The Black Education Strategy Roundtable
Key Messages for Policy Makers
After conducting four education summits between May and July 2006, the Roundtable released its first publication, "Key Messages for Policy Makers" on September 12, 2006. This document was presented in person by Roundtable Steering Team members to the K-12 Subcommittee of Washington Learns, Sen. Rosa Franklin, Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, Rep. Bill Fromhold, various other members of the House, Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Terry Bergeson, Gov. Chris Gregoire, and policy staff people in the Governor's Office and Dr. Bergeson's Office.
Contents of this publication are below, or in PDF (Get PDF Reader)
Email us to request hard copies of "Key Messages for Policy Makers"
Recommendations
What the Black Community Wants
• A statewide strategic plan to close the racial “opportunity and achievement gap,” so that all students in the P-20 education system can meet state standards by 2014
• A public/private partnership to fund and operate local family engagement and empowerment activities and/or “capacity-building” institutes that equip parents/family/guardians to be effective “first teachers” and education advocates for their children
• A public/private partnership to fund and operate more community-based, supplemental education for Black youth in math and reading, including before- and after-school tutoring, Saturday schools, and summer academies
• A statewide school funding and policy package that increases funding for schools AND fundamentally redesigns the school day, week, year, classroom setting, curriculum, and pedagogy practices around the needs and learning styles of students who are not meeting state standards
What we believe
• An “achievement gap” and an “opportunity gap” exist for Black students. Both must be addressed to ensure that our youth are competitive in the global economy.
• The Black community must actively create/support community-based efforts to motivate our youth, restore their hope, and instill a respect for learning.
• Since research has proved that parents/family/guardians are key players in educating children, we must invest a much larger share of education funding to help them perform well in their roles as “first teachers” and education advocates.
• Any statewide education reform effort must expressly speak to the racial divide in achievement and opportunity and make investments needed to bridge it.
• Black children can learn and we know the methods that bolster their achievement in the classroom. These methods work for any child, so using these methods to close the gap for Black children will raise achievement for all children.
• The same old actions have generated the same old results. It’s time for bold new actions to generate new outcomes for Black youth in public education.
Our Views on Washington Learns
Regarding education reform, we want the same things that Gov. Chris Gregoire listed as her desired outcomes of the Washington Learns process:
• A bold statement about the future of education,
• A compelling vision for our education system that is seamless, world class, and learner focused, and
• Systemic change that results in a system that is accountable and that raises educational attainment.
If and when these objectives are met, Black students should benefit – especially if their needs are addressed specifically in the final reform strategy being formed by Gov. Gregoire and Legislature.
