The other day I received the following comment on an older post. So where is your story on the first black superintendent of the Allentown School District??? I noticed you and Bernie conveniently neglected to bring that up??? Well, first off, Bernie and I write two blogs completely independent of each other. When we cover the same story it is only by coincidence. I tend to publish only one post per day, putting me behind the news cycle. However, this topic wss indeed on my short list. The Allentown School Board members were very pleased with themselves about the three finalists being minorities. Articles mentioning Mr. Parker's selection, featured the fact he was the first minority superintendent in a system where minorities are now the majority.
I don't know what is involved in improving the district, but I'm fairly certain it is not the color of the superintendent's skin. I do not believe that the role model concept applies here. I do not believe that students at Raub Middle School either know or care that their superintendent is African-American. One need only look at the large urban school districts to know that having minority school administrations isn't enough to make a difference.
Role models must be much closer to home, if not in the home itself. I wish Mr. Parker and the district well. If there are improvements it will result from his insights, not his complexion.
So much for Dr. Martin Luther King and his 'crazy' notion of a "color-blind society".
ReplyDeleteDetroit? Detroit? They have a really good track record:
ReplyDelete"According to estimates by The National Institute for Literacy, roughly 47 percent of adults in Detroit, Michigan — 200,000 total — are “functionally illiterate,” meaning they have trouble with reading, speaking, writing and computational skills. Even more surprisingly, the Detroit Regional Workforce finds half of that illiterate population has obtained a high school degree."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/07/detroit-illiteracy-nearly-half-education_n_858307.html
ReplyDeleteThank you for chiminng in. No, they picked a minority that they can control. I mean in actuality they should have picked Orlando Ramos if it is really about racial make-up. 63% of the students in the ASD are hispanic. I still don't understand why George white of Lehigh is deciding what is best for Allentown. You are right Mr Molovinsky, race shouldn't be the deciding factoer on who is a finalist. They are either setting this guy for the good ol' Obama blame Game or they are truly out to lunch.