Charter Schools Create Opportunities for Black Children
-Charter schools can give our kids better resources and prep them for college/success
-In comparison: Over 30 schools at Dallas ISD are "F" (FAILING) schools, and almost none are high-performing
-Superintendent Elizalde makes a 6-figure salary; DISD President Justin Henry puts politics before people
Charter schools can provide children of color with better resources and prepare them for success in life. The Dallas ISD has a history of failing to adequately serve students of color in underserved neighborhoods, leading to lower academic achievement and fewer opportunities for success later in life. For each failing school, there should be an alternative Charter school option, which can tailor their programs to meet the unique needs of these students, providing a more personalized education that can lead to improved outcomes.
We have adults whose public school system has failed and desperately need an opportunity to reset their focus. Research has shown that charter schools, particularly those that serve predominantly minority populations, can significantly impact student achievement. In many cases, charter schools outperform traditional public schools regarding graduation rates, college readiness, and overall academic achievement. Charter Schools can also be retooled to pinpoint vocational training because there should be no shame in the admission that a poor student's first priority is making money for their household. Charter schools can also use government funds to effectively provide continuing education at a nominal cost to the communities they serve. Charter schools can provide this due in part to their ability to innovate and implement best practices, which can lead to more engaging and effective teaching methods.
Another advantage of charter schools is that they often access more resources than traditional public schools. This is because they can tap into private funding and grants and receive public funding on a per-pupil basis. This allows them to invest in programs and resources that benefit students of color, such as STEM programs, college readiness initiatives, and extracurricular activities.
Charter schools can give children of color the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in a diverse and rapidly changing world. Charter schools can prepare students to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century by emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. This is particularly important for students of color, who may face unique obstacles in their personal and professional lives.
Charter schools can provide children of color with better resources and prepare them for success in life. While there are certainly challenges and controversies surrounding the charter school movement, it is clear that these schools have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of students who the traditional public school system has historically underserved. By continuing to innovate and prioritize the needs of students, charter schools can help to close the achievement gap and create a more equitable and just society.
Our issue with the Dallas ISD is found in how they work with the Dallas City Council and Superintendent Elizalde. They are given six-figure salaries to ensure these failing schools are kept afloat as the only logical option for families living at or below the poverty line, with an anemic connection to the communities that most need better resources. While our children at brutally assaulted by coaches and hall monitors, as seen in Justin F Kimball High School (failing school), people like President Justin Henry would like to place the burden of these failing institutions on the backs of parents, saying that it is their fault that children are behaving poorly and that there is no need to have a closely knit relationship with the community as evidence of the hopelessness of this situation. They feel like the ruined lives of these children are an acceptable consequence of these failing schools. They also lower the requirements for those employed in their educational system because when you are tasked to maintain a failing institution, retention is maintained by rewarding mediocrity.
To be clear: we are not advocating for the closure of the Dallas ISD. We support the idea that FOR EACH failing school with a history of failing, there is a charter option that places the community's needs first. There are around 30 schools that the DISD swept under the rug by not providing the public with a rating. Thus, they sidestepped the issue, and these schools are indeed failing. The real danger is that the Dallas ISD diverts funding from where our city needs it most: the underserved. Why? Because when children and their families fall through the cracks, they often turn to crime or are traumatized into addiction. This represents a threat to everyone and puts them on a pipeline to prison. We need to rebuild the structure and legitimate pathways to wealth for our communities so that we can all enjoy the pride and privilege of leading successful lives with our families intact and prospering.
