U.S. Public School System: What’s Going On?

By Syreeta L. McNeal, CPA, JD

Recently, I had the privilege of tutoring a student for one of her weekly social studies exam. I wanted to do this because while I was in school, I did very well in social studies and felt I could provide keen insight to help this student do better in this course. One reason why I did well in social studies is not because I had a high IQ, it was because at an early age, my father and my school system taught me various special study techniques like SQRRR (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) or the Textbook Comprehension method to help me do real well in courses like social studies. I utilized these special study techniques to get an advance outlook on what the teacher would teach in class and be able to use repetitive tactics to be prepared for whatever course exam I had to take for. The reason this was helpful for me is because these methods helped me realize that the textbook, not the teacher or professor, was the actual teacher of the course. My job as a student was to anticipate what the textbook would convey as the most important sections for me to focus on and use that knowledge to do real well on the exams given in each class.

What I found troubling is that this student I was tutoring did not know any of the special study techniques I had learned in any variation. I learned that her school did not expose her to any of these techniques. The student’s parent confirmed this to be true. Also, the student tells me that her teacher does not emphasize any preparatory reading of the textbook before attending class. Finally, her public school system informs the students that the books are not their property and they don’t need to use them to do well in the class.

So, I look at what I was exposed to and what our children in this day and age are given in terms of educational opportunities and I ask these questions for you to blog about to give feedback so we can see if other places are experiencing the same lax standards in educational training of our youth in the public school system:

• Does your public school teach you special study techniques at an early age?
• Does your public school inform the kids and parents that they can’t keep their textbooks due to lack of funds?
• Does your public school system have more money allocated to administrative offices instead of teachers and supplies for students?
• Is there a productive forum for parents and students to voice their concerns and see positive action take place or is it status quo as usual?
  

I look forward to your insight. After we receive it, I intend to write an article looking at some positive ways and examples each of you in your community can utilize to improve our student’s ability to do well in the U. S. public school system. As Malcolm X says, knowledge is power. Our ancestors, who had limited access to education, sacrificed for us to get knowledge to improve our capability to garner wealth, not redistribute it. Let’s continue to fight for what is right.


Legal Disclaimer: This site provides information about the law designed to keep readers informed of pertinent legal matters affecting the African-American community. But legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer in your specific location if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.

And Justice For All

By Leland C. Abraham, Esq.

Not many people are aware of this, but a Manhattan judge convicted Rev. Al Sharpton and seven others of disorderly conduct stemming from protests over the police shooting death of Sean Bell, an unarmed black man.

The officers accused of the shooting were acquitted of no wrong doing. In response to what many consider to be a miscarriage of justice, Rev. Al Sharpton led a demonstration in which he and others blocked intersections, bridges and tunnels in New York City. Criminal Court judge Larry Stephen issued the verdict in early October, 2008 in which he sentenced the participants to time already served. In Sharpton’s case, this was 5 and ½ hours and each was ordered to pay a $95.00 surcharge. In a statement after the sentencing, Judge Stephen said, “If you decide to take a bullet for the team, you should not complain about the consequences that flow from that.” This statement reeks of irony as they were protesting in response to the “not-guilty” verdicts of the officers involved in the shooting death of an unarmed black male. Whatever your views about Sharpton, it is very telling of a justice system that will hand down a conviction to a group of people protesting the exoneration of officers involved in firing 50 bullets in the death of Sean Bell. Those who take the bullets for the team should account for the consequences, but who is exactly taking the bullets?

Certainly the statistics support the assertion that black males are the recipients of the vast majority of acts by police officers that result in lethal force. It has been evident within the black community that there is a difference in how the authorities value the lives of whites and blacks. This was at the very heart of what Sharpton was trying to show during his protest. He stated to Judge Stephen, “I would hope the city thinks about how the pedestrians who couldn’t walk and the drivers who couldn’t drive were no different than the young men who sat in the car that night and were shot at.” Do protests like these really change the plight of the black male and female in the justice system, or is the problem more systemic, meaning that racism is ingrained in the process of justice that attorneys, judges and juries automatically consider race, although it is not an element of the crime considered?

Over 250 protesters were arrested last May when the verdict of the officers was announced. While most cases involving the protesters had been dismissed, Sharpton and seven others insisted on a trial. In my opinion, it is very telling when an injustice can occur in America and the main response is disgust that Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson are involved in reporting the injustice. It would appear that the very presence of these two individuals at the epicenter of an injustice takes away from the value of the injustice and the media and political pundits focus on Sharpton and Jackson’s past indiscretions. I hope that Sean Bell’s case does not get mired by the presence of Al Sharpton.

Sharpton said that his civil rights organization, National Action Network, would pay the court costs for all defendants. He also said that he would pay $50 bills to symbolize the 50 shots that were fired at Bell and two of his friends.

Legal Disclaimer: This site provides information about the law designed to keep readers informed of pertinent legal matters affecting the African-American community. But legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer in your specific location if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.

AIG IS STEADY IN AFRICA WHILE GOING UNDER IN THE US

By: Leland C. Abraham, Esq.

Recently, America has seen a crisis arise in its financial market. One of the first companies to have trouble was American International Group, Inc. (AIG). When AIG showed signs of financial collapse, the federal government decided to lend AIG $80 billion to stabilize the corporate giant. Generally, those who feel that government should not get involved softened their stance when it came to AIG as most people realize if AIG goes under, all Americans will have to pay for it in some form or another. One of the most curious aspects of the AIG debacle is that the federal government decided to use mortgage backed securities as collateral for the $80 billion loan. This is a questionable tactic in an already volatile real estate market. The next eight (8) months to two (2) years will be very telling for our federal government’s decision to do this.

While AIG in America has experienced significant difficulty, AIG in Africa has seen stability despite the volatility of the global market. Specifically, AIG Uganda Ltd. maintains that is has been able to remain adequately capitalized and able to meet its obligations to policy holders, including payment of claims.

Insurance policies written by AIG Uganda are obligations of the locally registered company attempting to break the grip of a worsening global credit crisis. In contrast, the Federal Reserve stepped up its action last week by pumping billions into the financial markets in the U. S. and abroad. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in two separate operations, injected $55 billion into temporary reserves in the United States. This move was aimed at easing a financial system in danger of freezing up.

While it has not yet been determined why AIG Uganda has been insulated from the global market crisis, the answer is most likely in the lack of borrowing that occurs in the African market. The U. S. economy runs on a deficit and it appears to borrow money at an increasing rate. This makes the stability of the U. S. market volatile as investor confidence in the stability of the market decreases as the country continues to borrow. The unfortunate factor in this situation is that America needs to borrow money in order for the economy to function properly. The U. S. spends billions per month for the war in Iraq. Generally, war has been a good thing for the American economy. However, this has not been the case for this recent war in Iraq. Under the Bush administration, the federal government spending has increased without any increase in revenues to offset the spending spree. The federal government, especially with the inclusion of quasi-government and now fully government run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac who are at the heart of the subprime mortgage crisis along with AIG, has placed too much of a burden on the federal government and as a consequence the American taxpayer. While Africa does have wars that take place within its county, it does not borrow a lot of money to fight these wars. Most of Africa’s wars involve local governments that are fighting against rebel militias. This lessens the sophistication of the war and the fact that Africa is not involved in any significant conflicts outside of its borders has allowed them to refrain from significant borrowing.

Legal Disclaimer: This site provides information about the law designed to keep readers informed of pertinent legal matters affecting the African-American community. But legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer in your specific location if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.