Educational Options for African American Children a Key Issue

State legislators and community activists from the Southeast Community Policy and Leadership Forum met in San Antonio in May to develop Educational Options for African American Children and outline a Ten-Point Plan for education reform initiatives (see page 2).

Participants focused on how existing public school systems can be enhanced through innovative strategies such as involving churches and colleges in K-12 education. Others highlighted the success of the Comer School development model, which builds social services into the school’s daily operations. Judy Hurt, of South Carolina’s Berkeley County Schools, noted that the Comer model has been particularly successful in rural areas, where distance from social services is an issue. Representatives from the religious community outlined strategies to involve local churches in educational development.

A large stumbling block for educational reform is funding — particularly an issue in many parts of the southeastern U.S. where money provided to local school districts via state or local revenues ranks lowest in the nation. State Representative Laura Hall (Ala.), herself a teacher, noted that the ten lowest ranked school districts in Alabama, mostly in urban and rural areas, received only $422.32 per pupil in local revenue, compared to $2,094.07 from the top ten, primarily suburban school districts. Hall described the alliance that is developing between urban and rural school districts — both equally poorly funded — to correct the imbalance in revenues with wealthier suburban districts.

Participants stressed the importance of bringing community colleges and historically African American colleges into educational reform efforts to expose young people to a university environment, show colleges the role they play in guaranteeing the preparation of their future student body and leverage resources to improve schools.

For more information, contact Darold Johnson, Southeast Community Policy and Leadership Forum Director, at CPA or email [email protected], or visit CPA’s website.