Letters to the editor: Stop Blaming, start Focusing

Stop blaming, start focusing Wis. State Journal Jan. 6, 2003 I congratulate Barbara Golden for helping to organize the Madison FamilyAdvisory/Advocacy Council but urge her to advise the minority families and students in the Madison schools to take responsibility for their own success or failure and to stop blaming the schools. Instead of trotting out the race card and attacking the Madison schools,take the four points mentioned in the Dec. 10 news story -- more minority teachers, barriers to parent involvement, data on disciplinary problems and more money -- and get her organization to focus on these problems. Show the parents how to dial the number for their student's school or teacher and take them to parent- teacher conferences. If the parent can't, or won't do it, her group could help the youngster by subbing for the parent.It's not up to the schools to involve the parents, it's a parental responsibility to be involved. Take the data on minority students disciplinary actions and counsel the student, not the school, on how to succeed in school. Interview the 41 percent of minority students doing well and staying in school, and use the information to help the kids who are failing. The schools spend thousands of dollars a month to motivate students. Just once, I would like to hear Superintendent Art Rainwater or any Madison school teacher or official say, "We will continue to do our best to help every student do their best, but the students and their parents (or guardians) carry the majority of the responsibility for their own success or failure." Identify what additional resources schools or teachers need and have Golden's group raise funds for those needs, just like all the other parent/teacher groups do. Kids are kids. Their color does not matter; all kids love to learn but they need to be guided by their parents, relatives, friends, classmates and yes,their teachers too. If Golden uses her council to help the kids and parents, she will be helping the schools to deal with the four problem areas she identified. -- William Richardson, Madison