Recognize Your Real Oppressor

News about Black graduation rates is getting a bit of play on the news right now.  I'm actually surprised there isn't more reporting on this because this is one of the great ways for the federal government to justify taking more of our money and giving it to others.  Well, BORROWING money on our backs to give to others.

The report (PDF) shows how the graduation rates for black males is significantly below that of white males.  Big time.  Only 47% of black males nationwide start the 9th grade and graduate with their classmates in 4 years.  78% of white males meet that standard.

And of course, this is the fault of whites.  The implication of this study is that whites are standing at the perimeter of the good schools with pitchforks and rifles with bayonets keeping the "disadvantaged" out of their schools.  Apparently, we let the Asians sneak through, because their graduation rates exceed that of whites.

The communist educational group (is that being redundant - communist and educational group?) tells us the reason blacks don't do as well as whites is because they don't have the same opportunities.  They've even gone as far as to quantify this in their Opportunity To Learn Index (OTLI).  Here's how they "do the math" -

OTLI compares the opportunity of students from disadvantaged groups to that of White, non-Latino students for access to those 25 percent of the schools in a state where nearly all students graduate on-time and college ready. For example, if 40 percent of a state’s White, non-Latino students are enrolled in the top quartile of that state’s schools, and 20 percent of students from disadvantaged groups are given the opportunity to study in such schools, the OTLI is 50 percent: disadvantaged students having half the Opportunity to Learn as White, non-Latino students in that state.

Of course, anyone can attend any school in America.  You may need to MAKE THE DECISION to move, you may need to make some sacrifices or make other personal choices, but you can send your kid to any school in America if you have enough desire.

---

From the Merriam-Webster dictionary -

1. 
   

Main Entry: dis·ad·van·taged

Pronunciation: \-tijd\

Function: adjective

Date: 1879

: lacking in the basic resources or conditions (as standard housing, medical and educational facilities, and civil rights) believed to be necessary for an equal position in society

Wow.  Disadvantaged used to mean things that happened to you through no fault of your own.  Things like being born deaf or blind.  Bad things outside of your control.

In this study, you're considered disadvantaged for no reason other than the color of your skin.  What's THAT teaching blacks?  The thought of this - the incessant drumming of "the racial excuse" - turns my stomach.

Of course, it's all about personal choice.  White and Asian families - in the aggregate - more often make the choice to do whatever is necessary to get their kids into the best possible schools.

As an example, when my boys were grammar school aged, we made the tuition payment for a private school BEFORE we made our mortgage payment.  My wife (who is of Hispanic descent and who will punch you in your jaw if you call her 'disadvantaged') got a job at the school so we could get a tuition break.  Still, for most months during their earliest school years, we didn't have enough money for both the mortgage and tuition.

THAT'S how important education was to our family.

What I would like to see is a study of graduation rates based upon family structure.  How many of the non-graduating students, by race, had a single parent household?

Or maybe a, "non-essential devices-to-income" ratio.  How many household with little or no income somehow find a way to buy an X-Box, but not pay for an education?  Maybe we could also do a book-to-video game cartridge study as well.

But we're not going to see such a studies, at least not widely reported in the press.  It would shoot holes in the whole idea of disadvantaged groups.  Should you be considered "disadvantaged" when you've made the choices that put you into your current economic straits? 

It's not my fault you chose to buy a big-screen TV or expensive "smart phone" instead of putting money away to move to a better neighborhood, or to pay for private school tuition.

It's not my fault you chose to get pregnant, have a kid, and not be able to support yourself or the kid.

It's not my fault you chose to accept the, "keepin' it real" outlook that is prevalent in the poor black community.

It's not my fault that you chose to rely on the government for your rent, food, clothing and education, effectively destroying your need and desire to provide for yourself.

Your primary oppressor is looking at you in the mirror.

If you want to remain a ward of the state, don't change a damned thing.  The choice is yours.  At least have the personal dignity not to bitch about it.
---

If you want to get pissed off at someone other than yourself for your predicament, your first stop on The Hate Parade should be the teacher's unions.  They are your biggest outside enemy, and they are the ones with the most to gain by you staying in your current predicament.

Ask them why they are bending over backwards to shut down or limit Charter Schools.  In particular, you might want to ask them about The Harlem Success Academy.

This is a charter school in the poorest NYC borough, and it is almost all black.  Their success rate is absolutely fantastic.  They have 95% of their students at or above grade level proficiency.  That's compared to only 56% of other NYC public schools being at the same level.  Nearly twice the success rate in a virtually all-black school.  It seems like the color of your skin is irrelevant when you make the right choices.

They have so many people trying to get into these schools that they must hold lotteries.  WTF?  These are black families that recognize the value of a good education, and they're literally being stopped at the door.

But the teacher's unions don't like it.  They're not in control.  Teachers are actually held to standards (GASP!) and that's just not acceptable.

They and their other union buddies buy off politicians to block the expansion of these schools -

Charter schools, which are public schools overseen by private boards of directors, have exploded in Harlem over the last few years, with 24 of Manhattan’s 29 charter schools located north of 96th Street.

The area is home to two equally passionate factions: those who believe that charters provide a focused quality of education better than Harlem’s district schools provide, and those who believe the growth of charters starves traditional schools of resources. Perkins has firmly aligned himself with the anti-charter activists, a position that came into focus at hearings he held on April 22 as chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions.

Hey, NEWS FLASH!  They DO starve traditional schools of resources.  That's a great thing.  Why would you want to continue dumping money into a system that has proven itself incompetent?  Why would you want to continue depriving children of the ability to go to a school that actually produces smart kids? 

Because the status quo is in the best interest of the teacher's unions.  Your kids education, be damned.


Accept The Challenge

It's in all of our interest to have an educated citizenry.  The more people are able to care and provide for themselves, the less burden is placed on social programs.

Realistically, I don't see the current Income Redistribution climate changing any time soon.  We can look to the future, and there are some things we can do -

If you're in a district with low graduation rates, regardless of skin color, get in front of your school board members and ask why this is happening.  Ask if they've drawn up plans to charter schools.  Ask them why they should be re-elected if their districts are not performing.

Ask what they're doing to address low graduation rates aside from throwing more money at the problem.  Tell them we've tried that for the last 40 years, and it hasn't worked.  You want ideas that have worked elsewhere.

And remember, just because you don't have kids in school doesn't mean this issue doesn't affect you.  If you pay taxes, you're affected!

---
Please click our advertiser links. They pay us so you don't have to. A click a day is all we ask!

Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com