Schools Part 2: Round and Round I Go

Schools: Part Two

Those two questions are not unfair.

Will South be challenging enough? Compared to Southwest and Washburn, South offers fewer honors level courses. Ask a teacher and he or she will tell you the district curriculum is the same, but examine the course offerings and you will discover they are not. Did the registration nights at Washburn and Southwest talk about the importance of graduating from high school and what the bare number of courses students need? Or did they at least mention colleges and challenge? Is this because of the difference in school make-up based on race and/or socio-economics? Does it matter what the reason is? Will it have an influence on my daughters' experiences?

A recent study found that the most disadvantaged schools have the worst teachers. Solana's middle school last year had 62% of its students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, and her teachers were mostly awesome. I work in a very advantaged district and I know there are sub-par teachers. But since it is a study done by respected institutions and academics, I trust it, and yet the assertion is such an absolute and I hate absolutes. I read an article like this and I feel protective and nervous. I read about Minneapolis School's commitment to black male youth and discipline and I wonder where my girls are in the discussion about students. I don't hear about the mission to educate. I don't hear anyone talking about my daughters' options and futures.

The other question I have is about safety. Last year, as an eighth grader, Solana played basketball for the South high school. One day, when my husband was dropping her at practice there was a fight, yelling, screaming, escalating, between two adult women in the hall by the gym. Later, there was a story on the news about a fight at the school that turned out to be outside of the school, but between two students. From my own personal experience, I know what fights, even occasional ones, feel like in a school. When I was observing at Edison High School five years ago before getting my license, I watched an all out brawl in the streets just outside the school. The fact is that I haven't seen many fights. I don't want to. That fight, the sound of one child punching another, has stuck with me. In all of the above situations, both parties were black.

When I was a South student, twenty five years ago, there were times I didn't feel safe. Once, while walking down the hall with Joel, my boyfriend, who was a superstar white cross-country runner, a black student shoved a marshmallow in his mouth. He turned around to say, "what the hell?" and was immediately shoved up against a locker and pinned. One boy stood mocking him and the other held him. It ended quickly, but I was scared. The assistant principal at the time did not help either of us process. Ironically, I volunteered with the special ed department, and the following semester, the boy who pulled the marshmallow incident was in the class I volunteered in. When I realized, I said that I didn't want to work with him and the teacher encouraged me to work it out. Not surprisingly, once I got to know him, I realized he was likable, and I finally told him that I had been there that day. His response was, "well, I wouldn't have done it if I had known he was your boyfriend."

I know in my heart that society must do all it can to help black males succeed; I believe this, and yet I want my daughters to be challenged and safe.

Truthfully, I don't worry about my girls' safety, but I worry more about what they will see; is that overly protective? And I do believe that they will find challenge on a number of levels, some academic and some not, at a school like South. That was my experience. But when my friends and family choose the less diverse schools that talk about academic rigor, I wonder if I am making the right choices. And round and round I go.