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Polar bear with carrot

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Oh Atlanta

I have just started following the CRTC cheating scandal in Atlanta. This has not been the finest hour for the leaders of the black clergy in Atlanta who have chosen to frame blacks as victims and the investigation of the cheating scandal as racist.

"The bigger option is dealing with racism, and how it affects the public education system," said Concerned Black Clergy President the Rev. Richard Cobble on Monday. "It's a costly witch hunt."


"We expect our prosecutors to go after criminals and not our educators," said Dr. Richard Cobble, President of the Concerned Black Clergy. He and more than 30 others blasted the investigation as "disturbing, reprehensible and misguided." Pressed on how the CRCT investigation was racist, Cobble told CBS Atlanta, "Cheating on tests is one of the means in which the system designed to keep us unfocused, to keep us distracted and keep us at each other throats."


Members of the Concerned Black Clergy also said they plan to meet with the Fulton County District Attorney and ask him not to impose jail time on educators found guilty of cheating on standardized tests. Black ministers in Atlanta denounce what they say is a “witch hunt” on educators who — however misguided — were just trying to help children. 

“Now we want to put teachers in jail, which is absurd,” said the Rev. Timothy McDonald, a leader of the group, the Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta.

They insist that no one, especially teachers, should face any criminal charges if found guilty of changing students' test sheet answers. "I see no way for us as a community to call ourselves progressive and innovative if we even talk about jailing teachers," said Rev. Joseph Roberts.

The ministers say they don't condone cheating by anyone, but fear fallout from the investigation could cripple Atlanta's Public School system and make it even more difficult to replace outgoing Superintendent Beverly Hall.

They believe teachers have become scapegoats in the probe and, if guilty, should only face job action such as suspension. "District Attorney Paul Howard has been misguided and has joined the forces of those who dare to destroy public education," claimed Rev. Cobble.

District Attorney Howard said he hopes he doesn't have to charge anyone with a crime. But when pressed, he still reserved that option, if needed. "We will make some determination, as in every case, as to whether or not any other criminal actions are necessary," Howard said.

When asked if criminal charges are still a possibility, he said, "Always a possibility."

Black clergy members put most of the blame for the scandal on the No Child Left Behind Act and what they feel is an overemphasis on testing.    

Members of the Concerned Black Clergy think a more appropriate punishment would be to reprimand teachers found guilty of cheating or force them to take furlough days.

"There are other avenues besides threatening teachers with jail time. And we don't think any teacher should go to jail for changing any erasures on a test," said Rev. McDonald. 'Suspension with pay, suspension without pay, there are other alternatives than putting folks in jail."

"We admit some cheating went on; ain't nobody up here saying ain't been no cheating, but we got to find a resolution that moves us forward and not backwards," said  Rev. Mcdonald. "These teachers, even those who cheated, let's face it, they were trying to help."

To give you the story in a nutshell, in february state officials in Georgia noticed an abnormal amount of erasures on student answer sheets for the state's Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, which tests first- through eighth-graders on reading, math and language arts. In response, the state ordered an inquiry into 58 of Atlanta's 84 elementary and middle schools. Many Atlanta Public Schools employees have now confessed to changing students’ test papers, providing answers to students or watching others manipulate tests. Federal criminal charges may now be filed. The Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Beverly Hall has resigned and has been implicated for being less than truthful during the investigation. There was also apparently a huge effort on the part of administrators to suppress the scandal.

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U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. spoke up this week about his infidelity with a female acquaintance. "Every one of us has erred in their personal lives and while I don't claim to be a perfect servant, I'm a public servant," Jackson told the AP. "Often times we carry with us the burdens of our personal shortcomings even as we struggle to articulate and clarify a message that helps other people. That what I dedicated my life to. Everybody's falling short of the glory of God.""

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The african american community is not well served by leaders who justify cheating. On tests or on their wives. Crying racism when being caught red handed altering test scores will also not help the community in the long run. And the students are certainly not being served by allowing them to pass forward while failing to meet the most minimum requirements and being "helped" by such teachers. 

I don't blame the teachers entirely. I blame the parents who don't stress the importance of education to their children and do their part to ensure their children's education at home. And Black clergymen who speak ghetto ebonics, regularly say ain't and can't complete a proper sentence. The black community will get ahead when they face these problems head on and stop laying them off on imaginary racism. They are not "helping"their children by insisting that they be held to a lesser standard than that adopted by any other american community. In fact tragically it sends the opposite message to the kids, that the children can not measure up on an equal playing field.



But Dr. Cobble is coming out of left field. The "man" didn't create a vast conspiracy that would tempt the brothers and sisters to cheat or to "keep us at each other throats." You guys figured this one out yourselves.

9 comments:

windowdancer said...

Interesting articles...

My opinion of Jessie Junior and his indiscretion is "SO WHAT". I'm sick of the media making a big deal over this Republican or that Democrat fooling around while in office. It's a private matter between a husband and wife and only serves as ratings fodder for your favorite cable news channel (or blog).

Besides, it's Biblical for a man to have more then one wive and quite frankly monogamy goes completely against the laws of nature.

In other words... Sometimes a man needs to scratch his itch.

As far as the cheating scandal it should make no difference if those involved were black or white. The ones responsible should be fired and banned from teaching for life.

I don't understand the reasoning behind the Concerned Black Clergy's stand. It makes no sense at all.

They're basically slapping those kids in the face that work hard and earn their grades. It's basically saying it's okay to lie and cheat your way through life. If you get caught, SCREAM RACISM. Turning this issue into one about race only fuels the flames of hate.

Come on "Concerned Black Clergy"... Read your Bible and wise up.

WD

grumpy said...

right on, WD, you took the woids right outta my mouth...

Blue Heron said...

I'm an old fashioned guy. In my 29 years of marriage and monogamy I...hey, I believe that when you make a vow to another human being, it is not something to be broken lightly. Male nature or not. Peccadillo of mine. Prudish victorian.

windowdancer said...

Congratulations! You're an amazing man Mr Heron. Very admirable. I'm sure that there is a special place for men like you in Heaven... or wherever.

For holier men then thou have walked the straight and narrow path of righteousness only to stumble and fall along the wayside to the sins of the flesh. Sex can be like a powerful drug and for a lot of men a hard penis has no concious.

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION...

Billy Graham spoke often of this, vowing early on never to be alone in a room or a car with any woman other than his wive. Why? Because at the end of the day he was still just a man.

The Blue Heron. 29 years and counting... YEEHAW!

Let me know when you hit 30. Maybe we could go pick up a couple of strippers and celebrate.

WD

Anonymous said...

Robert- Great job reporting stories that matter and engaging your readers in questions of morality. It works. At any given time I can look to the blog and find an issue to really gnaw on- my own water cooler moment. But, sorry I have bone to pick on this one. These preachers and teachers are wrong on the cheating issue-but racism is as deep, and unfortunately, as subtle as ever. For those of us who have had both the benefits of access to education and success and yet also experienced the sting of minority exclusion, it is particularly important that we don't try to tell others what to feel on this issue. How many times have you felt that an injury or threat you suffered was related to being a minority, and everyone (meaning non-minorities) pooh-poohed your sentiment? claimed prejudice is a thing of the past? that you should just get over it? quit whining? Just asking...judging what others feel or should feel is a precarious business......As a matter of fact, I learned that in my marriage. Every husband at some point has tried to tell their wife that her feelings were wrong. How'd that work for you? I bet those of us with long marriages gave up that endeavor a long time ago.

Blue Heron said...

Looks like I have hit a nerve on this one, and have been outvoted. Fine. I have no problem with that. Window thinks man has to do what a man has to do. Anon believes that I am judging an oppressed minority and have little right telling them how they should be feeling.

I know that the multiple partners/wives thing is big in many cultures, africa included. (As is domestic violence against women, for that matter.) Perhaps we are all hardwired differently from a genetic standpoint. I am rather prudish about the idea myself, thinking more about the spiritual implications of trying to do what we promise to do. I guess sometimes we fail.

But my chastisement of those leaders who would defend cheating, no matter what their ethnic origin is not something that I will retract because only when the particular group is willing to face the common litmus fairly will they be able to move forward in our society. They do themselves no favors here.

You can blast no child left behind, you can make the point that we are over tested, but you don't ever give the kids the right answers unless you want them to feel like morons who can't do it on their own.

grumpy said...

Having spent most of my teenage years in the South, to this very day I find myself uttering "y'all" ("how y'all doin'?", etc); therefore I do not feel "ain't" is such an offense to our native tongue, in fact I find the word quite charming; so long as one knows proper speech and can use it when called upon to do so.

windowdancer said...

Mr. Heron...

My original comment was in no way condoning the cheating on ones spouse. Nor was I advocating the practice of swinging. I was merely trying to point out what a man is up against and has been up against since before your people wandered the desert with Moses.

Think of all the great men that have lost it all because of sex. Politicians, men of faith, people of all races and creeds.

I bet old John Edwards is kicking himself in the ass even as I write these words.

Kudos to you and those that are able to keep their eyes on the ball through a lifetime of marital bliss. You should be exalted over all those who have fallen.

As for me... I would never admit to infidelity either. I stand solemnly by the trinity of words that bond all married men together as one.

DENY... DENY... DENY.

WD

Blue Heron said...

Educators should lead by example, Grumpy. People with doctor behind their name do not need to indulge in colloquial ghetto slang, especially when they want to raise their people up.