This ode is called "Taking it to the Streets: The Grassroots Movement"
It has only been weeks since President Obama's Ecomonic Stimulus Plan (although now it has a new name) has detailed its education piece and already schools districts, teachers, and vendors have earmarked that money.
(Won't someone please think of the children?)
Earmarked that money for teachers and books,
Earmarkled that money for schiesters and crooks,
Earmarked that money for political games,
Earmarked that money for more of the same.
I am quite confident that I heard President Obama indicate that when it comes to education, we need more innovation.
But yet, those same programs that created and extended the achievement gap are continuing to be funded by those that created and extended the achievement gap.
(Won't someone please think of the children?)
Educators have forgotten exactly who is their customer.
The customer is the parent,
The working 9 to 5 parent,
The trying to stay alive parent.
The parent with 3 or 4 mouths to feed.
The parent who has many needs,
But pity isn't one of them.
Because if the customer is always right, then some educators are doing it wrong.
I have worked in school districts where many educators refuse to stay past 4pm for a parent conference.
That's wrong!
Where they believe every minority household has no college graduates.
That's wrong!
Where they believe that they care for their students more than the parents of those students. But at the same time, conduct themselves in a manner that is detrimental to the development of those students who they say they care about so much.
Very wrong!
I could cite statistics, but I'm not.
You know who you are.
Let's make room for educators that care,
Educators who want to educate.
So here's what we are going to do.
Every parent
Hold you child's teacher accountable.
Ask what is the purpose of the assignment.
Ask if there is a goal in mind or if this is just idle work.
Ask to see some lesson plans.
As the customer, demand that the work is done right, so that the product, our children, won't break down at the side of the road.
Politicians
Don't give one penny of the stimulus money to any school district or program without a plan in place.
This is my challenge.
This is my grassroots movement.
I am Dr. EBlack
And I approve this message.
