Dear Ken:
I have raised seven children and I have five
grandchildren.
I am a liberal and consider myself a community
activist. BUT I tell you one thing, I am not
going to put my children's short young lives at
risk for a social cause! I will work very hard
to change the social issue, which I have done for
over 30 years, but I certainly won't put my
children's short 13 years of academic growth into
a "cause".
I know people who live in poverty because it is
"politically correct". I'm not quite sure what is
politically correct about putting children in
situations that are advantageous to their
learning experience. And I think currently that
we have some serious problems with our public
education situation, particularly in the City of
Minneapolis that has to be addressed. Children
of color, particularly Black children are still
failing the basic skills tests at a
disporportionately high rate. Many are not even
eligible to take the ACT and SAT tests for
college because of the education they have
received.
We have some terrible schools in Minneapolis, and
we have some wonderful schools in Minneapolis,
but if one is not forunate to get their children
into those wonderful schools, or if their
children are of color, and have the added
stresses of racism and classism in addition to
trying to learn, I think if the parent has other
options for their children's education, they
should take it, for their children's sake.
I believe in systems change and there is much
work to do. I personally (my community activism)
spend my time on trying to get more people of
color into the political area and involved in
public policy change. But what ever your arena,
I think that your children are more served
getting the best and appropriate knowledge that
you can provide so they can continue the systems
change work when they become adults.
The Minneapolis Public schools are one of the
most segregated schools in the country and that
segregration is coming out in the monies that are
being allocated to the schools, the quality and
cultural competency of the teachers, etc., etc.
etc. My youngest children were both special
needs children. One is gifted and one has
learning disabilities. I could not get the
program either of them needed, so I did actually
sent them to Des Moines with their father. My
daughters were fortunate that I had that option
for their education.
But most poor families don't have that option.
BUT IF THEY DID, I would bet you that they would
take advantange of it, so their children would
have a better chance at a better educational
experience and better occupational experience as
adults.
I have a personal feeling that those middle
class, white, liberal folks that send their
children to "poor, inner city" schools as a
political statement are displaying their
arrogance at their children's expense. Those
parents actually have options, and my personal
believe is it is a different kind of exploitation
of primarily poor people of color. I personally
don't like that behavior.
I will not, intentionally, put my children at
risk. I personally think that is a different
form of child abuse. Children deserve the best
opportunities they can be afforded. And I
believe that those of us that consider ourselves
liberals need to make sure that free education
begins again to be quality education (as it was
when I was going to the Minneapolis Public
Schools - (1955 - 1968), no matter what school
you happen to go to.
Take good care,
Matthea Smith
Powderhorn Park - 9-4 Park District 3
------------------------------
I also
> believe that a parent who calls him or herself
> a liberal or a social
> progressive must also "put their kids where
> their mouth is".
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