Opinion
Level the education playing field for all students
To that end, in October during The 100’s Education Summit in Washington, D.C., our members from across the country met with leaders from several nonprofit, education and civil rights organizations to explore ways to collaborate, mobilize and advocate for action that leads to positive, tangible and lasting change.
During our discussions, areas of agreement included advocating for public school education options for parents and their children. Our youth should not be doomed to 12 years – between kindergarten and senior year – of academic failure. We will remain committed to supporting those public schools that are high-performers and able to demonstrate exceptional and measurable academic outcomes for our children – or those that are executing a plan to successfully reach that goal.
When traditional public schools fail to perform at high levels, our organization supports educational alternatives, including successful nonprofit charter schools. We also need to encourage nonprofit public charters and traditional public schools to collaborate and share best practices that have proven to be successful in educating low-income and Black children.
No matter which type of schools parents and guardians ultimately decide are best for their children, all public schools – particularly those in African American and economically disadvantaged communities – must be high-performing, evidence-based institutions of learning where children are prepared to advance successfully to the next grade level, graduate from high school and progress seamlessly into college and career.
The time is now, before another child’s future is lost, to raise our collective voices in advocacy and take action so that high-performing public schools in our communities become the norm rather than the exception.
While this task may seem daunting, our children’s futures, quality of life and, in some cases, their very lives are at stake. As we continue to mobilize and boldly declare that “Black Lives Matter,” I submit that we must also affirm through immediate community engagement that Black Minds Matter, too. Collectively, we can help ensure that our children get the education, and the future, they rightfully deserve.
Brian L. Pauling is national president of 100 Black Men of America, Inc.
