Friday, August 28, 2015

4 Troubling Truths About Black Boys and Education; State SenatorsShare Reverse Mortgage Information; Black Star Community PTA Meet andGreet; New Law Addresses Racial Disparities in Discipline


4 Troubling Truths about Black Boys
Illinois Senators Protect Seniors from Scam Artists
Community PTA Meet and Greet
New Law Addresses Racial Disparities
Sunday University
College Week
Anointed to Sing the Gospel

4 Troubling Truths About Black Boys and the U.S. Educational System

This crisis begins in homes, stretches to K-12 educational experiences, and leads straight to the cycle of incarceration in increasingly high numbers.

By Matthew Lynch
August 26, 2015
Most people like to think that American K-12 schools, workplaces and courthouses are pillars of fairness, but statistic after statistic all point to a crisis among the young, Black men of the nation. This crisis begins in homes, stretches to K-12 educational experiences, and leads straight to the cycle of incarceration in increasingly high numbers. In America's prison systems, black citizens are incarcerated at six times the rates of white ones - and the NAACP predicts that one in three of this generation of Black men will spend some time locked up.

While there are many areas of improvement that we could look at changing for more successful outcomes for black men, I will discuss just four indicators that illustrate the current situation for black boys in the U.S., with the hope of starting a conversation about what we can do to produce a stronger generation of Black young men in our society.

1. Black boys are more likely to be placed in special education.
While it is true that Black boys often arrive in Kindergarten classrooms with inherent disadvantages, they continue to experience a "behind the 8-ball" mentality as their school careers progress. Black boys are more likely than any other group to be placed in special education classes, with 80 percent of all special education students being Black or Hispanic males.

2. Black boys are more likely to attend schools without the adequate resources to educate them.
Schools with majority Black students tend to have lower amounts of teachers who are certified in their degree areas. A U.S. Department of Education report found that in schools with at least 50 percent Black students, only 48 percent were certified in the subject, compared with 65 percent in majority white schools. In English, the numbers were 59 and 68 percent, respectively and in science, they were 57 percent and 73 percent.

3. Black boys are not reading at an adequate level.
In 2014, the Black Star Project published findings that just 10 percent of eighth-grade Black boys in the U.S. are considered "proficient" in reading. In urban areas like Chicago and Detroit, that number was even lower. By contrast, the 2013 National Assessment of Education Progress found that 46 percent of white students are adequate readers by eighth grade, and 17 percent of Black students as a whole are too. The achievement gap between the two races is startling, but the difference between the NAEP report on Black students as a whole and the Black Star findings of just Black boys is troubling too. It is not simply Black children in general who appear to be failing in the basics - like literacy; it is the boys.

4. Punishment for black boys is harsher than for any other demographic.
Punishment for Black boys - even first-time offenders - in schools is harsher than any other demographic. Consider these facts:
These trends are not conducive to improving the numbers of young black men who are able to attend college. In fact, the numbers are dismal when it comes to black young men who attend and graduate from colleges in the U.S. Statistically speaking, black men have the lowest test scores, the worst grades and the highest dropout rates - in K-12 education, and in college too.

This is why college motivation within and outside the black community is so vital for these young men. But in order to get there, black boys must experience the motivation to succeed well before college.

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Illinois State Senators Jacqueline Collins and Mattie Hunter protect seniors from scam artists
mis-using reverse mortgages!
In the wake of revelations that con artists have used risky financial products called "reverse mortgages" to scam seniors, please encourage your senior networks to attend this reverse mortgage event and learn more. Senator Collins and Senator Hunter will be joined by experts in the field. Please call 773.224.2830 or 312.949.1908 for more information.
Attend Black Star Community PTA Meet and Greet
Saturday, August 29, 2015, 10:00 am
Hartzell Church
3330 South King Drive
Chicago, Illinois

Free food, games, backpacks, school supplies and medical check-ups!
Illinois Legislative Black Caucus
New law addresses racial disparities in school discipline
Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford,
Illinois State Senate
SPRINGFIELD - A 2012 study found that Illinois suspends more African-American students than any other state in the U.S., including a Black-White suspension disparity that is the highest in the country. To address this all-too-apparent problem and the overall frequency of out-of-school discipline, a new law will help to ensure that all students are in school and off the streets as much as possible.
"Constantly suspending and expelling the very kids that need to be in school is one of the most counter-productive practices of our education system," said Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, sponsor of the successful legislation. "We need to keep young people in school learning how to succeed and off of the street corner learning how best to end up in prison."
The new law will address the frequency and racial disparity of suspensions and expulsions in several ways, including the following:
  • Disciplinary removals of longer than three days must be limited to instances where the student's presence is an on-going threat to the school, and all other options have been exhausted.
  • A school board must state how a suspension and expulsion is in the best interest of a school before disciplinary action.
  • School districts must establish re-engagement policies for disciplined students.
  • Suspended students must be given the opportunity to make up their work.
  • School officials must limit suspensions and expulsions to the greatest extent practicable.
Original research into state records has shown that in the 2010-2011 school year, Illinois students lost 1,117,453 instructional days due to disciplinary actions, 95 percent of which were for minor offenses.
"Illinois' highest-need students are dropping out of school or ending up in the criminal justice system - at an enormous cost to Illinois taxpayers - for incidents that could have and should have been addressed within the school environment," said Sen. Lightford. "Expulsions and suspensions will now only be a last resort. This is a great victory for everyone in Illinois and all those children who hold out hope for their future in what has seemed, at times, like an elusive dream of a great education."
The law goes into effect September 15, 2016.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Money and Not-For Profit Organizations
with
Marvinetta Woodley-Penn
Executive Artistic Director
Global Girls
Learn to successfully fundraise, work with board members, connect programs to funding, keep financial books in order, tie results to funding and other useful money management tips for current non-profit managers or for those interested in starting a Not-For-Profit organization.
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Sunday, September 27, 2016
Technology and Food Entrepreneurship
with Riana Lynn
Google - Code 2040 Entrepreneur in Residence
Riana Lynn is emerging as a young leader in food+health entrepreneurship with a passion for technology, access, and bringing people together. From her grandmother's garden to the White House South Lawn and through the local and international agricultural pipelines she was inspired to develop innovative supply chain management tools and create FoodTrace. A next level sourcing platform, FoodTrace is paving the way with software solutions to solve our biggest food industry problems. Her story and accomplishments have been featured in Inc.com, Wired Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, TheGrio 100, and other local and national publications. She graduated with a B.S. in Biology and African American Studies, along with a minor in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she taught herself how to code and was a top-ranked performer in Discus and Javelin before pursuing a Masters at Northwestern University. While getting her hands dirty in the White House Kitchen Garden, her work included major policy initiatives such as Small Business and Jobs, STEM, and Public Health. Riana currently serves as the Google - Code 2040 Entrepreneur in Residence. A native of the Chicago area, Riana is a young politico, a restaurant enthusiast, a world traveler, and an innovative fruit connoisseur!

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm
after church, mosque or temple
at
The Black Star Project
3509 South King Drive
Chicago, Illinois

Please call 773.285.9600 to RSVP, for more information or to create a Sunday University in your city.
Attend The Black Harvest Film Festival and See the Inspiring, Award-Winning Film
College Week

Tuesday, September 1, 2015
6:15 pm
Gene Siskel Film Center
164 North States Street
Chicago, Illinois
Click Here to See Film Trailer
New Release by Dr. Kathryn B. Kemp, a member and strong supporter of The Black Star Project
Anointed to Sing the Gospel is the biography of the "Father of Gospel Music", Dr. Thomas A. Dorsey from Villa Rica, GA to Chicago, IL. It encompasses the spiritual dilemma that caused him to cross-over completely to the gospel song from blues and jazz. The impact of Thomas A. Dorsey as a modern-day Levite and his impact on music of the 20th and 21st century Levites is examined. Interviews with contemporaries and devotees of Thomas A. Dorsey are included.
Click Here to Purchase Anointed to Sing the Gospel from Joyful Noise Press
Click Here to Purchase Anointed to Sing the Gospel from Amazon
Register for the Free
Black Star Project's
Fall Math Boot Camp for
5th- through 8th-grade students

What is Math Boot Camp?
Math Boot Camp is a tutoring program for 5th- through 8th-grade students with a strong focus on reviewing and reinforcing math fundamentals while building problem solving skills. This weekly program features small group tutoring. Often times, the reason students struggle in math is because they do not have a strong grasp of the basics. We work with these students to ensure that they are reviewing critical basic concepts and learning problem solving strategies. We identify areas of weakness and target those skills, filling in the gaps one concept at a time.

Why is this program important?
In Chicago, only 9% of Black males in the 8th grade are proficient in math, according to the 2013 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP). More alarmingly, the majority of 8th grade Black males (56%) are performing below a basic level in mathematics! Students need more than just homework help. They need a comprehensive problem solving education that gives them the tools to tackle any problem they encounter.

How do I register my student?
If you are interested in registering for this program, please call 773.285.9600 for more information.
Justice Or Else!

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