Innocence Lost: Atlanta Public Schools and the Countless Victims

This past Friday, 35 people, including principals, assistant principals, teachers, and even the superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, were indicted in one of the largest school cheating cases in this country. Their crimes: falsifying standardized test scores, which resulted in increased pay for a number of individuals.

The allegations date back as early as 2000. This means that, over the past 13 years (at LEAST), there have allegedly been such illegal and unethical activities going on in APS. That's 13 years: a child's entire K-12 tenure. This means there are some children who were essentially failed from start to finish of their public school career, not by their parents, not by their environment, and not by themselves. They were failed by the group of individuals trained, prepared, and hired to ensure that they received the best education possible: the educators.

Living in the Washington, DC area, I witnessed the uproar that Michelle Rhee caused when she took over as Chancellor of DC Public Schools. Her arguments were that the teachers were responsible for ensuring students were adequately prepared. As a result, she also fired a number of teachers who weren't performing as expected. Suffice it to say, she was not well-liked.

I'm not saying I agree with Michelle Rhee. As a child of a retired K-12 administrator, I grew up listening to my father's stories about students and parents, and issues that he encountered. I remember him receiving threatening phone calls (at home), from suspended students. I also remember him holding teachers, staff, and administrators accountable for doing their part.....always.

What disturbs me about this entire APS scandal is that the people who were expected to do right by these kids, were so self-involved that they never once thought about the short and long-term ramifications of their actions. Instead, they were consumed with the immediate financial rewards they would receive.

In one article, a parent of a then-5th grader went to her school administrators and told them she had serious concerns that her child was not doing well in reading, yet aced the standardized reading tests. She was told by administrators her daughter was "just a good test taker." .....................................*insert blank stare*.............................................................................................

Really? In an era where we complain so much about how students, particularly African-American students underperform on standardized tests, a student who struggles during the school year aces a standardized tests? To the point her mother even argues this makes no sense?

Now, this child is a 9th-grader, reading at a 5th grade level. What chance does this girl have for succeeding in high-school? What are her chances of performing well on the SAT or ACT, and being admitted to college? If she is fortunate enough to go, how will she succeed in a university setting, where students are expected to have, at minimum, a basic high-school education and ability to not only manage their time, but also study and succeed academically? What future does this girl have, when she is 15 years old and reading at a 5th grade level? What kind of frustration and insecurities have you created in a child who, unknowingly, was socially promoted through school, just so the teachers, administrators, and superintendent could make more money?

In an era of technology, social media, and all kinds of information, we (myself included) are quick to discuss this generation of students in terms of the fast-food generation: those who want everything now, expect everything, are always "connected," unaware of their own mortality and the ramifications of their actions. Then there is the discussion about the parents: who are concerned about work more than their kids and their well-being. Those who are more concerned with having their own life than ensuring that their kids have the best one possible, or those who expect the teachers to work miracles and turn water into wine.

Yes, we've all discussed these types of students and parents. But let's now turn our attention to the most heinous and problematic of this story: the educators.

Disclaimer: this is not a judgement of all educators. Again, I'm a third-generation educator. I understand and appreciate everyone, ESPECIALLY K-12 educators for what they do. It is a thankless job.

However, for those of you in this APS scandal, and those who are unnamed, but are just as guilty in other parts of the country, I have this to say: shame on you. You were formally trained to prepare students to be able to complete not only high school, but enter college if they choose. You were blessed with the opportunity to not only complete your studies, but enter your field and succeed. You were afforded opportunities to climb in ranking in your field (Beverly Hall). Instead of paying it forward, the way each of us is expected to, you TOOK that opportunity from so many children. You stole their chances to excel academically, win scholarships to college, and for some I'm sure, graduate from high school and attend college. APS is 78% African-American, with approximately 75% of all students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Guess who was hurt the most by these actions.

You stole the innocence of so many children who trusted you to do what was in their best interest. For those parents who trusted your training and position, you stole their opportunity do what was in the best interest of their children at the time (complain to the school board, find better schools, or outside resources). You created more statistics instead of scholars.

While I don't agree with Michelle Rhee's tactics, I will say that the APS scandal has made me think more about how off (or on for that matter) she was in holding educators more accountable. As a college professor, we see the after-effects of K-12 education. We see the students who soared, and will continue to in college and beyond, to those who flew under the radar and are either doing the same or struggling with adjusting to college life, and finally those who barely made it out of college and can go in either direction. There are always those who simply didn't apply themselves in high school and now they flourish in college. However, I can't see how a college student reading at a 5th or 6th grade level will ever be able to flourish. Honestly, I don't see how a student could even be accepted to college reading at that level.

And here is the problem. The APS 35 have essentially destroyed these children's lives before they even began. They eliminated so many opportunities to soar, for selfish, greedy reasons. And yet, they aren't alone.

Computer Science for Middle School Students???

This is my 6th year as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Systems and Computer Science at Howard University. We have a great relationship with Google, and we also house a public charter middle school on campus (The Howard University Middle School of Math and Science).

One of the new and exciting initiatives we have partnered with both Google and the middle school to create was a year-long computer science curriculum for 6th-8th grade students. This program is called the Partnership for Early Engagement in Computer Science (PEECS). PEECS is exciting not only because of the tremendous partnership we've formed, but also the curriculum we've developed.

I neglected to mention that the middle school (also known as MS2) is approximately 97% African-American and 3% Hispanic. In computer science (and STEM in general), these are two minority groups that are GROSSLY underrepresented. Part of the reason is lower performance in math and science courses at any earlier age, that extends through high school and their interests in these subjects. The other reason is lack of exposure to these disciplines. As a result, these students are not prepared to pursue the necessary high-school courses to prepare them for college studies in computer science.

Another major problem with African-American and Hispanic student interests in computer science is they don't feel like this is an area that they readily see themselves in. Think about it. How many African-American or Hispanic computer scientists do you know, or can name? Instead, the field is viewed as White and Asian male-dominated field.

PEECS is designed to change this. First, by working with Google, we are leveraging a program they developed called CAPE, which was designed to expose rising 9th graders to computer science through engaging activities throughout a 4-week summer. PEECS is bridging the engagement with curriculum. Not only are we teaching CS, but we are also doing it through hands-on activities and experiences that students can relate to and understand. One of the most important components of PEECS is that we created a culturally-relevant curriculum to teach students computer science.

Through this culturally-relevant curriculum, we hope to help students not only better understand computer science fundamentals (problem-solving, logic, programming, networking, Internet design, mobile application development, and robotics), but also show them how CS is already a part of their daily lives.

We officially kicked off the program last week with 120 6th-8th grade students in 6 classes. We have two CS faculty (myself and department chair Dr. Legand Burge), two undergraduate and two graduate CS students. We had a few technical difficulties, due to firewall issues, but have now resolved those, and are completing the assessments this week. Stay tuned for an exciting journey called PEECS!!

True Blood, College Prep, and 9/11

Tonight I finally decided to create my new blog. Trying to accomplish this while watching the season finale of "True Blood" isn't that easy though. In addition, I've spent all weekend watching various documentaries and specials on 9/11. So suffice it to say that I'm emotionally all over the place right now. As separate as all these events are, somehow, they actually work together tonight.

I was beginning my second year of graduate school in NC 10 years ago today. I'd been up until about 3am studying for class, and slept in that morning of September 11. When I awoke, I had a number of missed calls from my mom. I checked the voicemail to hear that two planes had hit the World Trade Center. By the time I turned the TV on, a third plane had just hit the Pentagon. I remember taking a second to register what was actually happening, then quickly beginning to call my friends in DC and NY.

I'm fortunate that I didn't lose any friends or family in the devastation of 9/11. But watching all of these specials this weekend has left me in an emotional place. You see, I live only a few minutes from the Pentagon now. I can only imagine the fear that so many people around me felt on that day, and I ache for them on this and every day since.

So what does this have to do with True Blood or college prep you ask? I've been a fan of TB since it's first season. Too bad this wasn't around when I was in high school or college. The entire show is a lesson on tolerance and acceptance. People fear what they don't understand, or what is "different." However, just like Antonia said tonight, "everyone has their place in this world, even vampires." EVERYONE has their place. We must learn to accept different races, ethnicities, cultures, and (even) opinions.

One of the best ways to begin this tolerance and acceptance is to educate ourselves. Education is the path to a better life for one's self and community. With this education comes not only the things we learn in books, but also the things we learn in life. Teach your students that acceptance is an expectation, not an option. Encourage diversity and individuality, so that children learn to appreciate their uniqueness in the world and become leaders for change and not followers of hate. That's what 9/11 and TB have helped us to better understand. The world IS different, filled with people of various beliefs, religions, practices, and more. It's not our place to decide who is right or better. It is our place to accept and appreciate ALL for their unique contribution to this world we live in. Everyone has their place in the world. When you know better you do better.

Until next time!