is so very important. I wish this guy lots of luck in his endeavors.

Sandra, can you make this a sticky?
Daisy

GUESS WHOSE BACK

Morning Fam

I will watch the video when I get home

I love to see positive things regarding our children
Ebony

This is a very positive story, but the county I teach in only cares about test scores and passing AYP
Mamacita

This is what we need more of! I it…someone that’s actually doing something good for the black community instead of tearing it down. Black people are their own worst enemies sometimes. A black person will tear you down faster than any other race and I’m glad he’s teaching them how to love, respect, and empower themselves. Once you learn to empower yourself then you can start to empower others.
shannon04

Very positive…I like it.

Morning fam
Al-Ameera

Welcome back Daisy!!!

Good post SR
BeautifulBliss

Ahh..some positivity.
Nice!
SangriaSugar

Welcome back Daisy!!!

I positivity in our community!!
http://myspace.com/necee518 yvonne79

Good job Jarrett!
Ebony

@ daisy Welcome Back
ohpretty1

Jarrett – This is great! Many blessings to you.

@ Ebony – What state do you teach in?
pinksghetti

Great job Mr. Jarrett Mathis! Please keep up the excellent work and we need more people like you in this world!
VAALLDAY

I love it when our brothers can show our young people that it’s more to life then spending money on cars, clothes, jewelry, and hoe$.
bmc0718

Great video – and great positive post!
Mz_Superwoman_85

Hi everyone Im a
Ebony

@ ohpretty Georgia
Nika405

Great post. Hope he continues to do well with his program.

Sandra.
http://charactercorner.blogspot.com attorneymom

I love it. I will post this on my Cotton Field blog.

Good job, Sandra. I am proud of you for posting this information.
http://charactercorner.blogspot.com attorneymom

@Daisy, I miss you on twitter. Send me a request @AttorneymomNJ so I can follow you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKKxPtP6XjQ renegadesince1985

Good post! I like to see positive things going on in the community!
MissGauzzz

positivity too! wonderful!

hey daisy! hope you had a good vacay!
PAHairston

Hello All. Welcome back Daisy. ” If someone says that speaking and reading and writing and learning is acting white, tell them they’re wrong because doing those things actually is acting black.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!

What a positive young man, and handsome too! We need millions more like this to make a difference. After all, our children ARE our future. (It’s so easy to be stupid!)

Thanks Sandra for sharing this positive message with your family, a video with a powerful message. YOU GO GIRL!
BamaBeauty

Greatness is usually derived from the ability, imagination, and action of going above the standard.

The history of great is found in the endurance of finishing your race.

Keep it up…make history
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

@Ebony..

unfortunately that’s what all counties are concern about. Test scores/AYP.

Best Wishes to Jarrett…be the change in the world you wish to see
ohpretty1

Ebony says:

@ ohpretty Georgia
———————

That’s where I am. I asked because ALL of my friends who teach said the same as you. It’s the politics of the job, they say, that’s really holding the kids from their full potential.
Redeemed777

Are the drug boys on the street watching this documentary?

Are those folks living in the projects watching this documentary?

Are the black men who are in and out of jail watching this documentary?

Are the single baby mamas watching this documentary?

Are the generational uncle toms watching this documentary?

The above stated are the ones procreating more generations of children who are still not watching this documentary.

You do the math.
OutsidetheBox

No child left behind right?

I graduated from a Black high school that was full of people like Jarrett. I hope he continues to inspire.

Its the FCAT in FL. If they dont pass, they get retained. The 3rd graders have been HUGE for the last 5 yrs. :/

Hey Therapist. *waves*
iciaantica

I’m glad to see a brother doing something positive and reaching back for others. It’s refreshing to see some positivity to posted. I wish him peace and blessing on his endevor to inspire and empower black youth! I’m glad he is spreadingh the history and knowledge of out people. We often forget that we are the children of the Egyptians, Nubians, and first professors.European would travel to our universities to be educated and now the roles have flipped. We have lost our history. We need to get back to our roots!
OutsidetheBox

“Are the single baby mamas watching this documentary?”

LOL
mirsmommy

I think what he’s doing is great. Good luck to Jarrett, and I wish him well.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

HEY OTB

Our students don’t do well on standardize test because they are not expose to certain things. So when it’s time to test they have no reference to help with prior knowledge.

I suggest parents limit some of the tv and start exposing kids. Take them on field trips, go to the museum, visit historical sites. Trust me once the teacher start talking about these things in the class room the student has a reference and become more engage because they have something to add to the conversation.
iciaantica

Sorry for the typos I’m cooking and back and forth typing lol
PAHairston

Hello Mz_SuperWoman, welcome to the family. Get ready to be thoroughly entertained! Great bunch of comedians here!
Mamacita

ohpretty1 says:

Ebony says:

@ ohpretty Georgia
———————

That’s where I am. I asked because ALL of my friends who teach said the same as you. It’s the politics of the job, they say, that’s really holding the kids from their full potential.

—————————————————————————

If the kids don’t pass aren’t the schools reprimanded for that. Students not passing = loss of funding for schools right? How else do you gage what students are learning if you don’t test them?
iciaantica

@therapist Why did you change your gravi
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

@Redeemed

I hear what you are saying. BUt we all know someone who falls in those categories. Why dont you pass this documentary to someone who could benefit? Just like we pass a long gossip…a funny youtube video…a joke.

It’s easy to talk/judge….grab that single mom, that boy on the corner and etc and encorage them
mirsmommy

therapist1911 says:

HEY OTB

Our students don’t do well on standardize test because they are not expose to certain things. So when it’s time to test they have no reference to help with prior knowledge.

I suggest parents limit some of the tv and start exposing kids. Take them on field trips, go to the museum, visit historical sites. Trust me once the teacher start talking about these things in the class room the student has a reference and become more engage because they have something to add to the conversation.
_____________________________________________________

This is sooooo true. So many parents don’t take the time out to teach their children, and depend on the schools to do so because “that’s their job”, or “that’s what they get paid to do.” And then wonder why the kids are failing. :/
iyonah

Good Job Jarrett Mathis … The MAN has the video blocked @ work but I will check for this when I get home. Continue in your efforts and be encouraged!! :hugs:

Thanks for posting this SR!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

iciaantica says:

@therapist Why did you change your gravi
_____________________________________

No reason just changed up a little. I’ll be back sooon
Mamacita

therapist1911 says:

Our students don’t do well on standardize test because they are not expose to certain things. So when it’s time to test they have no reference to help with prior knowledge.

—————————————————————————–

Students don’t do well because teachers aren’t teaching them properly. Instead of teaching memorization of material they need to teach comprehension and retention of materials. Without those things being taught they will continue to fail. My roommate is a teacher and she says that the kids try to memorize the answers instead of actually understanding the question and the meaning. So once they start testing and the test isn’t exactly what they studied they give up. She’s been trying to break this cycle.
OutsidetheBox

Parents get the “option” to send their children else where @Mama if the school is deemed “failing”.

Everyone is not a good test taker and standardized tests are set up in a way that gives an advantage to kids who are taken on “….field trips, museum(s), historical sites” like @Therapist said. But unfortunately, that cant be done by all parents and schools need to recognize that.

But its really out of the local govt’s hands.
http://chokolatemilk.blogspot.com Choco

WOW such a Beautiful Black Man I what he is doing for his community becomes contagious I also pray that more of our black brothers take note and inspiration from Jarrett.

Welcome SuperWOMAN
Ms. Thickness

GOOD MORNING SR FAM

MZ_SUPERWOMAN

@THERAPIST…I LOVE YOUR INTELLIGENCE
daninicole

@therapist
That is why I hate standardized tests! They are not made for us. Some of the questions ask about things that are kids have never been exposed to or uses language that we don’t use!
Famous example: The use of the word “circle” In a sentence “He stays down the end of the street on the circle. Now on the test, circle would not be a choice it would be cul-de-sac and our kids don’t know what the hayle that means.
Now that is what I was taught about in college (about 5 years ago) so it may be different now but the fact remains that these tests overlook our kids and when they can’t pass them they are retained or are looked at as if they can’t learn.
Parents really need to step up and do the things that you said but if you a in the inner city and are working 2 and 3 jobs struggling to pay bills, going to museums and historical sites is highly unlikely.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

If the kids don’t pass aren’t the schools reprimanded for that. Students not passing = loss of funding for schools right? How else do you gage what students are learning if you don’t test them?

________________________

@Mamacita

This is true. Unfortunately the test writer do not take into account that all students are not expose to the samethings. Therefore when they create the test most our students are not engaged.

THEN Most urban schools do not have the same resources in the classroom as suburban areas. So some studnets never touched a microscope or a flask. Don’t have whiteboards, projectors, a computer lab, or books
Daisy

Thanks yall My vacy was the bomb.com Turks and Caicos is a beauitful island

@MzSuper to the jungle I mean SR FAM *e packet* where ya from/reping/single/married/kids and who if anybody do you stan for in FUN only?
OutsidetheBox

Right @Therapist OR your URBAN school could be a place of segregation.

They often put the “magnet” programs in the urban schools to attract a different socio-economic group of kids and parents.

My children all attend the same elem but two of them are magnet. The magnet kids have SMARTboards, at least 7 field trips a yr, and numerous “on site” opportunities.

The other kids dont get that.
Redeemed777

@therapist1911

See what we need is a “mass impact”.

We can make these documentaries all day long, and pass them around, but at the end of the day we might get one or two children that are willing.

Now, the people that can make the real mass impact that I’m referring to are
(whether yall like it or not ) the influential.

Influential, meaning the rappers and especially the rappers. But alas, they ( the rappers ) use their influence for materialism rather than intellectual stimulation.

But wait…..even if a rapper wanted to influence in a positive way, how could he if their record label bosses won’t let them?

It’s deeper than just making documentaries.
Ms. Thickness

MY DAUGHTER LOVES SCHOOL AND THEY TEASE HER (MY NIECE AND HER GODMOTHER) AND CALL HER A NERD. SHE HAS MADE THE PRINCIPALS HONOR ROLL 3 SEMESTERS OUT OF THE 4, SHE IS IN GIFTED AND SHE HAD THE 2ND HIGHEST SAT SCORE OUT OF ALL THE 2ND GRADERS IN THE SCHOOL. I KNOW SHE IS A VERY SMART CHILD BUT I STILL FEAR THE FCAT THAT SHE WILL BE TAKIN NEXT YEAR. SHE IS ONE OF THOSE KIDS THAT READS FOR FUN BUT SOMETIME WHEN WE EXPECT FOR THEM TO DO WELL THEY MAY FAIL. WHEN MY DAUGHTER DIDNT MAKE THE HONOR ROLL THAT 1 SEMESTER SHE CRIED HER POUR LIL HEART OUT AND I FELT BAD AS IF I PUT TO MUCH PRESSURE ON HER. MY KIDS DONT SIT HOME FOR THE SUMMER AND WATCH T.V. ALL DAY…I MAKE THEM WORK ON MATH PROBLEM, HANDWRITING ETC…AND THE FCAT GETS HARDER EVERY YEAR SO IF WE AS PARENTS (IN FL)DONT GIVE OUR KIDS THAT EXTRA PUSH THEY NEED THEY MAY NEVER PASS IT.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

therapist1911 says:

Our students don’t do well on standardize test because they are not expose to certain things. So when it’s time to test they have no reference to help with prior knowledge.

—————————————————————————–

Students don’t do well because teachers aren’t teaching them properly. Instead of teaching memorization of material they need to teach comprehension and retention of materials. Without those things being taught they will continue to fail. My roommate is a teacher and she says that the kids try to memorize the answers instead of actually understanding the question and the meaning. So once they start testing and the test isn’t exactly what they studied they give up. She’s been trying to break this cycle.
______________________________________

Sorry to tell you…you can’t teach “retention” and “comprehension”! You can teach reading strategies that help with retaining and comprehending. No matter if the teacher is doing backwards flips or hand stands, if the student isn’t engage and the learning is interactive the students will not grasp the concepts. Teachers must not just teach a rule/concept without connecting it to a real life connection.

Also, just reading something has never been a good source of “teaching/learning”. The skill must be applied and students should be given an opportunity to exhibit their understanding by “doing whatever is learned”
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

@Thickness…hey mami and thanks for the compliment
Redeemed777

@Ms. Thickness

We need every black child to be like your daughter.

And this is what I’m trying to say, how do we get those drug boys off the street corners?
That’s the real work.
OutsidetheBox

@Thick If what you said is true about her habits and study skills, I have no doubt in my mind that she will pass FCAT.

It is scary though, I agree, because THAT IS ALL HER 3rd GRADE TEACHER IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT but dont you let them get you off your game. While they are “teaching to test” make sure she is getting her “lessons” from somewhere … but if she is in gifted, I dont think you will have to worry about her at all.

Its the kids whose parents are not up on this FCAT game that fall thru the cracks. My dumb ass SIL let them hold my neice back one yr because the teacher said her speech was limiting her. Isnt that what ESE services are for? :/ These teachers aint all they are cracked up to be either.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

@daninicole
Parents really need to step up and do the things that you said but if you a in the inner city and are working 2 and 3 jobs struggling to pay bills, going to museums and historical sites is highly unlikely.

———————–

I agree and understand. However, most museums and historical sites are free for children. Especially here in DC. Also, I bet you anything these same parents have flat screen tvs, the latest shoes, PSP, PS3, Wii, and Xbox. People make a way for things they value…….priopritize
Mamacita

@therapist

This is true. Unfortunately the test writer do not take into account that all students are not expose to the samethings. Therefore when they create the test most our students are not engaged.

THEN Most urban schools do not have the same resources in the classroom as suburban areas. So some studnets never touched a microscope or a flask. Don’t have whiteboards, projectors, a computer lab, or books

—————————————————————————

I agree but that’s no excuse for failure. I wasn’t exposed to a lot but i’ve always done well on standardized testing because of good teachers and a willingness to learn and comprehend material given to me. If you have a teacher who is passionate about their job then they don’t need all those bells and whistles to do their job. I’ve seen some of the most brilliant people come from countries where they had very poor conditions. This guy that was in the engineering program with me wore the same thing everyday because he didn’t come from much but I bet he always did well. Not because of what he was exposed to or given but because he had a passion for learning. When we stop teaching kids that it’s lame to be smar then we’ll be on to something.
Redeemed777

How do we get all the project folks to read?
How do we get them to speak proper english?

Not just one or two of them that are willing, but whole masses of them. Just like you got whole masses of them that know every word to lil wayne’s raps
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

@Redeemed

AGREED! It’s a vicious cycle. But if we get two kids…that’s two less we have to worry about.
iciaantica

@Therapist :cosign

I went to one of the worst Atlanta middle schools and they seperated students by teams based on their reading and math scores on the test we would take the year before. I was in the gifted program and teachers would focus more on our group than any other. Instead of helping those that really needed the attention. We recieved the better quality teachers and more funding. The school system has everything backwards!
I look at the people that were in the same program and we are all in college but the kids that were on the other team are in the streets or pregnant! I think the school system had a big part in their failure.
ardentphotog

Redeemed, for you to be ‘so washed in the blood’ you sure are negative.

Please get you some of what the young man is promoting – ‘SELF-RESPECT’.

Quit being such a meanie!
ohpretty1

If the kids don’t pass aren’t the schools reprimanded for that. Students not passing = loss of funding for schools right? How else do you gage what students are learning if you don’t test them?
—————————————————

From what I understand, much of what’s in the lesson plans isn’t preparing the students for the standardized tests. That must change. One friend, has been ‘reprimanded’ by the principal of her school because she’s “doing too much” as far as teaching her students. Because she is making the children THINK, is an issue?! That’s absurd. Theme schools are under attack here, over money. There are higher ups who want these schools closed because of funding, yet the students in these schools are performing well, in classes and CRCT tests. It’s nothing to see new stadiums going up yet purchasing up-to-date textbooks is a battle. There’s something to be said for test scores being changed in ELEMENTARY schools in order for children to pass.
Ms. Thickness

@OTB…THERES NOT DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT SHE WILL PASS (WELL MAYBE JUST A LIL) BUT HER GIFTED HOMEWORK SOMETIMES LEAVES ME LIKE “WHAT IN THE HELL” SO I HAVE THAT LIL FEAR OF THE FCAT. BUT YOU KNOW SOMETIMES YOU HAVE HIGH EXPECTATION AND THINGS TURN OUT TO BE ANOTHER WAY…I THANK GOD EVERYDAY FOR GIVING ME CHILDREN WITH SUCH A SPECIAL GIFT. I BS YOU NOT HER REPORT CARD WAS STRAIGHT A1A ALL DOWN THE LINE, WHEN I GOT REPORT ABOUT HER SAT SCORES I CRIED FROM PURE JOY…
iciaantica

Does anyone remember the Good Times episode when Michael purposely failed the IQ test given by his school to prove how biased it was?
OutsidetheBox

Her gifted homework is 10 times harder than FCAT @Thick. I bet her and my 2nd grader had the same plans.
Mamacita

@Ms. Thick

I so glad to see your daughter is doing well! I to see stuff like that!!!! The best advice I can give to you is just believe in her. Positive engergy and thikning can go a long way in a small child. I love the mentality of little children because they think that they can do ANYTHING lol. Just don’t allow people to tell what she can and can’t be, or what can and can not do. Best of luck to her and stay positive ma!
iciaantica

@Redeemed Negativity like yours is part of the problem. When all the youth hear is what they can’t do they give up and it’s ashame how people sterotype based on the enviornment!

I’m only 19 years old and I have a lot of friends that took the wrong path simply because people never had anything positive to say to them
Ms. Thickness

How do we get them to speak proper english?
______________________________________________

TEACH THEM..FOR EXAMPLE..I WENT TO A MEETING AND WE HAD A CONFERENCE CALL AND I ASKED A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS…SO ONE OF THE MANAGERS CAME TO ME TODAY AND WAS LIKE “I LIKE THE WAY YOU TALK YOU WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL” I LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID (IN MY PROFESSIONAL VOICE): JUST BECAUSE I DONT SPEAK IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER AT ALL TIMES DOESNT MEAN THAT IS NOT THERE…REMEMBER ONE THING (WENTR BACK TO MY NORMAL SASSY-SELF) DAISY AINT RAISED NO DUMMY! MY MOM DIDNT PLAY WHEN IT CAME TO SCHOOLING. NO JOB FOR ME JUST FOCUS ON SCHOOL.
Ms. Thickness

@MAMACIT..THANK YOU SO MUCH
SangriaSugar

@Ms. Think…I know your daughter will do great things. I hearing about kids who still love to read just for the fun of it…I get so when I hear kids say “Who reads books anymore?”

I wanna snatch them up and say “Yo lil azz should be reading…books made into movies that are now out on DVD don’t count”
SangriaSugar

Think = Thick…my bad ma
free

therapist1911 says: Our students don’t do well on standardize test because they are not expose to certain things. So when it’s time to test they have no reference to help with prior knowledge.

***************************************************************

reading is fundamental. i wasn’t exposed to a lot either but i read everything i could get my hands on. there are books in goodwill/salvation army that kids can read. a lot of my good test-taking skills came from simply reading books, fact and fiction.
Mamacita

@Ohpretty I understand where you’re coming from and the system is very jacked up because at the end of the day it’s always about money. I just want people to stop complaining about the tests and start doing something about them.

@therapist “Sorry to tell you…you can’t teach “retention” and “comprehension”!”

Since when?????? Contrary to what you may believe, there is a way to teach these things. Through repetition and development of critical thinking skills, retention and comprehension can be taught. You just need teachers that know what they are doing and are willing to implement these things.
laykeya

It lifts my spirits to see positive things like this. Thanks for this post.
free

iciaantica says: @Redeemed Negativity like yours is part of the problem. When all the youth hear is what they can’t do they give up and it’s ashame how people sterotype based on the enviornment!

****************************************************************

redeemed is correct. the messages don’t get to (or through to) the people who need them most. there are people on the front lines trying to push this through to them but the easiest ways to do it–media (tv, radio, video games, etc.)–continue to reinforce ignorance.
Mamacita

free says:

therapist1911 says: Our students don’t do well on standardize test because they are not expose to certain things. So when it’s time to test they have no reference to help with prior knowledge.

***************************************************************

reading is fundamental. i wasn’t exposed to a lot either but i read everything i could get my hands on. there are books in goodwill/salvation army that kids can read. a lot of my good test-taking skills came from simply reading books, fact and fiction.

—————————————————————————

Reading challenges you to think. We need our children to read more. Another part of the problem is a limited vocabulary. Reading will expand their vocabulary so when they get to those test there won’t be so many foreign words that mean nothing to them.
Redeemed777

Understand what I’m trying to say about mass impact.

How long have we had the NAACP? the 1000 Black Men? all the Black Organizations?

I’ve seen documentary after documentary. We have volunteered time after time.

We have some children/teens/adults that have made it through watching documentaries.

But guess what?

The drug boys are still on the corner
Black men are still going to jail
We still got ‘ hood rats ‘
We still got baby mamas with different baby daddies
We still got a lot of homelessness in the black COMMUNITY

HOW DO WE SOLVE THAT PROBLEM????
Redeemed777

….and you best believe that the above stated aint thinking about watching a documentary.
Mamacita

Ms. Thickness says:

How do we get them to speak proper english?
______________________________________________

TEACH THEM..FOR EXAMPLE..I WENT TO A MEETING AND WE HAD A CONFERENCE CALL AND I ASKED A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS…SO ONE OF THE MANAGERS CAME TO ME TODAY AND WAS LIKE “I LIKE THE WAY YOU TALK YOU WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL” I LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID (IN MY PROFESSIONAL VOICE): JUST BECAUSE I DONT SPEAK IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER AT ALL TIMES DOESNT MEAN THAT IS NOT THERE…REMEMBER ONE THING (WENTR BACK TO MY NORMAL SASSY-SELF) DAISY AINT RAISED NO DUMMY! MY MOM DIDNT PLAY WHEN IT CAME TO SCHOOLING. NO JOB FOR ME JUST FOCUS ON SCHOOL.

—————————————————————————

Sometimes the problem is “you can’t teach hat you don’t know”. If the parents don’t know or speak corerect english with their children then they won’t either. At the end of the day if the parents aren’t teaching their children how to speak correct english it’s going to be a long road ahead of that child. As a child, If you stay in an environment that uses broken english and ebonics then you will use it as well.
iciaantica

@Free but at the same time we have people that sit back and talk all this crap about the people who don’t have the access to the information. My mom is an assistant principal and she made sure my sister and I would help smaller children from the neighborhood and we would expose them to the things that their parents weren’t able to. If all you do is sit back and point your finger then you apart of the problem as well. I am a firm believer of the African proverb ” It takes a village to raise a child”
ohpretty1

Mamacita says:

@Ohpretty I understand where you’re coming from and the system is very jacked up because at the end of the day it’s always about money. I just want people to stop complaining about the tests and start doing something about them.
—————————–

Strictly my opinion: I think the first step should be to re-vamp the school board. This old guard and their way of thinking simply isn’t cutting it for this generation. These children are now a part of a GLOBAL community. They will not be able to cut it in higher education or the workforce when they are older speaking only one language, performing on a lower scale in math & science than children in (some) underdeveloped countries, not knowing basic economics, etc.
iciaantica

You have to remember a lot of parents work long shifts and come home tired. All it takes is for someone to mentor one kid. If one child sees a kid acting one way and can see how rewarding it is, they will adopt the new behavior and the “trend”will start!
ohpretty1

Reading challenges you to think. We need our children to read more. Another part of the problem is a limited vocabulary. Reading will expand their vocabulary so when they get to those test there won’t be so many foreign words that mean nothing to them.

———-

Even as toddlers, never underestimate the power of a bedtime story.
Redeemed777

@ohpretty1

That’s true, but who is reading a bedtime story to the drug boys numerous children while he is out selling drugs?
Redeemed777

All these children see is that being a rapper or ball player gets you rich.

The real work is to invite your neighborhood crack-head or drug dealer to your house to watch the documentary!
Destinee

@ Therapist911
KrayZKat

Jarrett, thank you brother, for your tremendous contribution to the community and to these children. So much negativity about our community is played out every day, but you and others have shown us that the black community is not all negativity if we just look beyond our limited scope.

You, brother, should be commended. I will pass your documentary on to others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKKxPtP6XjQ renegadesince1985

Well speaking as someone who has been in the US school system as well as a “Third World” country school system… I just want to say that the US school system is severely lacking. I remember when I first came here in the 11th grade. I was wwwwwaaaaayyyyyy ahead of everyone else. I mean things that were being taught I had already learned in like the 8th grade.

Just my observations #noshade:

Teachers are not given enough leeway to teach! There’s too much damn bureaucracy and red tape…

Schools place too much emphasis (as well as funding) on sports vs. actual education. I remember when I got here, the school built a million dollar gym for the football players meanwhile there was not enough text books for all the students.

There isn’t enough encouragement of after-school programs

Students have too many “rights”…yeah I said it…lol…Freedom of expression and shyt…got girls walking around in booty shorts in school and you wonder why there’s so much teenage pregnancy.

I remember at my old HS in Jamaica..you got sent to a different school if you got preggers…I only remember 1 girl in my years of HS that got pregnant…In my graduating class alone here in the US…We had 25 girls either pregnant or already had a kid…SMH

I have a question…why do they restrict the age kids can start school? I mean my cousins birthday fell a week after the deadline and he had to wait a whole year! Now he’s bored in school cause he’s way ahead of everyone.
Cinderella

renegadesince1985 says:

I have a question…why do they restrict the age kids can start school? I mean my cousins birthday fell a week after the deadline and he had to wait a whole year! Now he’s bored in school cause he’s way ahead of everyone.
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In the south for some reason, they think kids aren’t “ready” to go to school until they’re 5 yrs old. Im from up north and started the 1st school grade when I was 5 yrs old. I have a cousin who is really smart but has to wait until next fall to start kindergarten because her birthday is in November.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1335451522 therapist1911

@mamacita & @free

Yes reading is fundamental.

There are two parts to reading. 1. Fluency 2. Comprehension

Fluency: how well u sight read. Pronounce words.

Comprehension: being able to understand what you read.
Strategies that build comprehension: drawing conclusions, making inferences, using context clues, summarizing, identifying and using text features such as titles, subtitles, bold print, captions, pictures.

A reader can connot read to expand vocabulary if they don’t know how to use context clues, know the meaning of prefixes, suffixes and root words.

Otherwise you are just reading words on a paper.
bama_n_jersey

Renegade said…..I just want to say that the US school system is severely lacking.
Teachers are not given enough leeway to teach! There’s too much damn bureaucracy and red tape…

Schools place too much emphasis (as well as funding) on sports vs. actual education.
Students have too many “rights”…

I have a question…why do they restrict the age kids can start school? I mean my cousins birthday fell a week after the deadline and he had to wait a whole year! Now he’s bored in school cause he’s way ahead of everyone.

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all of this.

I have no idea why in the South the decision is made that a child is not ready to start school simply because their birthday is late. That is just idiotic to me. They did my Godson like that and he had to stay in preschool another year and do the same things he did the year before. Then they started complaining when he would finish his work and not pay attention. Heck he already knew the stuff….not to mention he recently took a test and they found out he was considered gifted. So I am sure he was bored
shaybytheway

Love it! This one gets a facebook share from me.

We definitely need more positive resources like this for our children.

We must remind ourselves that this type of learning starts at home.

Good Job Jarret!
Mamacita

@Rene What were the school conditions like when you were in Jamaica?
shaybytheway

renegadesince1985 says:
I have a question…why do they restrict the age kids can start school? I mean my cousins birthday fell a week after the deadline and he had to wait a whole year! Now he’s bored in school cause he’s way ahead of everyone.
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In MN you can have your child tested in cases like this. It is a really stupid rule. Age and learning capacity are two different animals in my opinion.
ELove

Uhhh Ms. Sandra I DON’T have a problem with how you CHOOSE to run YOUR BLOG and like you’ve stated You’ve posted POSITIVE THINGS in the past and they get IGNORED as far as comments numbers go (Real…)

I ACTUALLY PARTAKE in assisting GREATLY within the Black Community regarding Education and a whole lot of other things that OUR Communities lack so desperately… So I DON’T LQQK for YOU to be a torch-bearer in that regard (This is JUST MY Opinion…)

I come here to Trip and Laugh-Out-Loud at your Humor & Biting Sarcastic commentary ALONG WITH reading the commenters that ADD to your posts Humor-n-Vibe because it makes my BORING-AZZ Work days far more enjoyable (OKEY BYE…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKKxPtP6XjQ renegadesince1985

@mama

School conditions as in? Not sure exactly what you mean but I’ll try

School is very structured with rigorous schedules. There isn’t as much standardized testing though. Participating in at least one after-school program was mandatory.

Everybody wears uniforms…and I never actually appreciated that rule till I moved here. Kids get too distracted by “fashion”. Who has the latest this and that. Uniforms put everyone on a level playing field…IMO…less cliques and stuff. Plus think about the money parents would save at back to school time?

I just that when I do have a child, that I have enough money to send my kid to a private school
free

@renegade, when my aunt was in the hospital, a jamaican nurse (i’m pretty sure she said jamaica) said they start school when they are potty trained. they even send extra clothes to the school in case the kid wets themselves. i notice this in some of the other caribbean countries also. she said her son came over and got held back two grades because he was so far ahead. he was very upset but there was nothing they could do.

i plan to put mine in private school as long as possible and especially so that they have no problem starting kindergarten “early”.
Mamacita

@rene yeah that what I was looking for. Just want to see how schools operate outside of the country. I agree about the uniform subject. Students become far too concerened with fashion and neglect their studies. I do believe that private school is the way to go if you have the money though

It just seems like other countries seem to do so much with so little while Americans complain about lack when there are so many resources available to us. Making excuses for mediocrity and faliure is not my forte. Sometimes people tend to take a lot of things for granted IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKKxPtP6XjQ renegadesince1985

It just seems like other countries seem to do so much with so little while Americans complain about lack when there are so many resources available to us. Making excuses for mediocrity and faliure is not my forte. Sometimes people tend to take a lot of things for granted IMO.

No offense…but alot of americans take things for granted..I’m glad you’re not one of them. I had a girl in my class that made a 1.5 hour commute to go to my school cause it was better than the one in her community and she was convinced that was the only way she would succeed. She had to get up at 5 am and take two buses to come to school. She requested me on FB the other day…I was so happy for her..she’s a surgeon at one of the major hospitals at home.
OutsidetheBox

Dont count your public schools out. Its really the parent, not the schools.

I am a proud public school graduate and my kids are being educated very well by our public schools in Alachua County. But I do stay my ass all up and thru there so..

#getintheirfaces
#theOTHERparentsare

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