A Reflective Response

How High Poverty Schools Are Getting It Done

The Principalship pg. 56-59

I’m going to go out on a limb in this reflection and agree with everything written by Chenoweth and Theokas. When the leader of the building has the ability to positively transform the school culture in spite of the socio-economic make up of the students, he or she has taken the time to customize the leadership. I run into walls when reading certain articles because I don’t feel that most address the realistic atmosphere that most struggling schools are facing. But this article speaks from several perspectives that support many of my ideologies regarding effective leadership.

Leaders who have spent a a considerable amount of years in the classroom have developed traits that allow for them to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As a music teacher complete mastery in applied classes is a normal expectation. It is in our make up as music instructors to discriminate between excellence and mediocrity. This should be the rule for all curricula. Administrators would benefit from utilizing fine art teachers in the setting of various goals for teaching and learning.

Instruction has to be the center of leadership. This is the only way positive change can take place in the building. The leadership also has to provide strategies for struggling teachers that will allow for more occurrences of success. Effective leaders also have the insight to empower the instructors with opportunities to offer effective strategies such as relevant field trips and participation in professional developments. 

My experience reveals to me that the ultimate strategy in improving student success is providing the building with a leader that lives and breathes Excellence as the only standard...not 80%, not some, not most....but ALL.

NAACP: Still Fighting the Wrong Fight

Give me a ballroom, table settings, centerpieces and plenty of unsweetened tea and I'll throw the best NAACP Fundraiser you can possibly fathom. The 105 year old civil rights organization prides itself on pulling out all the stops in the name of fundraising. All of the who's who of St. Louis make their yearly pilgrimage to the Ritz Carlton and sit initially for 45 minutes as a cavalcade of honorees are called...some worthy, most political pawns in a game of give me, give me, give me..(.that's 45 minutes of introductions prior to the singing of the anthems)!!!!
Funny, I have yet to mention anything of substance related to the NAACP.

Given the last few years of tumultuous and inexplicably demoralizing political tactics aimed at Urban education, the voice of the NAACP should have been beaming in high frequency across all forms of media. When Normandy was awarded the Welston School District (for their obvious strong ability to turn around schools), the NAACP was invisible. When Normandy began to express the blatant suicide that would be committed when taking over another failing district, the NAACP was no where around to share in that belief. Ultimately, when the state decided to strip a failing school that was forced to take on another failing school, of its accreditation, again...NNAACP (No NAACP).

HOWEVER When a law that supported bankrupting one school district to benefit another was implemented, the NAACP woke up...came to life....popped out of the wood works in support of the families who decided to leave. Yes, anything that had to do with leaving a mess behind and going to the land of the lilly white is the systemic function of the NAACP. It happened during the Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954 and it is happening all over again.

One would think with the substantial amount of educators, attorneys, business professionals, etc..in the Black community that more aggression would have been geared towards solving the problems at HOME. And NOW that some districts are making Normandy students return to the "failing " school, the NAACP is once again bellowing their cries of injustice. I'm sorry, but the bellows are too little and too late. They are also MISGUIDED. Why are you so afraid to face the real issue? Normandy is NOT a "failing" school. Normandy is a failed community. That's the greater civil rights issue that you, NAACP, have not taken on.... issues that caused the demise of this community: closed businesses, increased amounts of Chinese food restaurants (aiding in the increase occurrences of high blood pressure & diabetes) and Middle Eastern owned convenient stores that sell liquor and cigarettes to minors...when there are vast amounts of Black applicants for small business loans who are rejected...Various forms of Police abuse and a hell-of-a-lot of corruption in local government. Help us turn around this community...give the citizens some pride and encouragement to keep their surroundings clean and presentable. Help our parents find jobs that pay above minimum wage. A proud parent has a proud child that projects a positive energy that promotes a proud school.

 WE NEED YOU to help our community hold the state accountable for their decision to take on our schools and turn them around. It would be nice to try to solve problems at home...without running towards greener pastures!!!

Why Maya Really Died

The forces of nature all have something very unique in common. Pure Innocence!!!! These forces are all at the will of a greater force...which ultimately does what ever it wants to do with them at any given time. These forces must always be available to be used by the greater force. But that's the beauty of being a force of nature. Maya Angelou was a force of nature whose innocence of artistic free-flowing energy secured her position as one of the most influential human beings of all time. As with any force of nature, Maya's touch triggered positive change and transition in those that met her on her path.

Oprah was undoubtedly one of those fortunate creatures who was touched by the force of Maya. Thankful to technology, we were afforded the opportunity to experience glimpses of Oprah's growth in consciousness as a result of being touched by Maya. Oprah's walk into the deeper spiritual realm was a direct reaction to the powerful words fed intravenously to her from the pure soul of Maya.

I'm sure that in many of their conversations, Maya could be heard saying, Sister Friend...or daughter...I want you to have it all...I want you to have the desires of your heart....I want you to expand in your ability to communicate....I want all these things for you...But.....But....But...I don't want you to pursue the ownership of your OWN network. Up until that point, Oprah's eyes were closed and her head was nodding a resounding YES...Until that moment, Oprah was secretly smiling as to remain humble, attempting to hold in the joy of this force's proclamations about her life. The moment Maya told her not to pursue the network, Oprah paused in her mental carnival and resided into a deep dark cacophony of utter confusion. "Why would Maya discourage me from taking my empire to the next level. She must know that I'll be able to reach more people. Something must be...wrong with Maya." You see when the calm winds turn tornadic, we are so quick to blame nature and not ourselves. Oprah wasn't ready for this force to all of a sudden NOT APPROVE!!!!

What Maya knew, because she was a force...was that creating the OWN Network would begin the downfall of Oprah as the Leader of Consciousness Movement. She knew that for the first time in her talk show career that Oprah would face a major hurdle that she could not control. She knew that Oprah would eventually have to abort the idea or choose to sell out. Oprah and sell out could never be in the same sentence!!!! That's not what the Mother-Sister-Friend instilled in her disciple. 

When Oprah's OWN ratings were tanking in the first year, I imagine Maya called her and said, "Daughter....it's OK to walk away. The People will understand." Oprah looked at her phone and said, "Um...Mother-Sister-Friend...we have a bad connection and I need to call you back." That moment was the beginning of the altering of the force that would lead to Maya's death. Oprah went on to incorporate programming that not only took African Americans backwards 20 years, but totally negated and falsified many of the prolific philosophies of television and image that Oprah had completely annihilated Jerry Springer and Sally Jesse Raphel for in the early 90's. I can't imagine Maya sitting on her sprawling couch under her afghan with her feet up chuckling at  Love Thy Neighbor or even being grasped and transported by the elementary sounding dialogue of the Haves and the Have Nots. I'm sure Maya had to have thought...my darling Oprah, you are a teacher and you have language and behaviors on your network that are catering to the very people that need the most help with evolving into stronger and eager intellectuals. For 30 mins to 2 hours or so, you dummify the life of the African American without a payoff. What is the payoff, my daughter? Although I know you made a great friend and confidant in Mr. Perry, you do realize that his formula for reaching the multitudes, is in essence no different that Maury or Jerry. You do realize that as he has these blatant archetypes parading around your network that you are slowly devaluing your brand? Oh my daughter, my heart is heavy because you are making it more difficult for teachers to inspire, influence and raise the consciousness levels of their students because most of their parents are watching these shows. And because these shows are on your Network, they feel that its OK. You haven't forgotten
your power...you have just chosen to misuse it like the majority of your White Male counterparts. You are officially a Mogul my child. My job is done here...I must move on.