South Carolina NAACP: "No" to School Choice
Black families have come a long way because of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was established in l909 to work for the political, educational, social, and economic equality of African-Americans. Fifty years ago its name alone gave Black people hope. Yet Black Americans are learning that the NAACP today, opposes an education policy that lets inner-city low-income minority children escape failing public schools, and many more of us are wondering whether the organization is straying from its historic mission. The NAACP is the nation's preeminent civil rights group, and it opposes school choice. Why? School Choice is the second civil rights movement of the 21st century.
Could the answer be, that the once revered civil rights organization places special interest politics over the interests of Black parents and school children? It appears that the politics of special interest coalition-building takes precedence over the interests of Black school children. During the past decade, the NAACP has worked with groups like the National Education Association (NEA), People for the American Way (PFAW) and the American Civil Liberties to oppose school choice. In l997, the NAACP joined forces with the PFAW to create a new coalition, Partners for Public Education (PPE), headed by Mfume (former president) and PFAW president Ralph Neas. It had a single purpose--fighting school choice.
But despite the opposition for school choice by the national, state, and local NAACP, there is a battle within Black America. NAACP officials, liberal politicians, and the education establishment are trying to stonewall the "good news" about school choice. But school choice works, and more and more Black leaders are saying so. For example in l999, the national NAACP ousted Mr. Wille Breazell as the organization's Colorado head, after he announced his support for school choice and complained that the "status quo leaves the poorest kids who need the most help......trapped in our very worst schools. "
Black community support for school choice is putting the NAACP at odds with prominent Democratic politicians, particularly big city mayors. For example: John Norquist, former mayor of Milwaukee, Kurt Schmoke, former mayor of Baltimore, Andrew Young, fomer mayor of Atlanta, and most recently Washington D.C. mayor Anthony Williams----all of them Democrats want to give low-income parents the right to choose where their child attends school. Plain and simple, that is the definition of "school choice" allowing parents to make the decision where their child will attend school, not some governmental entity making the decision.
One final question, if the NAACP is right and school choice does not benefit African-American children, then why do African-American parents continue to participate in school choice programs or place their names on waiting lists full of minority students whose parents are searching for a way out of failing public schools? In the city of Milwaukee, the school choice program has grown from 341 students in l990-91 to a mandated cap of more than 15,000 in 2005-06. The Cleveland, Ohio scholarship program grew from 1,994 students in l996-97 to more than 6,000 in 2002-2003. In l999, the private New York City based Children's Scholarship Fund endorsed by former Congressman Rev. Floyd Flake received 1.25 million applicants for only 40,000 scholarships to attend private schools.
The NAACP needs to listen more to the African-American community. A 2002 public opinion poll, conducted by the Joint Center for Political Economic Studies (based in Washington, DC.) showed 57 percent of African-Americans support school choice. More importantly, 67 per cent of Black households with children and 70 per cent of African-Americans ages 26-35 are school choice supporters.
If the national, state, and local chapters of the NAACP could find the courage to break with the teachers unions and other special interest groups, it could again become a bold advocate for the education of low-income African Americans. If Black parents are happy with their local public schools, then they do not need school choice/educational choice. But why leave poor Black students on the sidelines, when other students are free to choose? That is the resounding question the NAACP should be asking its constitutents.
Speaking of constitutents, the South Carolina State Chapter of the NAACP, in conjunction with the Public Policy Institute, is holding a public forum with the candidates for State Superientendent of Education, Ms. Karen Floyd (R) and Dr. Jim Rex (D) on Thursday September 14th at Brookland Baptist Conference Center. The conference center is located at 1054 Sunset Blvd in West Columbia. The forum will begin a 6:30, but a "meet and greet the candidates" will commence at 5:30 pm.
I urge anyone who is vitally concerned about the educational dilemna of our state, and is concerned about achieving "real educational reform" and not the "status quo", to attend this forum.
Dr. Taliaferro
Could the answer be, that the once revered civil rights organization places special interest politics over the interests of Black parents and school children? It appears that the politics of special interest coalition-building takes precedence over the interests of Black school children. During the past decade, the NAACP has worked with groups like the National Education Association (NEA), People for the American Way (PFAW) and the American Civil Liberties to oppose school choice. In l997, the NAACP joined forces with the PFAW to create a new coalition, Partners for Public Education (PPE), headed by Mfume (former president) and PFAW president Ralph Neas. It had a single purpose--fighting school choice.
But despite the opposition for school choice by the national, state, and local NAACP, there is a battle within Black America. NAACP officials, liberal politicians, and the education establishment are trying to stonewall the "good news" about school choice. But school choice works, and more and more Black leaders are saying so. For example in l999, the national NAACP ousted Mr. Wille Breazell as the organization's Colorado head, after he announced his support for school choice and complained that the "status quo leaves the poorest kids who need the most help......trapped in our very worst schools. "
Black community support for school choice is putting the NAACP at odds with prominent Democratic politicians, particularly big city mayors. For example: John Norquist, former mayor of Milwaukee, Kurt Schmoke, former mayor of Baltimore, Andrew Young, fomer mayor of Atlanta, and most recently Washington D.C. mayor Anthony Williams----all of them Democrats want to give low-income parents the right to choose where their child attends school. Plain and simple, that is the definition of "school choice" allowing parents to make the decision where their child will attend school, not some governmental entity making the decision.
One final question, if the NAACP is right and school choice does not benefit African-American children, then why do African-American parents continue to participate in school choice programs or place their names on waiting lists full of minority students whose parents are searching for a way out of failing public schools? In the city of Milwaukee, the school choice program has grown from 341 students in l990-91 to a mandated cap of more than 15,000 in 2005-06. The Cleveland, Ohio scholarship program grew from 1,994 students in l996-97 to more than 6,000 in 2002-2003. In l999, the private New York City based Children's Scholarship Fund endorsed by former Congressman Rev. Floyd Flake received 1.25 million applicants for only 40,000 scholarships to attend private schools.
The NAACP needs to listen more to the African-American community. A 2002 public opinion poll, conducted by the Joint Center for Political Economic Studies (based in Washington, DC.) showed 57 percent of African-Americans support school choice. More importantly, 67 per cent of Black households with children and 70 per cent of African-Americans ages 26-35 are school choice supporters.
If the national, state, and local chapters of the NAACP could find the courage to break with the teachers unions and other special interest groups, it could again become a bold advocate for the education of low-income African Americans. If Black parents are happy with their local public schools, then they do not need school choice/educational choice. But why leave poor Black students on the sidelines, when other students are free to choose? That is the resounding question the NAACP should be asking its constitutents.
Speaking of constitutents, the South Carolina State Chapter of the NAACP, in conjunction with the Public Policy Institute, is holding a public forum with the candidates for State Superientendent of Education, Ms. Karen Floyd (R) and Dr. Jim Rex (D) on Thursday September 14th at Brookland Baptist Conference Center. The conference center is located at 1054 Sunset Blvd in West Columbia. The forum will begin a 6:30, but a "meet and greet the candidates" will commence at 5:30 pm.
I urge anyone who is vitally concerned about the educational dilemna of our state, and is concerned about achieving "real educational reform" and not the "status quo", to attend this forum.
Dr. Taliaferro
posted by Dr. Taliaferro at 2:32 PM
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