This is some heartening news that actually started my day off right. It's excellent that HU is trying to reach out in this way.

http://www.thehilltoponline.com/news/888404.html?mkey=1045417

University to Open Middle School
By Ayesha Rascoe

Next fall, Howard University will be welcoming not only the class of 2009, but also the class of 2019.

Plans have been announced to open the Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science , a public charter school in 2005. The school, which will focus on math and science, will accept up to 120 6th graders from the District of Columbia for the 2005-2006 school year.

The middle school is first the element of the university's Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Center, to be developed.

According to Strategic Framework Two, this center will eventually include the National Human Genome Research Center, the Colleges of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Sciences, the pure science departments, as well as interdisciplinary academic centers.

Vice Provost Franklin Chambers said he is excited about the university's new venture because it will aid the youth of D.C. and the Howard community in general.

"The middle school project is a bold initiative of HU and I'm excited that the president and the board of trustees had both the vision and the courage to seize the wonderful opportunity for all involved," Chambers said.

In addition, Chambers believes that opening the school is a natural extension of Howard's motto of "providing leadership for America and the global community."

"The university has demonstrated for over 138 years we have the ability to train and prepare the world's best, so the middle school is a logical progression," Chambers said.

"The university benefits by preparing more African-Americans in math and science, which ultimately increases the pipeline to higher education. The community benefits from the excellence in teaching and leadership that the University will provide on a consistent basis."

http://www.okayplayer.com/dcforum/DCForumID1/25107.html

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“All the scared niggers are dead” – Stokely Carmichael

"...and once we control at least the economy of our own community, we will actually be in a position to provide employment for the people of the community. And this will eliminate the necessity of us acting ignorantly and disgracefully boycotting and picketing some cracka somewhere else trying to beg him for a job. Anytime you have to rely upon your enemy for a job, you're in bad shape.” - Malcolm X

More schools should do this.

Would a school voucher program allow us to do more things like this?

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“All the scared niggers are dead” – Stokely Carmichael

"...and once we control at least the economy of our own community, we will actually be in a position to provide employment for the people of the community. And this will eliminate the necessity of us acting ignorantly and disgracefully boycotting and picketing some cracka somewhere else trying to beg him for a job. Anytime you have to rely upon your enemy for a job, you're in bad shape.” - Malcolm X

It would be better if the government, and/or the university, gave direct grants to these programs, so tuition wasn't necessary.

With vouchers, the money could just as likely go to some religious "school," where kids can learn all they want to know about what their "faith" should be, but if they want a calculus class, they're shit outta luck.

>With vouchers, the money could just as likely go to some
>religious "school," where kids can learn all they want to
>know about what their "faith" should be, but if they want a
>calculus class, they're shit outta luck.

That should be the parent's choice though. If they want their kids to memorize the Bible, and not learn math, that's on them. Actually, rich people already have this choice, it's the poor that are stuck in shitty public schools.

------------------------------

“All the scared niggers are dead” – Stokely Carmichael

"...and once we control at least the economy of our own community, we will actually be in a position to provide employment for the people of the community. And this will eliminate the necessity of us acting ignorantly and disgracefully boycotting and picketing some cracka somewhere else trying to beg him for a job. Anytime you have to rely upon your enemy for a job, you're in bad shape.” - Malcolm X

>That should be the parent's choice though. If they want
>their kids to memorize the Bible, and not learn math, that's
>on them.

Well, them and the society that allowed that decision. It takes a village, as they say.

Our society has a stake in ensuring a basic level of education among its citizens. If they want to learn religion on top of that, great. Sunday school.

>Actually, rich people already have this choice,
>it's the poor that are stuck in shitty public schools.

Sure, but vouchers are not the only exit route the government could open from shitty public schools. The best thing they can do is to make the public schools less shitty.

>Sure, but vouchers are not the only exit route the
>government could open from shitty public schools. The best
>thing they can do is to make the public schools less shitty.

Well, we've been waiting for the government to make the schools less shitty for decades, IMO, it's time to try something different. If the government can find a way to make schools less shitty, great, but why should a poor child have to wait around for this to happen while the parents of a rich child have the options of pulling them out and sending them to a better school?

------------------------------

“All the scared niggers are dead” – Stokely Carmichael

"...and once we control at least the economy of our own community, we will actually be in a position to provide employment for the people of the community. And this will eliminate the necessity of us acting ignorantly and disgracefully boycotting and picketing some cracka somewhere else trying to beg him for a job. Anytime you have to rely upon your enemy for a job, you're in bad shape.” - Malcolm X

>>Sure, but vouchers are not the only exit route the
>>government could open from shitty public schools. The best
>>thing they can do is to make the public schools less shitty.
>
>Well, we've been waiting for the government to make the
>schools less shitty for decades, IMO, it's time to try
>something different.

This is why I'm so happy about this thing at Howard, and hopeful that other schools follow their lead, especially public universities which could pull it off, using state funding, without charging tuition.

I think that's our difference of opinion here. I like the charter school movement as much as you do. But I think it's dangerous for the government to lump all non-public schools together, funding them through vouchers which are spent according to popular opinion rather than academic quality.

>If the government can find a way to
>make schools less shitty, great, but why should a poor child
>have to wait around for this to happen while the parents of
>a rich child have the options of pulling them out and
>sending them to a better school?

Sure, but in the vast majority of cases, vouchers are not enough to cover tuition as a good private school. The problem is that there are also shitty private schools. If a school is free from government oversight, and is encouraged to cut costs in order to survive on voucher money alone, they are likely to do so by hiring unqualified teachers.

>I think that's our difference of opinion here. I like the
>charter school movement as much as you do. But I think it's
>dangerous for the government to lump all non-public schools
>together, funding them through vouchers which are spent
>according to popular opinion rather than academic quality.

So the government should chose what schools are good for children? A parent can make that choice much better than the government can.

>Sure, but in the vast majority of cases, vouchers are not
>enough to cover tuition as a good private school.

First, it may not cover tutition, but it will make private education a lot more affordable. Secondly, if vouchers are implemented, more charter schools will be created that are affordable for those receiving vouchers.

The
>problem is that there are also shitty private schools. If a
>school is free from government oversight, and is encouraged
>to cut costs in order to survive on voucher money alone,
>they are likely to do so by hiring unqualified teachers.

I'm not advocating schools free from government oversight. A school should have to teach a certian minimal cirrucumlum and students should have to perform at a certian level in order for the school to stay open.

------------------------------

“All the scared niggers are dead” – Stokely Carmichael

"...and once we control at least the economy of our own community, we will actually be in a position to provide employment for the people of the community. And this will eliminate the necessity of us acting ignorantly and disgracefully boycotting and picketing some cracka somewhere else trying to beg him for a job. Anytime you have to rely upon your enemy for a job, you're in bad shape.” - Malcolm X

Don't conflate the two concepts. Charter schools operate with public money, serve large numbers of students, and are under the oversight of school districts. School vouchers provide a small amount of money so that a small amount of children can attend private schools.

<-- Slicka than ya average.

"Alphas are that good high...stick witcha, you can't shake that shit...like heroin. You'll always be addicted."
--OKP novembersgift

"It's a war in the streets tonight
And nobody's really feelin alright
I got a blunt for my chronic
A juice for my tonic
I know now
That I'm feelin right if it goes down"
-- Nas, "War"

"perky breasts go with anything....its like the black shoe."
-- my nigga my bruh, OKP thashadow

"I've spoken to women that said they deserved men that made 6 digits, when I asked what they were bringin' to the table, they ran their hands down their malformed bodies, like that's enough."
--OKP Grand_Royal, on chickenheads

The primary reasons that vouchers are a bad idea are that they take a relatively large amount of public resources to benefit a fraction of a percent of school-age children, do not allow access to the most elite private schools, and do nothing to deal with stigma or preparation for voucher recipients. School vouchers are poor public policy.

<-- Slicka than ya average.

"Alphas are that good high...stick witcha, you can't shake that shit...like heroin. You'll always be addicted."
--OKP novembersgift

"It's a war in the streets tonight
And nobody's really feelin alright
I got a blunt for my chronic
A juice for my tonic
I know now
That I'm feelin right if it goes down"
-- Nas, "War"

"perky breasts go with anything....its like the black shoe."
-- my nigga my bruh, OKP thashadow

"I've spoken to women that said they deserved men that made 6 digits, when I asked what they were bringin' to the table, they ran their hands down their malformed bodies, like that's enough."
--OKP Grand_Royal, on chickenheads

>The primary reasons that vouchers are a bad idea are that
>they take a relatively large amount of public resources to
>benefit a fraction of a percent of school-age children,

that's why i think they should be available for everybody

do
>not allow access to the most elite private schools

true, but they could allow access to something better than what many children are recieving now.

and do
>nothing to deal with stigma or preparation for voucher
>recipients. School vouchers are poor public policy.

My main concern is that vouchers could allow Black people to exercise more control over the education of our children than we do currently. Right now, we're being educated in a system controlled by people that have no incentive to ensure that Black children are well educated. I think vouchers could help change this.
------------------------------

“All the scared niggers are dead” – Stokely Carmichael

"...and once we control at least the economy of our own community, we will actually be in a position to provide employment for the people of the community. And this will eliminate the necessity of us acting ignorantly and disgracefully boycotting and picketing some cracka somewhere else trying to beg him for a job. Anytime you have to rely upon your enemy for a job, you're in bad shape.” - Malcolm X

Vouchers are nothing but educational welfare.

***********************************


"You, rare as Georgia
snow. Falling

hard. quick.
Candle shadow...

...I want
to watch you walk

the hall to the cold tile
bathroom--all

night, a lifetime."
-Kevin Young