Desegregation Judge drops the hammer on black/brown/poor students and taxpayers #HCSvDOJ #hcsboe #SeparateAndUnequal

Huntsville City Schools March 11, 1963 -March 11, 2015  (Huntsville Times file)

EYE am still trying to figure out how Judge Madeline Haikala morphed from Huntsville City Schools can show no evidence they aren't operating a dual school system , to  it's OK for Huntsville City Schools to continue to operate a dual school system, but that's exactly what she did in a memorandum issued late last night.

Her memorandum opinion posted on the court's website called the proposed consent order "an excellent vehicle to help the district advance towards a 'nonracial system of public education' that will eliminate the effects of the former segregated system and allow the district to return to local control."
The proposed consent order was developed jointly by the school district and U.S. Justice Department after Haikala ordered both sides to enter mediation last summer to work out their differences. They presented their plan in unified manner to the judge during a two-day hearing in March.

About that "unified plan".  It's basically the same plan as the original plan. The only difference I can see is former Butler High and Terry Heights students won't be forced to attend the Mega Black school illegally renamed after two black astronauts, located less than half a mile from an active rock quarry. However, that will change when a majority of them are relocated to public housing across University Drive.

If Sage Hill comes to fruition, the developers have agreed to make all 62 units available to public housing families that live in Sparkman Homes on Holmes Avenue, said Lundy.
The housing authority wants to transform Eisenhower-era Sparkman Homes west of downtown into a new mixed-income development; relocating nearly 40 percent of current residents to Sage Hill would make that easier.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund asked the judge to reject the plan.

The SPLC criticized the proposed consent order as being written in "vague and overbroad terms that create uncertainty" and make it hard for the court to enforce.
It also seeks language that requires the school district to provide attorneys to students/families brought to disciplinary hearings in they can't afford one; obligations to report ongoing data; and a time frame for implementing reforms.
The NAACP's Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., said while it is no longer counsel in the case, it weighed in on the desegregation plan because of its "institutional mission and previous involvement in the matter."
It concluded its six-page letter, saying Huntsville failed to present a plan "that promises realistically to work and promised realistically to work now." It also criticized the proposed consent order for being "dangerously vague," "at best, ambiguous" and "difficult to enforce."

Councilman Richard Showers called for a rejection of the plan also.

It seems the District was successful in pleading their case that it was in the best interest of the schools in North Huntsville to remain as they are and continue the same 'feeder' pattern," wrote Showers. "Failing schools feeding into failing schools."

Am EYE disappointed in the Judge's ruling?  You bet EYE am.  This was an opportunity for Huntsville City Schools to be a shining example for others to follow, a beacon of HOPE for the future of our Republic.  it was an opportunity for all children, regardless of race, gender, address, or circumstance to have equal access to a quality public education.  There is no right way to do the wrong thing.  Separate and unequal was wrong then, and it's wrong now.

EYE told y'all the desegregation hearing was much ado about nothing.

 After months of  secret mediation The United States Department of Justice basically approved Wardynski’s rezoning plan that he developed and implemented entirely without public input.
Huntsville City Schools will agree to anything as long as they can legally operate a dual school system.  In an effort to stop expelling black students the district agreed to rewrite the Student Code of Conduct, implement a Restorative Justice Strategies, develop a Positive School Climate Program, and appoint a Desegregation Advisory Committee.  All of this by a superintendent and school board who who view African American students as natural born gang members, and adopts polices that treat them that way.

 Even If We Win We Lose

So after months and possibly years of litigation over the rezoning plan, what have we won?
The district will still be under the control of the DoJ except now the plan that the DoJ believed would best bring us unification has been rejected.
The DoJ still controls our destiny. Does fighting their plan (even assuming we’ve seen their plan) bring us closer to unification?
Nope. It doesn’t.
The Wardynski Plan is a fool’s errand. We did not have to file it. And the public has had zero input into the plan.
So, after potentially years of litigation and expense, we will have accomplished absolutely nothing, even if we win.
Nothing except the following:

1. Wardynski has shored up support for himself in this town because he’s willing to fight the “evil” federal government.
2. Wardynski has improved his name recognition on a national level.
3. Wardynski has spent a ton of the district’s money that he should be spending on improving education at all of our schools. And of course,
4. We’re still a segregated system.

This is, in the Bard’s wise words, much ado about nothing.

BTW, if you want to see the real "winners" just read the comment section on Al.com.

Casey you have to break the mold and prove you're not afraid of minorities, democrats, liberals, aclu (sic) types and the entire entitlement crowd! Do that, and you'll be doing the job you were hired to do! Oh yeah, not to mention striking down all racial transfers. And that includes allowing not allowing whites to racially transfer either. If you don't like where your child goes to school, move to where they can be zoned into a school of your preference, that's what I had to do!

Mission Accomplished  to the detriment of those who can't flee.

I guess it depends on what the defintion of a success "IS" #HSVBOE

University of Alabama students demonstrate in 1956 against the enrollment of a black student. (Associated Press)

After months of behind closed doors court ordered mediation, the Huntsville School Board and the Department of Justice emerged to claim success.

The Huntsville school board and the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday made public a proposed joint consent order that, if approved by the court, would bring to a close their dispute on the desegregation of the city's schools. 
In the order, they tell U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala that the mediation was a success. The two sides have been in court-ordered mediation since last summer to determine the best way to rezone school zone boundary lines.

Actually this paragraph should read The Huntsville school board made public a proposed joint consent order after a 4 hour Executive Session on Friday disguised as a special call meeting.  I guess it depends on what the definition of success IS because from what I've read, nothing has changed.

Let's recap, U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala ruled the courts could find no evidence the school district was not operating a dual school system.  For those who don't know what a dual school system IS, it's a nice way of saying the school district is segregated.  For those who don't what segregated means, it means the the district is operating one system for black students, and one system for white students, separate and unequal.  Nothing, I repeat nothing, indicates the school district will cease to be segregated.

Judge Haikala slammed the Huntsville School board for their lack of transparency and community input. 

And she didn't accept the hurried "community conversations" as adequate community participation in the city's rezoning efforts. She wrote the meetings were held days before the plan was submitted and Wardynski himself acknowledged no changes were made as a result of meeting with the public.
"Thus, the Board provided little opportunity for meaningful community feedback after it announced its school assignment plan."

She accused the school board of trying to undermine the process  and dropped the hammer on HCS board member Laurie McCaulley's  little "community conversations" masquerading as "a citizens workshop on unitary status" .

Did this school board learn a lesson and change  the way they do business?  Heck no.  They continue to give the judge, and the public they are supposed to serve, the middle finger.

Parents will not have questions answered at three public meetings about Huntsville City Schools new plan to get out of the decades-old desegregation order.
The meetings are scheduled to start this Saturday.
These public meetings were originally called forums but they don't sound anything like a forum.
Parents can share their comments or concerns about the plan with an independent moderator at the meeting.
They can also do it online.
However, the only thing that moderator will do is record the message and give it to both the Justice Department and Huntsville City Schools legal teams.
Both sides will review the statements and decide whether the current agreement should be modified based on parent input.

Sound familiar? 

I must give credit where credit is due,  I was outfoxed (pun intended) by the Huntsville School Board of mis-education last Thursday.  Expecting a large crowd, I arrived at the meeting early in order to get a seat with the intention of signing up to speak.  I falsely assumed since the sign up sheet was not in its usual place it was not part of the required protocol.  Regular readers are familiar with the boards new policy requiring citizens comments be written on 3x5 index cards (which were available) and censored/read by the Director of Community Engagement.  Little did I know, there was a sign up sheet before there wasn't a sign up sheet, which I'm sure was just a coincidence. :)

For the record, nothing has changed, there is no community input, there was no community input, and there will never be any community input if this board can help it.   So here's the plan, if they can get their cronies to submit a bunch of statements saying that they like their plan it will look as though a majority of the citizens are in favor of the things that they want. Of course no one else will be able to check out what they submit to verify it's accurate and if is it above board.  Nod, nod, wink, wink.

Who says you can't do the same thing over and over and not expect a different result?  That's certainly the sentiment of this board, here we go again with a  proposed Desegregation Advisory Committee, a 12 member panel, chosen by the Superintendent, and a pair of students, chosen by the Superintendent, to advise the Superintendent and the court of progress.  Yeah right.   This sounds like the J.O.Johnson naming committee on steroids, and another Coup d'etat to me.  it's Deja Voodoo all over again.

Some of us tried to tell some of y'all mediation outside of the public eye was going to turn into a backroom deal that benefited the status quo.  Our only HOPE Huntsville City School Schools will cease operating a dual school system lies in the hands of Judge Haikala, where it should have been in the first place,  because this board ,  and this Superintendent ,are determined to ignore the United States Supreme Court. 

See picture above.

From the files of "Stuck On Stoopid" pre-election papaplooza

The white supremacists are going all out this Halloween...smh http://t.co/uGLj2idPQP #StrangeFruit #Lynching pic.twitter.com/3wF16l97Fj
— BlackHistoryStudies (@BlkHistStudies) October 29, 2014

You can tell election day is near and republicans are not as confident as their media enablers tell us they are. Of course, this is the United States of America, and you can't predict what the majority of voters are going to do, despite what the polling pollsters and the polling pollsters who poll them say.  Republicans know they only way they can "win" is to cheat. So, between the GOP controlled  Supreme Court striking down section 5 of the voting rights act, which enabled wholesale voter suppression,  along with gerrymandering, they just might eke out a "win".  I might be one of the few people in America who hope republicans take over the Senate because sometimes you just have show people who don't believe fat meat is greasy how greasy it really is.

Anyhoo, here is a rundown of Stuck On Stoopid

Mark Bray filed for bankruptcy in 2008, vote for Mo "do anything short of shooting illegals" Brooks, despite the fact Brooks is a liability to the district.

Let me make this clear for you Laura Ingram,  unlike you,  Democrats believe that blacks do have a choice.

Today in Black History:  Supreme Court  Issues a SmackDown to Die Heart Segregationist.  Only they didn't.

So let me see if I have this right (pun intended), we sent our troops and treasure to Iraq so they could have fair and free elections, but we block the youth vote in America?  Oh, OK.

Remember when the media used to inform voters and keep elected officials from lying to the public?  Where is that media?

RedEye Reports What You Decide.

What if the City of Huntsville looked like the Huntsville City Schools system Monday through Friday?

University Place students sit for 2012 kickoff of Mayor Tommy Battle's Book Club. (Huntsville Times file)


This is a follow up to What if Huntsville City Schools looked like downtown Huntsville on a Thursday night.

Yep, young, old, rich, poor, men,women, black/white/brown/red/yellow people of all religions, sexual orientation, and class, had equal access to spend their money at one of the most exciting Thursdays ever in downtown Huntsville.
It looked like One City, One Vision.   
Then I attended the school board work session, which was originally touted as an opportunity for citizens to comment on the desegregation case, and I thought, what if Huntsville City Schools looked like downtown Huntsville on a Thursday evening?  What if all children, regardless of their race, sex, or address, had equal access to the best public education their parents tax dollars could buy?

Justice Department slams Huntsville for creating more segregated educational environments

Today I ask: What if the City of Huntsville looked like the Huntsville City School system Monday through Friday?

What if we had separate exciting Thursdays in downtown Huntsville? 

What if we had separate shopping centers, movie theaters, swimming pools, clubs, hotels, bars and restaurants?

What if had separate public libraries, museums, swimming pools, and parks?

What if we had separate hospitals, police departments, fire departments, and emergency responders?

Oh wait,  been there, done that.

What if all children, regardless of their race, sex, or address, had equal access to the best public education their parents tax dollars could buy?

What a wonderful school district it would be......

60 years after 'Brown v. Board of Education' it looks as if 'Brown v. Board of Education" never happened

In Tuscaloosa today, nearly one in three black students attends a school that looks as if Brown v. Board of Education never happened.

According to a new report just released by the Civil Rights Project called "Brown at 60," "Black and Latino students tend to be in schools with a substantial majority of poor children, but white and Asian students are typically in middle-class schools."
This double segregation doesn't just condemn these precious children to an often inferior education, it also strips them of their humanity and their dignity. Race and poverty shouldn't matter more than shared humanity.

 Today, however, the very states whose segregated schools, poll taxes, and Jim Crow laws necessitated federal intervention in Brown are once again limiting the educational opportunities for people of color. Rather than explicitly refusing to admit students of color into school, these states have found new, more clandestine ways to marginalize people of color. In this new segregated system, states disadvantage students of color by providing fewer resources to schools serving the highest concentrations of students who need them the most. By perpetuating this inequitable system and rejecting powerful and effective education reforms such as the Common Core State Standards, these states effectively reclaim their legacy of systematic racial discrimination.

 This residential isolation of the most disadvantaged children – a product of migration patterns and economic trends that have occurred since Brown -- points to one set of strategies that’s been given little attention over the last 60 years. What if we made a more concerted effort to integrate schools by integrating neighborhoods? What if we tried to improve the educational prospects of low-income minority students by breaking down barriers to affordable housing in the communities where good schools exist? What if we wielded zoning laws and housing vouchers as levers of education policy?

A new secessionist movement, anchored in the South, provides yet another reminder that “separate” still means “unequal” when it comes to the racial dynamics of the nation’s public schools.
The small middle-class town of Gardendale, Alabama, outside Birmingham, voted on November 12 to secede from the Jefferson County school district and then to raise taxes on themselves to finance the solo venture. Then, in March, Gardendale’s 14,000 residents finally got their own Board of Education. Soon after his appointment, one new board member, Clayton “Dick” Lee III, a banker and father of two, said he aspires to build a “best in class” school system “which exceeds the capabilities of the system which we are exiting.”

 Freed from court oversight, Tuscaloosa’s schools have seemed to move backwards in time. The citywide integrated high school is gone, replaced by three smaller schools. Central retains the name of the old powerhouse, but nothing more. A struggling school serving the city’s poorest part of town, it is 99 percent black. D’Leisha, an honors student since middle school, has only marginal college prospects. Predominantly white neighborhoods adjacent to Central have been gerrymandered into the attendance zones of other, whiter schools.

 “We know that today in America, too many folks are still stopped on the street because of the color of their skin, or they’re made to feel unwelcome because of where they’re from, or they’re bullied because of who they love,” she said. “So graduates, the truth is that Brown vs. Board of Education isn’t just about our history, it’s about our future.”

We Shall Overcome One Day.

Succession within the Alabama Democratic Party

When Left in Alabama Blogger country cat said outgoing ADP chair Judge Mark Kennedy was "mean a snake and likes a fight", I thought she was talking about being mean as a snake and fighting the GOP,  not Joe Reed and his bunch.

When Judge Kennedy said "we're all in this together" and are people who believe in "the fundamental rights of all people."  I didn't know he meant everybody but Joe Reed and his bunch.

When Judge Kennedy promised a restored democratic party,  I didn't know it meant excluding Joe Reed and his bunch.

And what happened to Kennedy's 5 point plan for the ADP?  Never mind.  We know.   Joe Reed and his bunch.


Decoding the code words.
Edited to add Judge Kennedy's statement on his Facebook page Sunday 4/21/13

In our organization, there will be no "majorities and no minorities" we will all be part of a growing movement and will stand equal together. The Alabama Democratic Majority supports a philosophy of inclusion.
To have a "majority" we must welcome all people that share our vision. When I chose the name of this exciting new opportunity it never occurred to me that I was using a code word for excluding minorities as some are now saying.

Psst Judge Kennedy!  It's not the name of your organization, it's the actions of your organization that are a code for excluding minorities.  Strike that, it's code for excluding some minorities like Joe Reed and his bunch.   Intentional or not,  the creation of this organization reminds me of the Southern Strategy and the creation of private and charter schools after the Brown v. Board decision, leading to the sad, sorry, state of public education not only in Alabama but our country.

This is is precisely why I oppose the creation of this organization.  It is dividing the party.  Strike that, it is destroying the Alabama Democratic Party. 

 People are taking sides. But it isn't between the Democrats and Republicans or progressives and conservatives; we are fighting each other. And if I am being frank, it ain't like we are in such a rosy position in this state that we can afford to be taking our eye away from the folks who seek to dismantle any semblance of a social safety net in this state.

Mark Kennedy vs. Joe Reed 

This is rapidly becoming the African Americans against the whites. It is racial now. The Democratic party will be known as the party of the African Americans. 

If I were allowed to post on Left in Alabama I would ask, what is wrong with the Democratic Party being "known as the party of African Americans"?  Why is that a bad thing?  African Americans don't want, or, need the government or the democratic party to take care of us.  African Americans don't want to be taken for granted and used as props to be seen and not heard.

Just to set the record straight, "what we want" is what every American should want and every democrat should stand for.

We don't want free health care, we want access to quality affordable health care.
We don't want free money, we want equal opportunity to have a good job.
We don't expect to win every election, we expect the right to cast our vote and have our vote counted.

Plato: The measure of a man is what he does with power. Joe Reed is accused of using his power for personal gain, but he's not the one creating a new democratic organization and running from why we are democrats.

In his weekly commentary in Speakin'Out News Jerry Mitchell asked when do the words bankrupt and leadership go together?

Chairman Kennedy tells us that since he became chairman in 2011, one of his key goals has been stabilize the party financially and begin the type of outreach to potential donors to grow the party in communities across the state. Obviously, the record shows that he and his leadership team are not getting the job done. The party is broke, there are no democrats that hold statewide offices, and White male democrats have gone into hiding, largely distancing themselves from President Obama's national success.

I don't know who the new leader of the Alabama Democratic Party will be, but I HOPE it is someone who is mean as a snake and likes to fight republicans instead of Joe Reed and his bunch.

Kennedy, 60, will formally announce the creation of ADM in a press conference at the Harbert Center in the heart of downtown Birmingham, the financial capital of the state. Jefferson County is considered vital by Kennedy as he begins the effort to draw donors to ADM from an affluent blue county that in November saw a majority of voters cast ballots for President Barack Obama and dominate election results for judicial seats.

Good luck with that. People who voted for President Obama and dominated the election results for judicial seats support these people:

  Today Kennedy leaves all that debt to Reed and acting Chairwoman Nancy Worley. They will also have to deal with finding a new executive director for the party. Current Executive Director Bradley Davidson is resigning to join Kennedy at the ADM.

  You cannot curse Bubba and Cooter, Big Man, and June Bug in the daytime and beg them at night.~Joe Reed

Psst Alabama GOP! It's not about the racist language, it's about the racist behavior

Alabama State Senator Artur Orr (r.Decatur)

In an attempt to claim Alabama is much different than it was 50 years ago,  republicans, led by  State Senator Arthur Orr (r. Decatur) are giving voters a second chance to confront their racist past and vote to remove racist language from the Alabama  State Constitution.  Yee Haw!!!

Not.

Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders (D.Selma) the Alabama Education Association, and other black Democratic lawmaker  say Amendment 4 is a wolf in sheep's clothing, it seems so good but it's so bad, because it's  way to go around the   Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Ruling that outlawed segregated public schools, which the state is determined to continue to operate by hook or by Crook.

Amendment 4 will remove the Jim Crow language from the Alabama State Constitution, but it will highlight Amendment 111, which is the segregation/privatization of our public school system, it will also completely amend section 256 to read as 111, which is the only law in the state constitution that supports PUBLIC education.

So you see they want to remove the racist language so they can continue the racist behavior.

Nod Nod Wink Wink

Racism is not that thing you say, it's that thing you do.

Vote NO on Amendment 4 on November 6, 2012.  

It's not about the racist language, it's about the racist behavior.

WARdynski's changes are helping to keep "the black schools" black

Through a rather ahem unpleasant exchange on Twitter with Brian LeCompte, the former proprietor of Flashpoint Blog, I learned the prevailing thought in Rightwingdom is  Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Casey WARdynski's spending $2 million on consultants and shuffling teacher/principals around is keeping "the black schools" from "sucking."

Brian LeCompte explains it like this…
Wardynski is making massive staff changes in an effort to stop north Huntsville schools from sucking. Three possible outcomes…
1) Relative (zero sum) changes, bad schools get better while good schools who were raided for talent get worse…
2) Absolute change, preferably with formerly sucky schools improving and the good schools, at a minimum, not getting worse
3) Little to no change
It is a grand experiment whose outcome will speak volumes.
This line surprised me…
The move also allows a district to cancel student transfers to other schools and erase a school’s test score history in an effort to give it a fresh start.

I wonder what part of black schools is illegal don't they understand?  This proves the changes aren't helping the "black schools" it's about keeping the "black schools" black and the "white schools" white.  The HCS board continues to ignore Brown v. Board in favor of Plessey v. Ferguson.

WARdynski doing what he was hired to do

Casey you have to break the mold and prove you're not afraid of minorities, democrats, liberals, aclu types and the entire entitlement crowd! Do that, and you'll be doing the job you were hired to do! Oh yeah, not to mention striking down all racial transfers. And that includes allowing not allowing whites to racially transfer either. If you don't like where your child goes to school, move to where they can be zoned into a school of your preference, that's what I had to do!

Charter Schools are not the solution for poor, black students

According to this story in the Chicago Tribune,  Charter schools aren't performing better than public schools, they are perfoming worse because they don't address the underlying issue of poverty.

Despite the right wing spin that low income schools receive more money, the opposite is true.  A study released by the Department of Education proves high poverty school receive fewer state funds than affluent school districts.  Chapter 1 schools receive additional Federal Dollars to make up for the state and local dollars, but it does not address the inequities.

State Rep. Phil Williams (r.) and his gop cronies are pushing for Charter Schools under the guise poor, black children can escape under performing public schools.  Bull Poo.  If Phil Williams and the gop really cared about the education of poor, black/brown  children they would address the funding inequities instead of whining about  the myth of throwing money at the problem, and trying to destroy the Alabama Education Association.

If Charter Schools were the solution for poor, black/brown, students the gop wouldn't be pushing for them.

Charter Schools are a way around Brown v. Board.

Charter Schools benefit the rich while the rest get the shaft.

It's the Poverty, stupid.

Where are the J-O-B-S?

Edit~ Federal Judge Lynwood Smith is no Justice Hugo Black that's for sure

From al.com

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- U.S. District Judge Lynwood Smith Friday rejected arguments that Alabama's property tax system unconstitutionally discriminates against black and poor schoolchildren in Alabama.
Smith's 854-page opinion in the Lynch v. State of Alabama case, comes six months after a four-week trial that spanned Alabama's history with extended testimony about Reconstruction, the 1901 Alabama Constitution, former Gov. George Wallace, busing and the power of the Alabama Farm Bureau.
The lawsuit was brought by schoolchildren and their parents in Lawrence and Sumter counties who cited substandard facilities, limited programs and not enough textbooks. The plaintiffs asked the court to order Alabama to rewrite its property tax laws.

Judge Smith rails against Alabama Education system before he ruled for the Alabama Education system.

The judge found that the plaintiffs did not provide sufficient evidence that Alabama's public school funding disproportionately affected black schoolchildren.
In the opinion, Smith said he is bound "to follow orders" laid out in earlier Supreme Court cases on education.
"Like it or not, Supreme Court precedent compels a conclusion that the property tax scheme embedded in Alabama's 1901 Constitution and subsequent amendments does not offend the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause," Smith wrote.
But he also offered a scorching denunciation of the racist origins of the 1901 Alabama Constitution and the present state of education. Smith wrote that state power brokers see little interest in a quality statewide education system, since the children of their most powerful constituents "are generally enrolled in exclusive suburban school systems, with large local tax bases, or in private schools.
"The children of the rural poor, whether black or white, are left to struggle as best as they can in underfunded, dilapidated schools," Smith wrote. "Their resulting lack of an adequate education not only deprives those students of a fair opportunity to prepare themselves to compete in a global economy, but also deprives the state of fully participating, well-educated adult citizens."

RedEye's translation~I know what I'm doing is going to deprive poor students of an equal access to an equal public education but I have to live, go the church,  (snark) and to the Country Club with the power brokers so I'm not going to rock the boat. Heck I pi$$ed them off enough when I halted the ban on payroll deductions for AEA.

Nope. There will be no profiles in courage award for Judge Smith. Too bad he doesn't have the courage and conviction of Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, who despite his past membership in the Klu Klux Klan (to boost is career),  in the end used his powers to eradicate and remedy the sins in the Constitution of the United States of America, when he could have hidden behind it.

As a senator, Black filibustered an anti-lynching bill.[62] But during his tenure on the bench, Black established a record more sympathetic to the civil rights movement. He joined the majority in Shelley v. Kraemer (1948), which invalidated the judicial enforcement of racially restrictive covenants. Similarly, he was part of the unanimous Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Court that struck down racial segregation in public schools. Black remained determined to desegregate the South and would call for the Supreme Court to adopt a position of "immediate desegregation" in 1969's Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education.

Thanks to Judge Smith, the Lynching of Public Education in Alabama continues. Sigh

I'm convinced the status quo republicans in the state of Alabama want to destroy public education in Alabama. After all we just inaugurated a governor who doesn't believe every child has the right to go to college, and elected a red, republican state legislature whose first order of business was to destroy the Alabama Education Association.

Now comes the Lynch v State of Alabama school funding lawsuit where civil rights attorney's claim the states method of funding schools purposefully discriminates based on race.

I have a dream that one day the citizens of Alabama will care more about the future of it's children than they do maintaining their property values.~RedEye

What black folks still live with continued

It is a brazen, right wing, media enabled, LIE most black students don't want to learn. It is a historical FACT blacks were prohibited from learning.

The most oppressive limits on slave education were a reaction to Nat Turner's Revolt in Southampton County, Virginia during the summer of 1831. This event not only caused shock waves across the slaveholding South, but it had a particularly far-reaching impact on education over the next three decades. The fears of slave insurrections and the spread of abolitionist materials and ideology led to radical restrictions on gatherings, travel, and—of course—literacy. The ignorance of the slaves was considered necessary to the security of the slaveholders (Albanese 1976). Not only did owners fear the spread of specifically abolitionist materials, they did not want slaves to question their lot; thus, reading and reflection were to be prevented at any cost.

African Americans recognize the power and the importance of education hence the formation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which to this day are full of black student who not only want to learn, but are learning.

HBCUs actually were "invented" in 1837, 26 years before the end of slavery. Richard Humphreys, a Quaker philanthropist, founded the Institute for Colored Youth to train free blacks to become teachers.

The school had moved from Philadelphia to Cheyney, where it eventually became Cheyney University, and by 1902 at least 85 schools were set up by white philanthropists, free blacks, states or churches to educate sons and daughters of former slaves.

Until 1954 and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education, which ended "separate but equal" school systems, HBCUs were the number 1 option for most blacks interested in attending college.

The Brown v Topeka Board of Education decision gave us Ruby Bridges and the Little Rock Nine. Brave, black students who volunteered to integrate the public school system.

Let us not forget what Vivian Malone Jones lived through when she integrated The University of Alabama despite then Governor George C. Wallaces' infamous stand in the school house door.

Fast forward to 2011 when an Arkansas school district won't allow a black valedictorian

After four years of nearly straight-As, Honors and Advanced Placement classes, 18-year-old Kymberly Wimberly achieved the highest GPA at McGehee Secondary School southeast of Little Rock, Ark., according to a court complaint.

However, instead of awarding the student for her hard work and dedication, the school denied her the valedictorian status because she was black, claims the document filed by Wimberly's lawyer, John W. Walker.

According to the court document, this is not the first time this has happened in the school's history:

"[The] defendant's actions were part of a pattern and practice of school administrators and personnel treating the African-American students less favorably than the Caucasian ones...Until Wimberly, the last African-American valedictorian in the McGeeHee school district was in 1989."

This is proof they are still standing in the school house door.

Huntsville City Schools ignores the United States Supreme Court

Remember over 50 years ago when the Supreme Court ruled separate but equal public schools were illegal in the Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka decision? Evidently, Huntsville City Schools didn't get the memo because it's deja vu all over again.

The District’s 2007-2008 overall student enrollment was 43.1% black and 48.7% white. However, the majority of the District’s 47 schools were racially identifiable black or white due to the composition of their respective student bodies.

I've been involved in a *cough cough* discussion with my favorite righty's over at flashpoint who claim the DoJ is ignoring the Supreme Court by forcing the city of Dayton to lower its qualification standards for police and firemen in order to be able to hire more minorities. For some strange reason, white candidates are passing the exam but black candidates are failing the exam. Now the righty's want to say because both groups are given the exact same test, black candidates are failing the exam because they are dumb and inferior. Then I had one of those lightbulb moments and it hit me. The educational opportunities for both groups are not equal and therein lies the problem. Actually, it's that achievement gap thingy.

White candidates taking the exam had access to the best public school education their parent's tax dollars could buy. Whereas black candidates taking the exam were forced to attend low-achieving public schools because you get what you can pay for.

This is why it is of the utmost importance all children have access to a quality public education regardless of race, gender, or zip code.

This is why separately is unequal. It robs children of their ability to reach their full potential.

In the early 1950's, racial segregation in public schools was the norm across America. Although all the schools in a given district were supposed to be equal, most black schools were far inferior to their white counterparts.

In Topeka, Kansas, a black third-grader named Linda Brown had to walk one mile through a railroad switchyard to get to her black elementary school, even though a white elementary school was only seven blocks away. Linda's father, Oliver Brown, tried to enroll her in the white elementary school, but the principal of the school refused. Brown went to McKinley Burnett, the head of Topeka's branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and asked for help. The NAACP was eager to assist the Browns, as it had long wanted to challenge segregation in public schools. With Brown's complaint, it had "the right plaintiff at the right time." [4] Other black parents joined Brown, and, in 1951, the NAACP requested an injunction that would forbid the segregation of Topeka's public schools. [5]

The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas heard Brown's case from June 25-26, 1951. At the trial, the NAACP argued that segregated schools sent the message to black children that they were inferior to whites; therefore, the schools were inherently unequal. One of the expert witnesses, Dr. Hugh W. Speer, testified that:

"...if the colored children are denied the experience in school of associating with white children, who represent 90 percent of our national society in which these colored children must live, then the colored child's curriculum is being greatly curtailed. The Topeka curriculum or any school curriculum cannot be equal under segregation." [6]

Children are our future police officers, firemen, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers etc. How can they be our future if they don't have equal opportunity to succeed and equal opportunity to a quality public education?

Huntsville City Schools is not the only school district ignoring the Supreme Court. I'm convinced the status quo want education for the rich but not the least of these.

Don't blame me for the messy bed. I voted a straight democratic ticket.

Uh NO Massa DeWitt, sir, we state democrats did our part. We held our nose and did what the republicans did and voted a straight ticket. If the conservadems had done joined with us, instead of being against us, democrats wouldn't have taken a bloodbath. But noooo, conservadems just had to whup State Senator Hank Sanders for his mad as hell robo call to DEMOCRATIC voters and put his "abrasive wife" in her place. That will learn them about dealing the race card in every hand. Yessum. *Snark*

Trying to Sleep in the Bed You Made

The state made its own educational bed
Originally published Saturday, March 5, 2011, in the Demopolis Times by community editor Jeremy D. Smith

Whitney Houston believed the children were our future. She urged that we teach them well and let them lead the way.

A sappy, overly-dramatic song whose message was as true then as it is now. Unfortunately, teaching the children well and encouraging them to lead the way has become increasingly difficult over the last three years as Alabama public schools have seen a total of more than 30 percent proration since Fiscal Year 2009.

Governor Robert Bentley declared three percent proration for FY-2011 earlier this week.

To Demopolis City Schools, that means $360,000 will have to be sliced out of the budget. Likely in some areas not related to cutting classroom hours or teaching units.

Exactly how that is going to pan out, no one yet knows.

But it is becoming increasingly difficult for schools to keep up with continuously stringent educational standards.

It seems every year there is some new requirement placed on teachers and schools.

In and of themselves, the improving standards are fine. After all, don’t we all want the best for our young people?

But as standards grow and technology develops, costs become more prohibitive.

And while there is always somebody calling for something better, there is scarcely anyone around to figure out how to bankroll these advances.

In Alabama, specifically, it is time to stop blaming elected officials for deficiencies. Granted, state spending has never been particularly frugal or practical. But much of the current economic climate as it pertains to education is solely the fault of Alabama voters.

Think about it. Don Siegelman proposed a lottery that would have gone to help fund education. Citing moral outrage, we as a state voted the idea down. That’s fine. Moral and ethical decisions are what they are. But no one offered an alternative to funding education.

Then Bob Riley came along and proposed a tax plan that would have seen an adjustment to a number of areas, most notably education funding.

We, as a state, voted that one down too. That’s fine. It is our right to exercise our voting privileges in whatever way we see fit.

But again, no one offered an alternative for education funding.

Now, here we are in March 2011, about to endure three percent proration to our education budget. Worse yet? FY-2012 looms with no stimulus money there to provide any sort of cushion or bailout.

Blame the economy. Blame Montgomery. Blame Washington. Blame bad luck. Blame anyone you want. But the unpleasant fact of the matter is that it is time for Alabamians to start blaming themselves. Every opportunity we have ever had to bolster education funding we have voted a decisive “No.” As such, we’ve continuously voted an adamant “No” to teachers, principals, counselors, support workers, bigger classrooms, better materials, and improved technology. And with every passing year, our chance to improve our situations in the future becomes a little less likely. After all, how can they lead if there is no one to teach them?

How indeed? Huntsville School Board may face 151 teacher cuts

The school system faces an $8 million shortfall this school year and up to $22 million the next. To shore up the cuts, school leaders may cut 11 counselors and 17 assistant principals in addition to the teachers.

Let the cuts begin. Huntsville Principals dealing with shock uncertainty of losing jobs as the unemployment rates climb higher and higher.

Madison County's jobless rate in January was 8.1 percent, up by one percent over December's rate.

This is the highest unemployment rate for the county since early last year. The rate was 8.2 percent last February, according to figures from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations.

Madison County typically has the lowest or next to the lowest unemployment rate in the state, but in January the county was tied for third place among counties with the lowest rates: Shelby County at 7.1 percent, Coffee County at 7.6 percent and Pike County, also at 8.1.

Children are our future? Not in sweet home Alabama. It's more like our children have no future.

Blame black parents for the sad,sorry state of public education in America

It's black parents fault their children attend crappy public schools. If they would get off their lazy behinds and volunteer at the school or attend PTA meeting they would have good schools in their neighborhoods. They wouldn't have to use fraud and deceit to enroll their children in good schools.

If black parents would just get involved they could hire the best Administrators, teachers and principals, instead they would rather whine and play the victim card.

It's black parents fault the schools in their neighborhood are underfunded and under staffed. It's black parents fault their children are more likely to go to prison than to college because they don't discipline them at home.

It's black parents fault their children can't read because they don't read to them at home. It's black parent's fault they aren't involved in their child's education. Yet when they get involved they are arrested,convicted and jailed for their involvement.

I guess it depends on what the definition of parental involvement IS.

I agree the lack of black parental involvement is responsible for the sad, sorry state of public education in America. Surprised? Pick your teeth up off the floor and read why it's imperative Black parents get involved politically.

The following is a Redeye blast from past that pertains to the present because it impacts the future. Click the link above for hyperlinks and to read the comments.

Please, Black Parents Get Involved.
by: Redeye
Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 18:28:05 PM CDT

Parental Involvement is the key. I don't just mean attending PTSA meetings or attending Parent Teacher Conferences, do that too, but become POLITICALLY INVOLVED. The POLITICALLY INVOLVED Parents gets the worm.
Gone are the days when all parents and guardians had to do to ensure their student had access to a quality education was work and pay taxes. Gone are the days when all parents had to do was go to PTSA meetings and Parent Teacher Conferences. Gone are the days when all parents had to was provide students with food, clothing, shelter and school supplies send them off to school and they would learn something.

It is imperative parents be politically involved because if they are not, school administrators and teachers think they don't care about their student. And if they think you don't care, they darn sure won't and don't care.

Attend School Board meetings. When school board elections come around get out and vote as if your child's educational future depends on it. Same thing if the school Superintendent
is elected. Once elected make an appointment and get to know them like you would your doctor, your lawyer and your pastor. Let them know you like they know their mother or father. Your student's educational opportunities are in their hands. They are the ones that hire and fire the teachers who will mold your students mind and shape their lives. This is very important.

If the recent controversy over President Obama's back to school address didn't convince you to get involved I don't know what will. Just because the Superintendent is black like you, and there is a black face on the school board does not mean your students best interest will advanced. The parents who organized and called their school board representative, the Superintendent, and school principals are the reason your student didn't get to view President Obama's back to school address. You pay taxes just like they do. The school board, the Superintendent and the Principals work for you just like they work for them. Your students have the same rights, but you must become POLITICALLY INVOLVED to protect those rights.

I am still outraged HCS teachers could "opt out" of watching the speech because the African American Superintendent wouldn't stand up to the right wing bullies and do what was right instead of what was political.

I'm still outraged students at one Alabama school were fighting, passing notes, talking and doing everything but watching President Obama's back to school address while the black teacher and the black Principal stood around talking about them knowing all the lyrics to rap songs. They better be glad my child didn't come home from school and tell me that foolishness was going on. There would have been hell to pay. Trust me.

Take a cue from the PACT Parents. They organized and became a united front complete with websites and tee shirts. Their concerns will be addressed because of it. Elected officials know these people VOTE. They know they are politically active and involved.

Those in charge think you don't care if you are not politically involved. They shrug and say there is little or no parental involvement, and offer that as an excuse for everything from low test scores, school closings, teacher hiring/firing to unruly school behavior. They aren't talking about PTSA meetings and parent conferences. They are talking about getting off your Donkey's and becoming POLITICALLY ACTIVE. You have to show them that you care just as much about your child as they care about theirs.

Don't have time now, but look for upcoming diaries on how to organize and become politically active in your child's education. If you already are politically active, I welcome and encourage your input.

Children are our future. Education is the hope of the republic.

Get involved!

Leave all the coloreds and poor behind

That's the new American Education Motto, because that's certainly what the American educational system has done to minorities and poor children.

But, but it's their fault!

Poor colored children don't want to learn.

Poor colored parents don't care about their children.

Poor colored children don't deserve to attend schools with good, God fearing white children.

Poor colored parents don't attend PTA meetings.

Poor colored children can't learn so they bring down the test scores which bring down our property values.

Poor colored parents choose to self segregate.

Poor colored children have no self control and are discipline problems.

Poor colored parents should teach their children how to act at home.

There will be no poor colored child's behind left!

And we wonder why the prison population of African Americans is higher than the population of African Americans? Righty's say it's because African Americans commit more crimes, and that may well be true. But lefty's like me say it's because circumstances force them to commit crimes. Follow me.

No education
No job
No money
No home
No food

So what's a poor colored to do?

Commit a crime (probably a non violent crime)
Go to prison
Have record
No education
No job
No money
No home

It's a viscous, never ending cycle of poverty and despair. Is this what we want?

50 years after Brown v.Board declared seperate but equal unconstitutional, America's public schools are still segregated by race and class. What about that Supreme Court Justices?

Happy Black History Month.

Why there is no hope for The Huntsville City Schools

The story of the African American mother who was convicted for enrolling her children in an out of district school in Ohio could very well be an African American mother right here in the great state of Alabama and Huntsville City Schools in particular. It exemplifies the desperate measures and risks African American parents face in their quest to provide a quality public education for their children.

Contrary to the misconceptions and media driven stereotypes, African American taxpayers value education and want the same educational opportunity for their children as white taxpayers. Maybe it stems back to the days of slavery when it was illegal for blacks to learn to read and write, but there seems to be a concerted effort to this day to keep blacks from being educated.

Fifty years after Brown v. Board declared separate but equal schools unconstitutional Huntsville City Schools are segregated according to race in spite of a federal court order to desegregate.

Back in the day, Huntsville City Schools quietly and successfully integrated. There were no stands in the school house door. No angry mobs. No federal troops.

Back in the day ALL of the Huntsville City Schools were excellent schools. There were no identifiably black and white schools. All the teachers taught all the students, and all the students learned. Back in the day it didn't matter where a student lived because the quality of the school in the neighborhood wasn't tied to property values. Fast forward to the present and the reverse is true.


As long as the quality of public education in Huntsville is based on parental income and property values there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools.


As long as those in positions of power believe it’s a silly, unrealistic, line that every school should be as good as Grissom, there is no hope for Huntsville City Schools.

As long as those in positions of power believe them uppity coloreds and sneaky Mexicans would receive an education only white, god-fearing, clean, and law-abiding children deserve, there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools.

As long as black parents aren't politically involved to the same extent as white parents there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools.

I don't care how many Superintendents, clueless consultants and school boards are hired and fired, there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools as long as people with racist beliefs have the power to exercise racism.

One would think a school system whose motto is Education is the Hope of the Republic would make an effort to educate ALL students regardless of race, gender, sex or address.

President Obama said he intends to replace the Bush era Leave no Child Behind education initiative with the Race to the Top initiative which IMHO is a back door push for Charter Schools. If ALL children don't have equal access to a quality public school a whole lot of children will be left behind in the race to the top.

There is no HOPE for the future of the republic until ALL children have equal access to a quality public education.

The sad sorry state of the Huntsville City School System and Alabama public schools in general

If you're thinking of moving to Huntsville, or the State of Alabama, I hope you don't have any k-12 school children. If you are not affluent enough to live in a neighborhood with the best public schools your tax dollars can buy, or afford to send your student to private schools, your children are tough out of luck, thanks to the sad, sorry state of separate and unequal education in Alabama.  Fifty years after Brown v. Board ordered schools to integrate Alabama is still the state of segregation today, segregation tomorrow, and it looks like segregation forever.

I want to assure every child that this State government is not afraid to invest in their future through education, so that they will not be handicapped on every threshold of their lives.

Today I have stood, where once Jefferson Davis stood, and took an oath to my people. It is very appropriate then that from this Cradle of the Confederacy, this very Heart of the Great Anglo-Saxon Southland, that today we sound the drum for freedom as have our generations of forebears before us done, time and time again through history. Let us rise to the call of freedom-loving blood that is in us and send our answer to the tyranny that clanks its chains upon the South. In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny . . . and I say . . . segregation today . . . segregation tomorrow . . . segregation forever.

In an Opinion piece in the Sunday's Huntsville Times, Huntsville City School Chief Dr. Ann Roy Moore says (paraquoting) don't blame me for the sad, sorry, state of separate and unequal education, blame the people who elected the people who hired and enabled me to maintain the status quo, because we were all sitting around the table together.

For clarity it must also be understood that copies of the monthly financials (Certification of Expenditures) are always included in the regular board meeting agenda packet. A negative ending fund balance (general fund) was reflected in the past five monthly financial reports approved by the Huntsville City Board of Education. Since 1997, prior to each regular board meeting, the superintendent and CFO always meet with the two board members that serve on the Finance-Audit Committee to discuss the report that will be voted on at the upcoming board meeting.

See what I mean? As long as the budgetary goals include paying clueless consultants while laying off teachers, paying support personnel slave wages, building new schools while other schools suffer, not making sure every child in Huntsville has access to a quality public education regardless of their zip code, board members who operate in back rooms and not in public, and hire temporary workers to get around tenure laws I can't, strike that, I won't support your *ahem* budgetary goals.

You see the problem with Huntsville City Schools is they don't realize there is no right (pun intended) way to do the wrong thing. If they weren't hell bent on maintaining a separate and unequal school system they wouldn't be in this mess. It's expensive to operate a dual educational system.

Herbert Wheeler, Huntsville City Schools' chief financial officer, comments, "I can't say with any degree of accuracy that we won't have a reduction in force" (The Huntsville Times, April 7, 2009). Additionally, Craig Pouncey, assistant state superintendent of finance , emphasized (The Huntsville Times July 14, 2010), "When the Legislature understands things that must be done, like transporting kids to school or fixing leaky roofs...schools have to pay for it through local funds. That's what has driven school systems into the ditch." In August, "Wheeler was predicting that the system would be in the red either this month or next" (The Huntsville Times, Aug. 20, 2009). In September, State Superintendent Joe Morton predicted a second year of proration. Superintendent Moore says (The Huntsville Times 9/30/09), "it's likely the system will have to reduce staff."

If you think the democratic majority Alabama state legislature didn't understand the problems facing public school systems , what do you think the newly elected anti public education, red, republican, legislature is going to do? Here's a hint.

Now that the red state, republicans have control of the Alabama government expect a big push for new ideas like Charter Schools with the fake concern about poor, black children being forced to attend them there failing public schools. meababs urges folks to use caution before jumping on the charter school bandwagon and I agree.

So here we are, reducing staff (laying off teachers) while the number of school age children increase all because the Huntsville City School system, and the state of Alabama in general is hell bent on doing the wrong thing. Taxpayers would be willing to support the school system's budget if they saw it benefiting their children and not to maintain the status quo.

The first major RIF in the Huntsville City School system in recent history was implemented this past spring and was done in preparation for starting a movement toward a positive outcome at the end of this fiscal year. If everyone supports the budgetary goals based on projections, staffing and other budgetary strategies, the system's financial status will improve over time.

It will take the concerted effort and the support of all board members along with the superintendent to make this happen.

Good luck with that.