Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 2-20-18

Local
Organizations Come Together To Discuss State Of Education In Communities Of Color
Heroes and Sheroes will be honored during a recep- tion that follows.
Allen Temple AME Church, the Tampa Bay Coalition of Clergy, Hills- borough County Branch NAACP, and Safe & Sound, have come together to host a forum on the State Of Edu- cation. The forum will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018, beginning at 10 a. m. The host site will be Allen Temple AME Church, 2101 N. Lowe Street, Tampa, 33605. Rev. Dr. Glenn Dames, Jr. is pastor.
Rev. Dr. Dames ex- plains: Decades after the U. S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education rul- ing declared segregated schooling of Black students unconstitutional, many American schools with high minority populations con- tinue to receive fewer re- sources and provide an education that’s inferior to schools with large white populations.
Seemingly, there contin- ues to be stark disparities in resources provided to black students and white stu- dents.
Students of color are sig- nificantly more likely to at- tend high-poverty schools than white students, accord- ing to the Urban Institute.
Black students are ex- pelled or suspended from school nearly three times more than their white coun- terparts, according to the U. S. Department of Educa- tion’s Office for Civil Rights. Unfortunately, these dispar- ities start as early as pre- school.
Rev. Dr. Dames con- tinued, So, we must ask the question, are we there yet?
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
How can we work to- gether to ensure that all stu- dents, regardless of their skin color or their address, receive a quality education and are afforded opportuni- ties to grow and excel? What vision do you have for a school system that has the power to change lives and transform communities?
Citizens of all ages are in- vited to this discussion where we will welcome
input from multiple per- spectives, encourage healthy debate and develop solu- tions for mitigating the gaps in achievement experienced by some of our students.
Topics for this forum will surround around: Factors inhibiting the academic achievement of students in our Renaissance Schools
(schools in minority com- munities).
Topics of discussion may include but are not limited to:
• Parent/Student vs School Accountability
• Diversity in hiring of teachers, principals and dis- trict leaders
• Over representation of mi-
nority students in special education programs
• Discipline practices re- garding students of color
• Practices that promote parental involvement
• Pathways for school/com- munity partnerships
An old, familiar African proverb states that, “It takes a village to raise a child.”
As residents of Hillsborough County, each of us must have concern for the welfare and educational experiences of all of our children. Each of us must provide our input. Each of us has the power to make a difference.
We will be honoring per- sons who have contributed to education throughout our community; namely, Jan- ice Carter Collier, Dr. Samuel L. Wright, Joe Robinson, Jackie Kennedy Haynes and Jalem Robinson.
To confirm your atten- dance, send an email to info@allentempletampa.org or call 813-229-1438. A con- tinental breakfast and lunch will be served.
Honored For Their Contributions In Education
JANICE CARTER DR. SAMUEL L. JOE JACKIE KENNEDY JALEM COLLIER WRIGHT, SR. ROBINSON HAYNES ROBINSON
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9