Education: Is the system still segregated?

As Lil' K gets older, I start thinking more and more about her education and what that means for us as her parents. We both are very intelligent and raised on public schools. I lived right across the street from my elementary school growing up and would go on a limb saying I had some of the best education Detroit had to offer. I love the fact that kids can go to school in their neighborhoods and receive a quality education, especially considering I live in a county that pays THE highest taxes in my state.

I started researching preschools and elementary school and was not in love with any of our local options. I saw class sizes larger than the national average, testing scores only average and in some areas below. I look at the kids on the metros and kids going to charter schools and also see (at least from their foul behavior) they aren't getting much better educations than if they would have stayed in their communities.

It makes me wonder...though schools are "integrated" is their still segregation of the quality of the education received in Black neighborhoods as opposed to White neighborhoods? You hear the story of the Ohio woman who was actually jailed for trying to give her children a chance by utilizing a school whose education system was superior than the one offered in her community. Jailed! And it makes you wonder...why did we stop fight for equality of education?

Bill Gates, the richest man in America has taken up this fight. His kids don't have to worry about this because one his is rich, and another, sad to say, he is White. Why, even in the richest of Black neighborhoods, do we still allow the school systems to remain sub par.

An article featuring Bill Gates reported his anger after learning about the continued disparity in the education system: 

"he struggles to figure out why Blacks, particularly in inner cities, aren’t also mad as hell and ready to pound the pavement for change. “Why isn’t there outrage, absolute outrage over this issue? Why aren’t there protests every day? I don’t understand,” he says. “Why wouldn’t this activate people the way that it did during the Civil Rights Movement?”

Black people...why isn't there? Our child is only 2 however, we have already begun the research. I plan to visit the schools in our neighborhood and sit in on classes. I plan to talk to the principles. I would like to be able to utilize my communities services and not have to have my child bused out of our neighborhood to receive a education. Some of my personal friends are paying more than $10,000 per year for Elementary School! This is on top of the taxes we pay for these services.

Black people...why aren't we becoming involved in our communities and more importantly our education systems. For people who utilize public schools for their children, are you happy with the quality of the services provided by the neighborhood school? In comparison to other schools, do you feel the level of service is adequate? If not, what have you done or what can be done? Is the answer to just pay for private school or wait for Superman with a lottery ticket?

Why aren't we protesting? Why aren't we fighting for the right to have our children equally educated as the children in White(r) neighborhoods? In this day in age, it isn't necessarily about income because Prince George County is one of the richest counties in America. However, it has one of the highest dropout rates.

We have to stop this, and its not too late. If your children are in school...do you know the teacher? The teacher's qualifications? What rights do parents have to make changes in their schools?

This will be a reoccurring topic for me and I will post information as I discover it. I hope, since we are starting 2 years before Lil' K enters the school system, we can make a change.

Let's Go!