While doing research both about the prospects of Arthur Davis' bid for governor of the state of Alabama and the continued assaults that are lumped on the South for its continued racism from bigoted Northerners I ran across these two pieces of disturbing news on the educational front the state right next door to me.
Birmingham City Public Schools - Inequities in Graduation Rates
There are fewer than 200 White, non-Hispanic male students in the Birmingham City public schools. Black male students in the district graduate at rates below the state and national average: two-thirds of those enrolled in Grade 9 do not graduate with their class four years later.
The number of out-of-school suspensions given to Black male students in Birmingham was equivalent to twenty-one percent of Birmingham’s Black, non-Hispanic, male student population. The number of out-of-school suspensions given to the small number of White male students in Birmingham was equivalent to ten percent of the district’s White, non-Hispanic, male enrollment in the 2004/5 school year, as reported to the Office of Civil Rights of the U. S. Department of Education.
Less than half the proportion of Birmingham’s Black male students were admitted to district Gifted and/or Talented programs as that for White male students, while over twice as many in proportion to enrollment were classified as Mentally Retarded. If Black male students had been admitted to Gifted and/or Talented programs at the same rate as White male students, at least 500 more would be in those programs.
Alabama’s Other Graduation Rate Problem: College
DOTHAN, Ala.—Alabama is doing a good job of getting its students to college, but it’s not doing so great at getting them through college.
According to the Southern Regional Education Board, Alabama’s high school graduates enroll in four-year colleges and universities at a higher rate than other U.S. graduates, but less than half of these students graduate within six years.
“Everybody knows we need to raise our high school graduation rates, but Alabama’s college graduation rates are even lower,“ said Alan Richard, SREB communications director.
Richard said lack of college preparation, a lack of focus by state government on what college preparation entails and rising tuition costs are all contributing factors to Alabama’s low college graduation rate.
Alabama universities have hiked tuition several times in recent years. This year, the University of Alabama increased tuition by 12 percent, 10 percent and 14 percent at its Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville campuses. Auburn University recently approved a 12 percent tuition hike. Troy University restructured its tuition schedule this year to eliminate a flat fee for full-time students, replacing it with a per hour charge.
Some people are predisposed to make a generalized attack on "the South". The sad truth of the matter is that many of these problems, specifically the one in Birmingham is highly concentrated upon the Black community. In blaming it on "The Red States" certain racist Liberals are able to make a broadsided attack while not being called out for attacking Black people. Sadly if we did a more granular review of the outcomes by ZIPCODE there is little that can be said about Birmingham that could not be said about many zipcodes in NYC, Philly, Baltimore or Compton CA.
I ask that my Black brothers and sisters who typically echo the broadsides of their racist White liberal sponsors to realize that when they talk down about "Red States" as it relates to ignorance and lack of education they are most specifically talking about the Black people who live in these areas. Too many of you go right along because you believe that they are hitting against the White Conservatives.
2 comments:
It's the same here in Indianapolis. Only 1 out of 3 black males that start high school here will graduate in four years. Half of those will get a GED, and the other half will do nothing. Leave it to liberals to make high school graduation rates a matter of race, when it's truly a matter of culture.
I wish these schools would document how many of these young men are in a single parent household with their mothers.
MichaelEmanuel:
What is the old saying? "Pride goes before the fall"?
I blame all of this squarely on the Black Establishment. They, more than our national government has control of the messaging that is rendered upon our young people who are making reproductive decisions. It is clear that many of these Black males in particular are being inculcated in environments that are not conducive to their attainment of anything that can be considered productive in life.
A quality education environment is a DISCIPLINED environment. Yet our culture prides itself in creating rebels and revolutionaries.
People fail to see the expanded context and the shift that has taken place while they are fighting the same ole battles. What happens with the TEACHERS are no longer RACISTS, the POLICE are no longer commanded by RACISTS and society does not stand against you because you are BLACK but because you are a THUG which threatens them?
This entire situation stems from the failure of this Black Establishment to step up and take CONTROL OF the domains where Black people are concentrated the most. The establishment is more interested today in POLITICAL GAINS than they are in stepping up and enforcing a social and cultural order that our people can live in peace within and receive education.
In seeing this report they will demand that MORE MONEY be spent and that new PROGRAMS be concocted to help Black boys. You are too correct in noting that the program with resident fathers are imprinting upon these wayward boys will not be brought forth.
The best that this establishment is good for is to erect magical "Gravitational Pull" that the sight of Obama as President will have upon little Black boys. Thus far the murder count in our large cities does not seem to have been impacted by the mere sight of Obama.
I am amazed as the entrenchment and staying power that the Black community has in following the same course despite being shorted on our promised goals. I can only ask if you or anyone else sees some magical corrective event that is coming down the pike which will change everything for the better based on the recent POLITICAL events and the happiness of Black folks that resulted?
In my view the Black community is temporarily happy IN SPITE OF the gathering storm clouds.
Sadly we as a community at large are more prone to violent protests as a sign that we are at our wits end than we are open to accepting that what is POPULARLY ASSUMED TO WORK IS ACTUALLY FAILING and that samples of what other people are doing for success is a much better approach.
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