Black Parents Should Boycott Schools

[Kafi Payne]

I have two sons and I am deeply concerned about their well-being. I try to buy organic food for them to eat. I make sure my older son wears his helmet and pads when he rides his scooter. I hold his hand when he crosses the street. Why in the world should I send him to a school (public, private, parochial, whatever!) that has never served black boys? I am an educator and am committed to improving the education system for all children but in the meantime, I think that as black parents, we should boycott schools until they start serving our children! I'm not radical (for the most part) but very few schools are serving our children and why should they? We're the foolish ones for keeping our children in a system that at best they get through and make it to college and at worst kills them slowly. I don't know how I'll do it but I plan on homeschooling my children (while still working full time). Am I the only one frustrated?

[Kafi Payne]

I keep thinking about the power of one-room schoolhouses. What if instead of the education machines that we have today, children were educated close to home in small mixed-age settings? I think one of the issues that we'd have to deal with is to ensure that all children had safe, comfortable environments at that funding/staffing for these school-houses did not depend on the median-income or home value of the neighborhood or we will continue to reinforce the system that we have today.

[pgcountywoman]

I am absolutely terrified about sending my Son to school. At this point, it doesn't matter if it's public or private. I am very concerned about the labeling that takes place in schools. I am already advocating for my child in daycare, if this keeps up, I will be grey by the time he turns 10. I truly understand your concern. As you can see, many of us moms share the same ones.

[Lisa]

I think if we boycott schools the white educational system has won. The way to change their system is for all black parents to attend PTA meetings and bring your child to school the first day and meet all his teachers. One day a week the mother or father should drop into the school and sit in your child's class. Do not let the teachers know that you are coming but sit in the classroom quietly. When teachers are clueless to when a parent is going to show up they remain on their toes. I can count how many Blacks attend a parent conference with me. I can't fight for ever ones African American child.
I guarantee if you get every black parent to start attending meetings and becoming involved in the school and demand changes it will happen. Our taxes pay for a free education and demand it will be provided equally. If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.

[Kafi Payne]

Lisa,

Do you have school age children?

There are many parents that are doing that (and more) and are still very frustrated (particularly if they have boys) with what is happening in schools. You have to do a lot more than sit in on classes and go to back-to-school night. You have to hand-pick your child's teachers every year and fight to make sure they are removed from a toxic-teacher's classroom. You have to make sure that your child understands that their behavior must be perfect--because they will be held to a much higher standard than any other child in the classroom but you must also make sure that the expectations held for them in the classroom is well above "he behaves well." Many times when Black boys sit and be quiet . . . when they behave well, they are passed along and not challenged to achieve academically or they get unnecessary praise making them think that they're doing something extraordinary when they're not. Then they get to college, don't know how to study, don't know how to push themselves so they take easy classes just so they can graduate (if they graduate).