Charles Black was a white attorney from Texas who helped Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP write the brief presented to the US Supreme Court in what eventually led to the desegregation of public schools. According to the movie "Separate but Equal", a particular passage Mr. Black wrote had a strong impact on Chief Justice Earl Warren as he wrote the majority opinion which led to a 9-0 ruling on desegregating our schools. It read: "These infant appellants are asserting the most important claim that can be put forward by children. The claim to their full measure of the chance to learn and grow and the inseparably connected but even more important claim to be treated as entire citizens of the society into which they have been born."
Watching the movie "Separate but Equal" brought to light many of the battles we still face in ensuring all children are treated as entire citizens. How do we justify not providing art and music in a small, yet predominately black school such as Baptist Hill High School? How do we justify busing our black students on the peninsula to Mitchell Elementary for SAIL as Buist children receive it at their school with full-time SAIL teachers on staff? The US Supreme Court concluded that separate is not equal. Unfortunately, we have reached the 21st Century and it is very clear many of our schools in Charleston County are separate. While we could blame parents for this situation, it is also very clear these same schools are not equal. Who do we blame for that?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
CCSD Plays Games Again
Dr. McGinley is playing the same games Gregg Meyers and his crew like to play. Shame on you, Dr. McGinley. Anyone reading the paper this morning with half a brain should realize the manipulation taking place. You are NOT enforcing any attendance lines at Buist. Yet 10 children are suppose to live on the peninsula and 10 children are suppose to live in low-performing school zones when they apply and enter the school each year. What is the purpose of those lists if you only have to live in the county to attend the school?
The District 20 Board gave YOU and every board member the list of numerous parents who had falsified addresses and no one did anything. That's what Alice Paylor, Sallie Ballard, and Dr. Goodloe told them to do. Yet, according to Mr. Meyers you don't have to live at the address you provide when you go to Buist. You only need to live in the county of Charleston because "people have a constitutional right to travel."
Meanwhile at St. Andrews...well, they have a real attendance zone and evidently they're finally going to follow it. We've known there was a fake address issue over there for a while, so maybe we're finally making progress. Unfortunately, there are more. It's easy to change the name on the identification requirements CCSD is using for residency verification and we all know it. Concerned citizens have shown us examples of that on this blog and others.
I think it's time the citizens of Charleston get off their computers and speak out.
The District 20 Board gave YOU and every board member the list of numerous parents who had falsified addresses and no one did anything. That's what Alice Paylor, Sallie Ballard, and Dr. Goodloe told them to do. Yet, according to Mr. Meyers you don't have to live at the address you provide when you go to Buist. You only need to live in the county of Charleston because "people have a constitutional right to travel."
Meanwhile at St. Andrews...well, they have a real attendance zone and evidently they're finally going to follow it. We've known there was a fake address issue over there for a while, so maybe we're finally making progress. Unfortunately, there are more. It's easy to change the name on the identification requirements CCSD is using for residency verification and we all know it. Concerned citizens have shown us examples of that on this blog and others.
I think it's time the citizens of Charleston get off their computers and speak out.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Buist...again???
Well, here we are again. Buist Academy is in the headlines with more bad publicity. I do have a few questions, though. Okay, so we now know that CCSD is willing to admit children attending Buist do NOT live in Charleston COUNTY. HUH???? Sounds like some parents owe Charleston County taxes to me. Remember how they do it in Philly, Dr. McGinley?
But what about the OTHER issue? You know, the one that was uncovered last summer? The 10 slots that are suppose to be for residents who live in downtown Charleston didn't go to downtown residents. At least 2 spots went to cheating families out on Folly Beach. 1 spot went to a lovely child whose parents own a nice college rental on Coming Street. Another spot went to a child whose parents had their house sold before school even began. Let's see...who else? Oh, yeah...we shouldn't forget the lovely Bee Street apartment owner who claims 4% at his gated Headquarters Island home. You get the picture. The kids who really live downtown are still waiting on the waiting list, Ms. Paylor. CCSD officials and all school board members are fully aware of this, yet they still sit quietly doing nothing.
Has Buist filled the vacancies they had at the 10 day count or is Principal Ballard still waiting on her Yacht club friends to make a decision?
We need an audit of the entire school. This is ridiculous. Will it never end?
C'mom, Justice Department...where are you?
But what about the OTHER issue? You know, the one that was uncovered last summer? The 10 slots that are suppose to be for residents who live in downtown Charleston didn't go to downtown residents. At least 2 spots went to cheating families out on Folly Beach. 1 spot went to a lovely child whose parents own a nice college rental on Coming Street. Another spot went to a child whose parents had their house sold before school even began. Let's see...who else? Oh, yeah...we shouldn't forget the lovely Bee Street apartment owner who claims 4% at his gated Headquarters Island home. You get the picture. The kids who really live downtown are still waiting on the waiting list, Ms. Paylor. CCSD officials and all school board members are fully aware of this, yet they still sit quietly doing nothing.
Has Buist filled the vacancies they had at the 10 day count or is Principal Ballard still waiting on her Yacht club friends to make a decision?
We need an audit of the entire school. This is ridiculous. Will it never end?
C'mom, Justice Department...where are you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)