New Education Principles 101 Textbook: New Education Principles 101 will revolve around a list of Educational Priorities and selected online essays. Find essays by scrolling down this page. Instructor: Mba Mbulu
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Class #7
Class Assignment
Read the essay that follows on Charter Schools. Be prepared to respond to the following questions.
(1) Charter schools are not as "evil" as the public
school system has been traditionally. Is putting the education
of young Blacks in the hands of the lesser of the evils good for
the development of Our people?
(2) Do you agree that "Black People in America cannot progress
in essential ways as long as We are confined to white America's
comfort zone"?
(3) Do you agree that charter schools function, in a sinister
way, to keep Black People from establishing independent Black
schools?
(4) "Charter schools, as presently constructed, permit a
variety of groups to use different processes to reach the same
white power objective." What is meant by that statement?
(5) "The answer to Our educational needs are Black adults
who are responsible and politically mature." What is meant
by that statement?
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Charter schools have become the rage for groups that want to
get away from the restrictions of the traditional public school
system. Any group of parents, educators or community organizations
can put together a proposal and present it to an appropriate chartering
agency. If the proposal is approved, the group gets the authority
to operate its own public education institution.
The huge attraction of charter schools is the fact that they are
public schools. That means, among other things, that a school
receives public funds for each student it enrolls. The more students
the school attracts, the more money it gets. Thus, one of Black
People's apparent problems, financing, is partially addressed
by the charter school option.
The second attraction of charter schools is the lack of traditional
restraints; each school independently manages its money, hires
it own employees and can be educationally innovative. This opens
the door to non-traditional budgets, teachers and assistants that
are representative of a school's target group, the purchase and
use of non-traditional books and the implementation of non-traditional
teaching principles and processes.
However, there is a major problem with the charter school system
that negates all of its apparent advantages. After all is said
and done, the charter school system is still a part of white America's
public school system. White America's public school system is
designed to promote white America's political, economic, and social
priorities. If a charter school institutionalizes an educational
process that poses serious challenges to those priorities, that
school will be attacked and decertified, and its incorporators
could be charged with whatever type of illegal activity the status
quo feels like pursuing.
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I mentioned earlier that charter schools can be "non-traditional."
However, the term non-traditional must be understood within the
proper context. Non-traditional means that which is not normally
practiced, but within white America, non-traditional cannot go
beyond what the status quo is willing to tolerate. White America's
system will allow itself to be stretched, but not beyond its comfort
zone. Black People in America cannot progress in essential ways
as long as We are confined to white America's comfort zone, and
that neuters charter schools as an effective alternative education
tool for Our People.
The bottom word is this: Charter schools are designed to enable
dissatisfied groups from a variety of cultures to produce supporters
of a white power status quo in their own unique way. As long as
the schools are producing supporters of a white power status quo,
white people will let the administrators of that school run its
operations as they see fit.
Charter schools, as presently constructed, permit a variety of
groups to use different processes to reach the same white power
objective. In that regard, charter schools are just another spoke
in the "integration" wheel; they generate a lot of motion
but they can't take Black People where We need to go. They actually
function, in a sinister way, to sidetrack Us into not taking the
measures We should be taking. We need to be establishing independent
Black schools. With independent schools, We can enjoy the full
advantages of managing Our own budgets, hiring Our own employees,
being educationally innovative and learning to be self-governing.
With independent schools, We can prepare Ourselves for real Black
power and, if We see fit, work toward establishing an independent
Black nation.
As for the financing, Black People are already capable of bankrolling
independent Black schools. Any people who purchase as many cars,
televisions, telephones/beepers, pizzas and sneakers as We do
can certainly finance the education of Black children. Right now
We are simply too irresponsible and immature to do so. Maybe that
irresponsibility and immaturity are a result of Us going through
white America's school system. If it is, We should make sure that
today's Blacks do not go through that same system and find themselves
with the same shortcomings.
Charter schools are not the answer to Our educational needs. The
answer to Our educational needs are Black adults who are responsible
and politically mature.
Questions? Email aset@asetbooks.com and list your course title as the subject.
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