By Leslie T. Fenwick
Dean, Howard University School of Education
May 28, 2013
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| Dr. Leslie T. Fenwick, Dean, Howard University School of Education |
The truth can be used to
tell a lie. The truth is that black parents' frustration with the
quality of public schools is at an all time righteous high. Though
black and white parents' commitment to their child's schooling is
comparable, more black parents report dissatisfaction with the school
their child attends.
Approximately 90 percent of
black and white parents report attending parent teacher association
meetings and nearly 80 percent of black and white parents report
attending teacher conferences. Despite these similarities, fewer black
parents (47 percent) than white parents (64 percent) report being very
satisfied with the school their child attends. This dissatisfaction
among black parents is so whether these parents are college-educated,
high income, or poor.
The lie is that schemes like Teach For America, charter schools backed by venture capitalists, education management organizations (EMOs), and Broad Foundation-prepared superintendents address black parents concerns about the quality of public schools for their children.
These schemes are not designed to cure what ails under-performing
schools. They are designed to shift tax dollars away from schools
serving black and poor students; displace authentic black educational
leadership; and erode national commitment to the ideal of public
education.
Consider these facts: With a
median household income of nearly $75,000, Prince George's County is
the wealthiest majority black county in the United States. Nearly 55
percent of the county's businesses are black-owned and almost 70
percent of residents own homes, according to the U.S. Census. So, why is
it that black parents living in the upscale Woodmore or Fairwood
estates of Prince George's County or the tony Garden District homes up
16th Street in Washington D.C. struggle to find quality public schools
for their children just like black parents in Syphax Gardens, the
southwest D.C. public housing community?
The answer is this: Whether
they are solidly middle- or upper-income or poor, neither group of
blacks controls the critical economic levers shaping school reform.
And, this is because urban school reform is not about schools or reform.
It is about land development.
As
the nation's inner cities are dotted with coffee shop chains, boutique
furniture stores, and the skyline changes from public housing to
high-rise condominium buildings, listen to the refrain about school
reform sung by some intimidated elected officials and submissive
superintendents.
That
refrain is really about exporting the urban poor, reclaiming inner
city land, and using schools to recalculate urban land value. This kind
of school reform is not about children, it's about the business elite
gaining access to the nearly $600 billion that supports the nation's
public schools. It's about money.
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