Capitol Report
By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
Most of you know, the new school year commenced, in earnest, this week for thousands of students in Wisconsin, with academic pursuits ranging from college to kindergarten.
And, there is no denying the fact that every school year has a certain level of excitement, as well as trepidation, associated with it.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is the largest school district in the state, with approximately 80,000 students. However, the vast majority of these students are minorities (Black and Latino).
Year in and year out, the state of Wisconsin ranks among the national leaders in terms of academic proficiency on the Scholastic Aptitude/ Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT), which are the required entrance examinations for most colleges in this country. These glowing results on the SAT/ACT, however, belie the real academic picture in Wisconsin.
Black and Brown students are failing to excel — in both the classroom and on these standardized admission tests. What are the root causes of this scholastic disparity?
There a myriad of external, as well internal, forces to blame. Racism and poverty are two external factors that come readily to mind.
The quality of education in our inner city schools is also a cause for concern — with art, music and even gym classes becoming relics of a bygone day.
Earlier, I alluded to internal factors that play a part in the achievement gap.
In order to have any chance for a positive outcome in the classroom, at least three things must be in place.
First, the students must be present and prepared to learn (with the necessary supplies and food in their stomachs); second, the parent/guardian must be actively involved in the student’s education and have clear an expectation as to the student’s progress; and third, teachers/administrators must be firmly AUGUST 29, 2015 committed to the idea that every child has ability to learn, and then be committed to achieving that end.
In truth, MPS, like so many other struggling school districts in this state, faces some pretty daunting challenges in educating its students. However, MPS is extremely fortunate to have Dr. Darienne Driver as its head administrator.
She’s an educator who has a definite vision on how to educate urban children and is bent on making a positive difference by getting things done.
Let’s not forget that we (as a community) all have a vested interest in the success of every MPS, choice or charter student.
When they succeed, the community as a whole succeeds.
Welcome back students: here’s wishing you a productive school year.