Examiner - City Students Rally at “Die-in”
Ron Cassie, The Examiner
Mar 23, 2007 3:00 AM (7 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 56 of 24,176
BALTIMORE - Chanting “No education, no life”, more than 100 city students from more than a dozen Baltimore high schools demonstrated at a “die-in” in front of Baltimore City public school headquarters Thursday morning.
Falling to the concrete amid recorded “screams” while creating a pseudo crime scene complete with yellow police tape and chalk-outlined bodies on the North Avenue sidewalk, the students drew a compelling connection between education and crime in the city.
We have the second-highest murder rate in the country, said Amani Love, a ConneXions Leadership Academy ninth-grader. Where I live, so many people can’t read, can’t do math and really aren’t qualified to do anything. With no education, they can’t expect to get a decent job. What else are people supposed to do, but fall down in this system? That’s why we have the second-highest murder rate in the country.
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:19 am
I read about this in the paper this morning.. I was waiting for you to blog about it…
As long as we got some kids willing to take a stand this generation aint totally lost…
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:13 pm
I was talking with a friend about this very sort of thing not long ago. I was saying that it seems the city’s stance on crime is short sighted - yes, more and better police can help, but what about the other things that effect crime in the long term, such as education or fostering strong communities? Her point was that most tax-paying citizens don’t want to hear it. They want their solutions quick and decisive, and if our current leaders don’t do that, then they elect people who will. Even when the evidence - our murder rate, or crime rate, the escalation of gang violence in the city - says that the “zero tolerance” policy doesn’t work, they’re still into willing to look at alternatives.
March 25th, 2007 at 1:31 am
Even more reasons for people to step up to the plate and pick up the slack when our officials choose to ignore the issue. Volunteering as a mentor at an inner city school has given a new meaning to “thinking outside the box”. The program I’m involved with provides mentors and tutors.
March 25th, 2007 at 1:40 am
I forgot to add I don’t think the answer is more funding since I think that will get used by those that won’t benefit, the children. The money needs to be managed better. Third world countries achieve higher academic scores than the USA in education on much less money per student. In fact when I worked at United Way there was a program started in a state. I forget the state but there students scores rose sigificantly based on community involvement. They didn’t receive extra funding but the children did have a strong support system.
March 26th, 2007 at 11:19 am
Golden Lady - I agree with you about the interconnectedness of societal problems and most people’s appetite for quick “solutions” as opposed to real solutions.
Opal - While I believe that there is somewhat of a bone to pick regarding equitable funding in public education; I also agree with you that the main problem is management. There are forces in our community that are happy with the mismanagement of Baltimore City funds and they will fight to keep it that way. Also, of course I agree with you that MENTORING is a viable, cost-effective, research supported mechanism to buttress academic achievement given our fragmented communities’ impact on our youth.