For years in urban education the emphasis was on reading, We sometimes dedicated a ninety minute block to reading daily. Ninety minutes out of a six hour day minus 40 minutes for lunch minus 40 minutes for a planning period. How many hour is left for teaching , let’s see?

Every year the state tests every student in the state for several days. It depends on the grade level which subjects the student will be tested in. For sure, each child will be tested to determine his or her reading level.

Billions of dollars have been poured into training teachers, training administrators, and training specialist to teach our children to read.

Every year during the summer the test scores come in and massive numbers of children have failed the tests again. Damn, now let’s start the “blame game.”

Let’s start by blaming those dumb assed kids. Yeah, and how about their parents that don’t give a damn. They don’t even teach them at home. They think teachers should do all the work. Why should we have those damned tests, we are working hard with “these” kids.

In some urban schools, less than 30-40% of the students pass the reading tests. Why are some urban schools in predominately African American communities failing our children?

Did you know that 70% of all teachers are white females? Some have never interacted with an African American. Oftentimes, they are first college graduates in their family.
In some districts there seems to be the preconceived notion that “these kids” do not want to learn.

Please. do not let me leave out some of the African American teachers and administrators that identify with their white colleagues.They have declared themselves, “honorary white folks.”

Some of the teachers slide into the community off the highway in the morning and slide out after their 6 hour days. They often come to school ill prepared to teach because of their assumptions about African American students.

Their thoughts become their attitudes, their attitudes become their actions. Our babies fail!

O.k. let’s look at the way the school day is divided or organized. The students enter school, have breakfast and are sitting in class by 9:00. Let’s do some housekeeping issues until 9:30. You know, announcements, putting things away, getting things out the desk, bell work. You know, that kind of necessary stuff. Time killers.

Next, how about getting ready to teach reading . What time it is now? 9:45? Let’s start the reading block for 90 minutes. Oh hell, do we have music, gym, or art today for 45 minutes. O.k. it is time to start the reading block. What time is it? We have 45 minutes before lunch. Did everybody change clothes from gym?

Let’s line up for lunch. Oh, that could take ten minute to get to the lunch room then, 40 minutes for lunch. O. k. it is time for reading. Oh, that’s right we have art today. Line up it is time for art!

O.k. let’s go to the computer lab to take our pre-test, that can take another 45 minutes.

Damn, it is almost time to go home. Do you know now why Jorelle and N’ iescha can’t read?

Let’s listen in on some teacher- talk in the Teacher’s Lounge:

I hate to teach reading. You know why? I am not a reading specialist.
I have to spend most of my time breaking up arguments and fights.
They don’t wanna learn anyway.
The parents want you to raise them.

They don’t pay me enough .
Yeah, I am tired after working my six hours.

Did you see what N’iescha had on today?
She is a terrible little girl.
That principal is a real bitch.
I am going to file a grievance because the meeting lasted ten minutes over time.
Yeah, me too.
What are you doing over there?
I am working on my lesson plans.
You are doing what?
Use the ones from last year.

Unfortunately for our children, large teacher’s unions have bargained every term and condition of employment. They forgot about spending time teaching children . Teaching is the only profession, that I know of, that you can fail continually and keep your job.

In some districts they are trying to change because they have lost so many children to charter schools. Some districts are going to have to make drastic changes. Some are going to maintain the status quo until they are eventually closed.

That is when the parents become the teacher’s comrades, chanting in unison, “Leave our community schools open!” to that I reply, “Why”?