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Chances are that this documentary is not going to be shown on many Black Establishment media organizations. If so they would be forced to question their own alliances with forces shown in the video who are more concerned about the interests of the adults that prosper off of the school system and having it remain as it is today. The notion that these schools are primarily set up for the edification of the children is a secondary point to many of them.
For decades the Black community has been sold on the struggle that intended to reform the public schools in their present form. We have done our part. As a native of Philadelphia I recall the chants "We need people placed in our schools who 'care about our children and have our people's best interests in mind'". Today after having achieved this goal of the placement of "favorable people" - the same basic problems exist in these schools - if not worse than before.
A charter school is a public school. The key difference is that these schools are run at the school level. The "School Administrative Establishment" (ie: the School Board and Superintendent) do not manage the day to day operations of these schools as they do a traditional public school.
Some people are threatened by the notion that this central establishment power might be undercut by Charter schools. As with so many other debates that swirl within the public space they know that the best way to achieve their ultimate goal is to get Black people sold on some other point which might stick. In the case of charter schools the trick is to make note that 'long time enemies of Black people are backing the charter movement'. This are conservatives, Republicans and corporations seeking to make a profit. They hope that our community will take our eye off of the prize - QUALITY EDUCATION - and instead go into our defensive position. Most Blacks are clear about how they feel about Republicans. If the charter movement can be cast as a Republican movement - no other debate is necessary for many people.
The average Black parent knows that their child gets one shot to attend all of the grades in K-12. It is illogical for any of the political operatives to expect them to wait while the government operated schools are "fixed". It is entirely reasonable for a parent to tell the system - "You go ahead and prove that you are going to indeed fix the schools as you have promised. I will have to make a decision on where my youngest child will attend school in about 5 years when she is of age. I will come back around to see how far you all have progressed. In the mean time I need for you to move out of my way while I place this child right here in the school that I have chosen as being for him".
To show that in one community (Harlem) with two schools, right across the street from each other can produce dramatically different results is a threat to some. With one school having 17% proficiency while the other has 71% is enough information for those who are honest.
We as a people are used to rendering indictments. When two differentiated outcomes are had that impact our community the rhetorical question that is typically heard is: "What else can this be except RACISM?". In Harlem these results are had WITHIN the same community. The normal indictments can't stand.
This time any indictments that might be rendered would tend to go against the establishment that many are inclined to protect.
The only logical choice is for those who are seriously interested in the attainment of the permanent interest of "Quality Education" to step back focus on the outcomes and allow the methodologies to get there become more fluid based on their results.
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