Some random suggestions of things NAACP leaders could do to help Metro Nashville Schools instead of fighting the zoning plan:

1. Take a leadership position in confronting gang activity. Gangs are a big reason middle-class people of all colors have fled the public schools.

2. Start a mentoring campaign in which successful African American men and women encourage young black men and women who don't have jobs or a high school diploma to acquire an education or good job skills and to get married BEFORE they father children or have babies. There's a 100 Black Men program -- we need those men and women matched with underachieving boys and girls in every school.

3. Stop accepting teen pregnancy and unmarried parents as a given.

4. Encourage parents to buy books and read to their children.

5. Work by example to combat a culture in which doing well in school is scorned.

5. Hold parents responsible for their children's behavior at school.

6. Don't say you want to cut Barach Obama's nuts off because he believes in personal responsibility.

People have lost their patience with sustaining a sick and dependent culture that seems bent on self-defeat but takes umbridge if anyone, black, white or any other color, says anything about it.

Um, get real, before you go shooting off your mouth about all the things the NAACP should be doing, you might want to check out their website and see what they are doing, so that you don't look like a fool.

Get Real: take a trip over to Jefferson Street and go into the office of the NAACP and make an appointment to address the Board and make your suggestions to them. But, first, you might want to see if their members are involved in all these activities already. BTW: Jesse Jackson is not representing the NAACP about anything. And I don't believe you represent some separatist group I could name.

NAACP, Mr. Woods, and anyone else who wants to put down Ms Johnson and the school board---you won. Your children in the Pearl Cohn zone get the CHOICE that my child did not get to make. He had to attend his zoned school that will not get $6 million in improvements and looks like it has not had any since 1965. In a system that is (according to the last report I could find) 48% black to 35% white, you are already the majority.
How can a few white children validate your children? If the whites were saying that black children cannot be successful without white influence, you would be marching down Jefferson. How hurtful and damaging is it to hear that from your own leaders? Pearl Cohn is already an excellent school and it can be the showplace of the neighborhood. Make it your center and see your children stand proud. Go to the sporting events and cheer for your neighborhood stars and just watch them acheive the greatness that will come from your support. You are telling them they are not good enough as they are and they need a white neighborhood to rub off on them in order for them to be their best. What magic do you think is happening as they cross Hillwood Blvd?

Posting this on two threads, b/c I'd really like to get an answer from Matt or Jeff: When one strategy doesn't seem to be working or serving anyone's interest, a new strategy needs to be pursued. We haven't heard anything to show that the old zoning plan was serving anyone well, except for "We all know what will happen..." which is meaningless. You can put anything after that phrase. Here are a few points: 1) We hear that North Nashville was once a stronger, cohesive community that was apart by the interstate and development decisions. Could it be that North Nashville has also suffered from having many students siphoned away from its neighbhorhood schools, leaving one small high school with limited offerings because of the small number of students, and less opportunity for parents to be involved? 2) When people totally discount the importance of school zoning that allows easier parent involvement, aren't they assuming that the parents in a certain neighborhood aren't worth a crap and won't be involved if given the opportunity? A friend who has taught in several low-income schools, including recently the Hillwood cluster, noted a difference. In the low-income schools that drew children from nearby, the impoverished parents could and would walk over to the school to address discipline issues, meet with teachers, and be involved. It did make a difference in student behavior. In the Hillwood cluster, the impoverished parents cannot get all the way to the schools, are less connected with what's going on, don't show up for teacher conferences, and are less able to support the teachers. Why do these Scene writers and certain school board members seem to think that just doesn't matter? Are they writing these parents off as deadbeats that won't be involved no matter what?

Parent,

I'll try to respond. There's evidence that clumping poor, black kids in one place is a really bad idea and that it overrides any benefit from neighborhood schools. And blacks are naturally distrustful of white officials who promise they'll spend money to improve predominantly black schools.

Parent, I don't understand why the school board couldn't come up with a plan that wasn't so divisive. Zoning decisions can be almost impossible to grasp and are flat-outimpossible to predict and I don't think Jeff or I have ever said this particular plan is doomed to failure. Maybe it will be the best thing for both schools.

But I basically have two concerns:

Pedro's memo, which offers rather vivid details of racist intentions.

The fact that four out of the five elected black school board members, along with the NAACP, and the city's only countywide elected black official in Jerry Maynard are all against it. If this plan is really going to help black kids, then why is almost every black leader against this thing?

Woods and MattP,
Of your responses, I find the first point by Jeff ("There's evidence that clumping poor, black kids in one place is a really bad idea and that it overrides any benefit from neighborhood schools.") the one that truly deserves investigation. Key questions: A. To what extent does the new zoning plan clump "poor, black kids" together more than the current zoning? B. What is the evidence, and does it apply to Nashville. (Ellen Goldring, I believe, has written a lot on this. It might also be worth looking at the charter school experiences.)

As the to the other arguments:
A. "Blacks are naturally distrustful of white officials who promise they'll spend money to improve predominantly black schools." Um, black officials are in the majority on the school board. Is there serious concern that, down the line, somehow Hillwood is going to get more funding per pupil than Pearl Cohn? And what about Title I? Really, can we stop the fear-mongering?

Pedro Garcia has no credibility. Sorry. None. The man is an imperious, spoiled brat. He was director of schools for almost 7 years, but he does not want to take responsibility for his failed leadership. Kindall's playing the old standard, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Why is "almost every black leader against this thing?" Fearful politics and groupthink, maybe? Simple anger at the Hillwood cluster, where yes, there is racism (and anti-immigrant sentiment, too)? But even if some people in that cluster are guilty of racism, that does not mean that, de facto, those who put together this plan are, too.

"There's evidence that clumping poor, black kids in one place is a really bad idea and that it overrides any benefit from neighborhood schools."

So that great article about KIPP that you guys published last year was false?

"There's evidence that clumping poor, black kids in one place is a really bad idea and that it overrides any benefit from neighborhood schools."

Really. KIPP was the school that came to my mind when I read this statement. Is the Scene in retraction mode?

So Edwin Gray sees nothing inherently racist about focusing only on ousting Karen Johnson, because she's the only black board member who voted in favor of the zoning plan.

And Jerry Maynard, a smart and capable guy who should know better, sees nothing wrong or inconsistent about blaming "inexperienced teachers and lack of funding and resources" for widespread failure in a public school system that now has 70% of students on free or reduced lunches, despite plenty of research showing that students of any race from low-income families and from single-parent families tend to be lower achievers in school.

I don't doubt that investing more money in Nashville public schools will help, as long as that money is not invested in buses that take students away from the zone where they at least have access to family and neighborhood support? What we have now isn't working. So why the big fuss over trying something new?

And where were all of these protesting voices when the illiterate Ben Wright, one of Pedro Garcia's recruits, was promoting a plan for a single-sex academy for black males, which would segregate them into a separate institution? Was that OK because a black man proposed it for the politically correct reasons?

The Scene could do an interesting look at whether and how the old zoning plan was serving the students from North Nashville. You might be surprised at what you find. The problem is, I bet you would find that many parents, teachers, and other players would not be willing to talk with you, since in a previous post you referenced anyone involved with the new plan as being in cahoots with segregationists. Who would risk speaking openly to someone they thought had an agenda and would automatically label them?

I agree that the school board needs to put the money up for the Pearl Cohn improvements, but that will only happen with agreement to the zoning plan. MNPS is not going to, and should not, commit $6 million unless it's going to serve a larger number of students than are currently in the Pearl Cohn cluster.

So Edwin Gray sees nothing inherently racist about focusing only on ousting Karen Johnson, because she's the only black board member who voted in favor of the zoning plan.

And Jerry Maynard, a smart and capable guy who should know better, sees nothing wrong or inconsistent about blaming "inexperienced teachers and lack of funding and resources" for widespread failure in a public school system that now has 70% of students on free or reduced lunches, despite plenty of research showing that students of any race from low-income families and from single-parent families tend to be lower achievers in school.

I don't doubt that investing more money in Nashville public schools will help, as long as that money is not invested in buses that take students away from the zone where they at least have access to family and neighborhood support? What we have now isn't working. So why the big fuss over trying something new?

And where were all of these protesting voices when the illiterate Ben Wright, one of Pedro Garcia's recruits, was promoting a plan for a single-sex academy for black males, which would segregate them into a separate institution? Was that OK because a black man proposed it for the politically correct reasons?

Small fact is that no one is looking at is Edwin Gray was the now Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite of the 29th districts campaign manager and both campaigned for Dr. Awipi against her when she ran the first time. So now what is this really all about. Karen is a worker and she has the right to vote and has anyone asked how many are for what she did?

Politics are always local, sometimes too loco/local.

"Really. KIPP was the school that came to my mind when I read this statement. Is the Scene in retraction mode?"

No kidding. If that was just Liz up on her high horse, finding a token conservative issue to prove how balanced (or disingenuous) her politics are, as if the Fred Thompson puff piece fiasco wasn't enough, then the Scene needs to use its editorial voice to disavow the charter schools campaign.

But to rely on the amplifier of a moral/political editorial voice without any consistency is a challenge to the Scene's credibility.

Seriously, elaborate on the difference between KIPP and a Pearl Cohn where the board's resource commitment is met.

Charter schools have the same theme as the "old" sitebased management but more freedom to ask for an incredible work ethic from the teachers. It doesn't matter how much money is poured into the Pearl Cohn cluster if the principal/teacher teams don't have a commitment and understanding of their educational challenge. I think the State does understand because they've done lots of this work around the State of TN. We'll see what happens.

Check out this link to the state dept. of ed. Select schools you'd like to look, such as Hillwood and Pearl Cohn. Interesting numbers.
http://edu.reportcard.state.tn.us/pls/apex/f?p=222:1:2569745514730843::NO:::

Check out this link to the state dept. of ed. It takes you to the 2007 state "report card." Select schools you'd like to know more about, such as Hillwood and Pearl Cohn. Interesting numbers. May not be what you expect.
http://edu.reportcard.state.tn.us/pls/apex/f?p=222:1:2569745514730843::NO:::

Check out this link to the state dept. of ed. It takes you to the 2007 state "report card." Select schools you'd like to know more about, such as Hillwood and Pearl Cohn. Interesting numbers.

http://edu.reportcard.state.tn.us/pls/apex/f?p=222:1:2569745514730843::NO:::

Teachers at non-charter schools by and large have great work ethics, too. I'd say a more notable difference with KIPP is that the parents are required to take an active role in their kids' education. Studies have shown (and KIPP validates) that engaged and supportive parents are one of the biggest determinants of whether kids succeed or fail in school.

Maybe the report cards on schools should try to measure how many parents at Maplewood, Hillwood, Stratford and Hunters Lane are engaged in their kids' education.

You are right, B to the three. Some teachers at all schools have great work ethics, some average and some poor: it's a bell curve. Except at Charter schools the teacher can be "let go" without appeal. But if the school has a great principal, all boats rise. I've seen great principals take teachers who were fired, appealed and were placed back on the same faculty, work with them to turn them completely around in ability and attitude -- what a great teacher can do too with dispirited and failing students.

I wholly agree with you, Curious, about the critical importance of strong principals. Put a dynamic principal in a failing school, and you will get a much better school even if you change nothing else there, because the principal will be the agent of change.

Pithmaster, help with the delete button ... it seems to post if I just navigate out of the frame for a sec ...

Since the KIPP school came up, I found an article by Liz Garrigan about Pedro Garcia's attempted undermining of the KIPP in 2006. Keep in mind that Matt Pulle has identified Garcia's memo, conveniently leaked by Kindall & Thompson just in time to undermine the proposed zoning plan, as the source for the Scene's spin on this topic.

Pedro Garcia vs. a Few Good Kids
The Metro school administration picks a fight with a group of poor 5th and 6th graders--and loses

by Liz Garrigan

It looks like lawyers at the blue-chip law firm Bass, Berry & Sims won’t have to take legal action against the Metro school system after all because the schools’ leadership has backed off a demand to force a group of 5th and 6th grade students at the KIPP Academy charter school in East Nashville to return to their zoned schools—fully two months into their school year.

The KIPP students began their school year in June—the charter school has a longer school year, longer hours and requires parents to sign contracts agreeing to make sure their children complete homework—at which point the schools these kids were zoned for were listed on the state’s “failing” schools list. As a matter of state law, students zoned for such underperforming schools are allowed to attend charters.

Metro schools director Pedro Garcia & Co. notified KIPP last week that because Bailey, Gra-Mar and JFK came off that list after the latest round of failing schools was released—well into the KIPP school year—students who would normally attend those schools must be yanked out of the charter school, whose focus is rigorous instruction, discipline and emphasis on teamwork and college preparation. ...

“What they’re doing is just mean-spirited,” local businessman Townes Duncan, who is on the KIPP school board, said of the school system demand. ...

At its core, this conflict...illustrates a frustrating reality: that the Metro school administration, and at least a few members of the school board, resent charter schools and only grudgingly approved them in Nashville. There’s a kind of antagonism, rooted in a sort of territorial instinct, that pervades the relationship between public school educators and reform educators.

I'm assuming that the incoherency of the Scene's positions on KIPP and Pearl-Cohn is due to the change in editor, but it certainly dilutes how seriously I take their moral outrage when the prominent position the Scene seems to take looks like opportunistic pot-stirring.

I'm a little more sympathetic to Matt's simplification than to Liz's over-thought, cynical attempts to tack through a moderate position, to be honest. Liz may have been a good boss, but she was terrible at the whole opinion thing.