The Edgecombe County Board of Education will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight at 412 Pearl Street in Tarboro to recognize two of its members who will be leaving shortly. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)
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Edgecombe County Public Schools
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Dr. Boyce Watkins on TheLoop21: The Age of the Hoochie Mama Is Over: It’s Time for Hip Hop to Grow Up
The age of the Hoochie Mama is over
by Dr. Boyce Watkins | TheLoop21 in Culture & Society
It’s time for hip hop, and its audience, to grow up.
Dr. Boyce on NPR: Why Elena Kagan should not be on the Supreme Court. Click to listen.
Video: Two Detroit teens killed in car crash just hours after graduation. Click to watch.
I think that since Vh-1 loves to honor hip hop every year, it’s time that we think a little more carefully about how they might do their jobs effectively. Don’t get me wrong, much of the greatness of hip hop should be celebrated, and having such a powerful awards show gives rappers yet another chance to be on TV. The added exposure creates money-making opportunities, and I’m always down for that.
But let’s be real: Is the entire hip hop industry really worthy of being honored all the time? Should every popular artist or well-known song be celebrated, or should some be maligned? To say that every impactful group or song in the history of hip hop is worthy of an honor is like saying that we should celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday just because he was famous.
By Dr. Boyce Watkins
Apparently Bill Maher, the ultra-liberal talk show host who both entertains and annoys me, doesn’t understand what it means to be a black man. During a recent episode of his popular show, Real Time with Bill Maher, the host criticized President Barack Obama for not being a "real black president," (whatever that means) in his response to the gulf region oil spill. Rather than paraphrasing, please allow me to quote Maher’s exact words.
"I thought when we elected a black president, we were going to get a black president. You know, this [oil spill] is where I want a real black president. I want him in a meeting with the BP CEOs, you know, where he lifts up his shirt where you can see the gun in his pants. That’s — ‘we’ve got a motherfu**ing problem here?’ Shoot somebody in the foot."
This message was sent from Dr. Boyce Watkins: Your Black World to cdancyii@embarqmail.com. It was sent from: Dr. Boyce Watkins, 23F Queens Way, Camillus, ny 13031. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below.
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Greetings from the North Carolina State Board of Education
May 21, 2010
The second week of the 2010 General Assembly Session began with the Senate Education Appropriations subcommittee meeting to release their education budget.
The Senate budget reflected an additional 2.9 percent cut to Public Schools, Universities were allocated a .5 percent increase and Community Colleges were given a 5.0 percent increase. The Community College increase was primarily due to enrollment growth during the recession. Following approval by the Senate Education Appropriations subcommittee, the budget was presented to the full Senate on Wednesday (May 19). The budget passed its third reading on Thursday, May 20 and was sent to the House for consideration. Governor Perdue had requested a bill to assist the State’s Race to the Top second round application which is due June 1. The House Education subcommittee met on Thursday and considered a Committee Substitute Bill for SB 704. The title of the bill is: “Reform Low-Performing Schools.” This statute would authorize the State Board of Education to approve a local board of education’s request to reform any school in its local school administrative unit identified by the State Board as a continually low-performing school. The State Board would have authority to authorize the local board to adopt one of four reform models: Transformation model, Restart model, Turnaround model or School closure model. (Please see Attachment 1, Committee Substitute Bill for SB 704 and the Bill Summary).
Following the consideration of the Committee Substitute Bill for SB 704, the House Education subcommittee met to review the Senate education budget and the House funding targets. The targets total $20.86 million less than the proposed Senate education budget. Representatives McLawhorn, Rapp and Glazier, Co-Chairs, invited the members of the subcommittee to review the Senate education budget and to give them any feedback and suggestions. The House Education subcommittee announced they expect to finalize the education portion of the House budget next Thursday, May 27. The full House is expected to finalize their budget by June 4th followed by three weeks of conferences and a final General Assembly budget by the end of the fiscal year (June 30).
There have been some membership changes to the various House and Senate Education Committees. I have attached an updated list. (Please see Attachment 2).
To date, there have been a total of 228 Senate and 258 House bills filed during the 2010 Legislative Session. The following are the bills pertinent to K-12 education:
HB 1753 School Bus Railroad Crossing Exception (Rep. Underhill)
An act to allow school buses and activity buses to cross certain railroad grade crossings
without first stopping.
HB 1756 (SB 1289) Update Statewide Nutrition Standards (Reps. Insko, Rapp,
Weiss, Yongue)
An Act directing the State Board of Education to update statewide nutrition standards for
food and beverages available in public elementary, middle, and high schools, as
recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
HB 1757 (SB 1296) Physical Education and Activity in Schools (Reps. Insko, Bell,
Rapp, Yongue)
An Act to require public schools to use evidence-based fitness testing for students
statewide in grades K through 8, as recommended by the Legislative Task Force on
Childhood Obesity.
HB 1772 (SB 1264) Cherokee School Board Terms (Rep. West)
An Act to change the term of office for members of the Cherokee County Board of
Education elected in 2010 and thereafter from six years to four years.
HB 1774 (SB 1285) Eliminate Reduced Price School Meals/Funds (Rep. Yongue)
An Act to appropriate funds to the Department of Public Instruction to eliminate the cost
of reduced price lunches for school children who qualify for reduced price meals, as
recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
HB 1775 (SB 1151) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Reps. Yongue,
Brown, Hughes, Insko)
An Act to direct the Division of Social Services of the Department of Health and Human
Services to examine ways to expand and enhance the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program in North Carolina, as recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood
Obesity.
HB 1777 (SB 1152) Study Child Nutrition Program (Reps. Yongue, Brown, Insko)
An act authorizing the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee to
direct the Program Evaluation Division to study indirect costs under child nutrition
programs, as recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
HB 1778 (SB 1256) Brevard Academy/Retirement Election (Rep. Guice)
An Act to authorize Brevard Academy, an existing charter school, to elect to participate
in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System and the State Health Plan for
Teachers and State Employees.
3
HB 1781 (SB 1116) Study/Early Childhood Education and Care (Reps. Rapp,
Glazier, Insko)
An Act to establish the Joint Legislative Study Committee on the Consolidation of Early
Childhood Education and Care as recommended by the Task Force on the Consolidation
of Early Childhood Education and Care.
HB 1782 (SB 1117) Consolidated Report/Early Care & Education (Reps. Rapp,
Glazier, Insko)
An Act to provide for a consolidated annual report for various early care and education
programs as recommended by the Task Force on the Consolidation of Early Childhood
Education and Care.
HB 1783 (SB 1119) Consolidate Regulation/Early Care & Ed Provider (Reps. Rapp,
Glazier, Insko)
An Act providing for the consolidation of all regulatory functions regarding the
monitoring of private early care and education providers for compliance with the More
At Four Program as recommended by the Task Force on the Consolidation of Early
Childhood Education and Care.
HB 1784 (SB 1118) Consolidate Payments/Early Care & Ed Provider (Reps. Rapp,
Glazier, Insko)
An Act to provide for the consolidation of payments made by multiple public and private
agencies to early child care and education providers as recommended by the TaskForce
on the Consolidation of Early Childhood Education and Child Care.
HB 1815 (SB 1328) North Carolina Science Olympiad Funds (Reps. Glazier, Weiss,
Rapp, Yongue)
An Act to appropriate funds to expand the North Carolina Science Olympiad to all one
hundred counties.
HB 1826 (SB 1244) SBOE Members Ex Officio to Econ. Dev. Comm. (Reps. Yongue,
Braxton, Glazier) An Act to add State Board Of Education Members as nonvoting ex
officio members of the commission for each of the seven economic development regions,
as recommended by the Joint Legislative Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS)
Study Commission.
HB 1827 (SB 1153) Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity (Reps. Yongue,
Brown, Hughes, Insko)
An Act to reestablish the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity, as recommended
by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
HB 1832 (SB 1284) Farm to School Program/Funds (Reps. Fisher, McLawhorn,
Weiss, Yongue)
An Act to establish an employee position in the Department of Agriculture dedicated to
administration and operation of the Farm to School Program and to require the
department to report annually on the program, as recommended by the Legislative Task
Force on Childhood Obesity.
4
HB 1833 Teacher Assistant Salary Schedule (Rep. Adams)
An Act to establish a new salary schedule for noncertified personnel of the North
Carolina Public Schools.
HB 1837 (SB 1141) Task Force on Sports Injuries in Schools (Reps. Cotham, Fisher,
Glazier, Rapp)
An Act to establish the Legislative Task Force on Sports Injuries as recommended by the
Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
HB 1841 Moore County School Board Police (Rep. Boles)
An Act to allow the Moore County Board of Education to maintain a campus police
agency.
HB 1843 (SB 1230) Second Tarheel Challenge Academy (Reps. Pierce, Bryant,
Current)
An Act to direct the Department Of Public Instruction to assist the National Guard in
establishing a second Tarheel Challenge Academy in Badin, as recommended by the
Joint Legislative Commission on Poverty Reduction and Economic Recovery.
HB 1848 (SB 1227) Lift Charter Cap/Lunch Requirements (Rep. Pierce)
An Act to raise the cap on the number of charter schools from 100 to 106; to give
preference to schools in certain low-wealth counties; to require new charter schools to
provide a free and reduced price lunch program; and to require each new charter school
to accept a minimum number of students eligible for the free and reduced price lunch
program, as recommended by the Joint Legislative Study Commission on Poverty
Reduction.
HB 1850 (SB 1228) Parenthood/Financial Education (Rep. Pierce)
An Act to require the inclusion of personal finance and parenthood training in North
Carolina’s middle-school curriculum, as recommended by the Joint Legislative Study
Commission on Poverty Reduction and Economic Recovery.
HB 1851 (SB 1213) Amend State Purchases & Contracts Laws (Reps. Cole,
Crawford)
An Act increasing the authority of the Secretary of Administration to provide oversight of
the review and award of contracts and to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the
contracts process, requiring all state agencies and institutions exempt from Article 3 of
Ciew and award of contracts, requiring the attorney general to review certain contracts,
and prohibiting the use of cost plus percentage of cost contracts, as recommended by the
Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee.
HB 1853 (SB 1251) State Health Plan/Treat Teachers Equitably (Reps. Glazier,
Cotham)
An Act to grant the same health benefit coverage currently provided to other state
employees to teachers who have worked a full school year.
5
HB 1861 PTA Parental Involvement/Dropout Prev. Funds (Reps. Lucas, Yongue,
Glazier, Tarleton)
An Act to appropriate funds for the North Carolina PTA Parent Involvement/Dropout
Prevention Initiative.
HB 1862 Funding Flex. Pilot Prog. /Lee County Schools (Rep. Love)
An Act to establish a School Funding Flexibility Pilot Program for Lee County Schools.
HB 1864 (SB 1253) No High School Graduation Proj. Required (Reps. Cole,
Crawford, Love, Bryant) An Act removing the high school graduation project as a
requirement for graduation.
HB 1875 (SB 1248) Early Identif. & Interv. For At-Risk Students (Rep. Parmon)
An Act to require local school administrative units to identify students at risk of academic
failure and not successfully progressing toward graduation no later than the fourth grade
and to provide personal education plans for those students, and to require local school
administrative units to report annually to the State Board of Education on the strategies
and success of focused intervention for those students, as recommended by the Joint
Legislative Commission on Dropout Prevention and High School Graduation.
HB 1876 (SB 1247) Amend Dropout Prevention Grants (Rep. Parmon)
An Act to amend the criteria used by the Committee on Dropout Prevention to award the
dropout prevention grants, to direct the Committee On Dropout Prevention to use
evaluations from prior grant cycles to identify evidence-based programmatic elements
that are effective and replicable, and to allocate funds to study high schools that have
significantly reduced their dropout rate to identify programs that merit replication and
assess the progress of programs that are no longer receiving dropout prevention grants, as
recommended by the Joint Legislative Commission on Dropout Prevention and High
School Graduation.
HB 1877 (SB 1246) Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (Rep. Parmon)
An Act to direct the State Board of Education to develop a growth model for establishing
short-term annual goals for improving the four-year cohort graduation rate, and to
establish a long-term goal of increasing the statewide four-year cohort graduation rate.
HB 1878 (SB 1250) Communities in Schools Funds (Rep. Parmon)
An Act to appropriate funds for Communities in Schools of North Carolina, Inc.,
programs and services and to place no fewer than one hundred graduation coaches in
either middle or high schools, as recommended by the Joint Legislative Commission on
Dropout Prevention and High School Graduation.
HB 1879 (SB 1249) Study Raising Compulsory Attendance (Rep. Parmon)
An Act to direct the State Board of Education to establish a Blue Ribbon Task Force to
study the impacts of raising the compulsory attendance age for public school attendance
prior to completion of a high school diploma from sixteen to seventeen or eighteen, as
recommended by the Joint Legislative Commission on Dropout Prevention and High
School Graduation.
6
HB 1896 School Calendar Flexibility/Inclement Weather (Rep. Guice)
An Act to give flexibility to make up instructional days missed due to inclement weather
during the 2009-2010 school year to the local school administrative unit located in
Transylvania County.
HB 1898 Universal Childhood Vaccine Program (Rep. England)
An Act pertaining to the universal childhood immunization program; to establish the
North Carolina childhood vaccine association; to provide for assessment of health
insurers for the purchase, storage, distribution, and quality assurance of certain vaccines;
and to establish the childhood immunization account, as recommended by the Public
Health Study Commission.
HB 1899 (SB 1266) Funds For School-Based Health Centers (Rep. England)
An Act to appropriate funds for school-based and school-linked adolescent health care
centers, as recommended by the Public Health Study Commission.
HB 1904 (SB 1286) Screen And Reduce BMI Levels in Children (Reps. England,
Hughes, Weiss, Yongue)
An Act to require the Department Of Health and Human Services to explore ways to
implement body mass index screening for certain children who are at risk of becoming
obese and to reduce body mass index levels for all children, as recommended by the
Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
HB 1917 (SB 1339) National School Lunch Program/Funds (Reps. Howard, Insko,
McLawhorn)
An Act to require the Department of Public Instruction to use a specified amount of child
nutrition program funds as required state matching funds for meals under the national
school lunch program, as recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood
Obesity.
SB 1198 (SB 1699) Education Cabinet Est. Stem Priority (Rep. Swindell)
An Act to direct the Education Cabinet to set as a priority an increase in the number of
postsecondary credentials in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics and to support efforts to achieve that priority, as recommended by the Joint
Legislative Joining our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Study Commission.
SB 1199 (HB 1724) NC Biotechnology and Agriscience School (Rep. Swindell)
An Act to create the North Carolina School of Biotechnology and Agriscience to be
located at the Vernon G. James Research and Extension Center, as recommended by the
Joint Legislative Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Study Commission.
SB 1200 (HB 1718) Jobs Commission Pilot Schools (Rep. Swindell)
An Act to provide funds for planning and funding of pilot programs recommended by the
Joint Legislative Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Study Commission.
7
SB 1201 (HB 1719) Add’l Flex. /Coop. Innovative High Schools (Rep. Swindell)
An Act to provide additional operating flexibility to cooperative innovative high schools,
as recommended by the Joint Legislative Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS)
Study Commission.
SB 1202 (HB 1700) Career Acad. As Coop. Innov. High School (Rep. Swindell)
An Act to expand models of cooperative innovative high school programs to include fiveyear
career academies within existing schools and to require that career academies
approved as cooperative innovative high schools not receive a separate school code and
that records be maintained for students enrolled in the career academies, as recommended
by the Joint Legislative Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Study Commission.
SB 1210 Increase Licensure Fees/Athletic Trainers (Rep. Cole)
An Act authorizing the North Carolina Board of Athletic Trainer Examiners to increase
licensure fees under the Athletic Trainers Licensing Act.
SB 1213 (HB 1851) Amend State Purchases and Contracts Laws (Rep. Clodfelter)
An Act increasing the authority of the Secretary of Administration to provide oversight of
the review and award of contracts and to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the
contracts process, requiring all state agencies and institutions exempt from Article of
Chapter 143 of the general statutes to comply with certain requirements regarding the
review and award of contracts, requiring the attorney general to review certain contracts,
and prohibiting the use of cost plus percentage of cost contracts, as recommended by the
Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee.
SB 1227 (HB 1848) Lift Charter Cap/Lunch Requirements (Rep. Jones)
An Act to raise the cap on the number of charter schools from 100 to 106; to give
preference to schools in certain low wealth counties; to require new charter schools to
provide a free and reduced price lunch program; and to require each new charter school
to accept a minimum number of students eligible for the free and reduced price lunch
program, as recommended by the Joint Legislative Study Commission on Poverty
Reduction and Economic Recovery.
SB 1228 (HB 1850) Parenthood/Financial Education (Rep. Jones)
An Act to require the inclusion of personal finance and parenthood training in North
Carolina’s middle-school curriculum, as recommended by the Joint Legislative Study
Commission on Poverty Reduction and Economic Recovery.
SB 1230 (HB 1843) Second Tarheel Challenge Academy (Rep. Jones)
An Act to direct the Department of Public Instruction to assist the National Guard in
establishing a second Tarheel Challenge Academy in Badin, as recommended by the
Joint Legislative Study Commission on Poverty Reduction and Economic Recovery.
8
SB 1244 (HB 1826) SBOE Members Ex Officio to Econ. Dev. Comm (Rep. Swindell)
An Act to add State Board of Education Members as nonvoting ex officio members of the
commission for each of the seven economic development regions, as recommended by
The Joint Legislative Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Study Commission.
SB 1246 (HB 1877) Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (Rep. Davis)
An Act to direct the State Board of Education to develop a growth model for establishing
short-term annual goals for improving the four-year cohort graduation rate, and to
establish a long-term goal of increasing the statewide four-year cohort graduation rate.
SB 1247 (HB 1876) Amend Dropout Prevention Grants (Rep. Davis)
An Act to amend the criteria used by the Committee on Dropout Prevention to award the
dropout prevention grants, to direct the Committee on Dropout Prevention to use
evaluations from prior grant cycles to identify evidence-based programmatic elements
that are effective and replicable, and to allocate funds to study high schools that have
significantly reduced their dropout rate to identify programs that merit replication and
assess the progress of programs that are no longer receiving dropout prevention grants, as
recommended by the Joint Legislative Commission on Dropout Prevention and High
School Graduation.
SB 1248 (HB 1875) Early Identif. & Interv. For At-Risk Students (Rep. Davis)
An Act to require local school administrative units to identify students at risk of academic
failure and not successfully progressing toward graduation no later than the fourth grade
and to provide personal education plans for those students, and to require local school
administrative units to report annually to the State Board of Education on the strategies
and success of focused intervention for those students, as recommended by the Joint
Legislative Commission on Dropout Prevention and High School Graduation.
SB 1249 (HB 1879) Study Raising Compulsory Attendance Age (Rep. Davis)
An Act to direct the State Board of Education to establish a blue ribbon task force to
study the impacts of raising the compulsory attendance age for public school attendance
prior to completion of a high school diploma from sixteen to seventeen or eighteen, as
recommended by the Joint Legislative Commission on Dropout Prevention and High
School Graduation.
SB 1250 (HB 1878) Communities in Schools Funds (Rep. Davis)
An Act to appropriate funds for Communities in Schools of North Carolina, Inc.,
programs and services and to place no fewer than one hundred graduation coaches in
either middle or high schools, as recommended by the Joint Legislative Commission on
Dropout Prevention and High School Graduation.
SB 1251 (HB 1853) State Health Plan/Treat Teachers Equitably (Rep. Blue)
An Act to grant the same health benefit coverage currently provided to other state
employees to teachers who have worked a full school year.
SB 1253 (HB 1864) No High School Graduation Proj. Required (Rep. Stevens)
An Act removing the high school graduation project as a requirement for graduation.
9
SB 1256 (HB 1778) Brevard Academy/Retirement Election (Rep. Snow)
An Act to authorize Brevard Academy, an existing charter school, to elect to participate
in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System and the State Health Plan for
Teachers and State Employees.
SB 1264 (HB 1772) Cherokee School Board Terms (Rep. Snow)
An Act to change the term of office for members of the Cherokee County Board of
Education elected in 2010 and thereafter from six years to four years.
SB 1265 (HB 1897) Treatment of Autism Disorders (Rep. Purcell)
An Act to require health benefit plans, including the State Health Plan for Teachers and
State Employees, to provide coverage for treatment of autism spectrum disorders as
recommended by the Joint Study Committee on Autism Spectrum Disorder and Public
Safety.
SB 1266 (HB 1899) Funds for School-Based Health Centers (Rep. Purcell)
An Act to appropriate funds for school-based and school-linked adolescent health care
centers, as recommended by the public health study commission.
SB 1284 (HB 1832) Farm to School Program/Funds (Rep. Purcell)
An Act to establish an employee position in the Department of Agriculture dedicated to
administration and operation of the Farm to School Program and to require the
department to report annually on the program, as recommended by the Legislative Task
Force on Childhood Obesity.
SB 1285 (HB 1774) Eliminate Reduced Price School Meals/Funds (Rep. Purcell)
An Act to appropriate funds to the Department of Public Instruction to eliminate the cost
of reduced price lunches for school children who qualify for reduced price meals, as
recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
SB 1286 (HB 1904) Screen And Reduce BMI Levels in Children (Rep. Purcell)
An Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services to explore ways to
implement body mass index screening for certain children who are at risk of becoming
obese and to reduce body mass index levels for all children, as recommended by the
Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
SB 1287 (HB 1726) Improve Child Care Nutrition/Activity Stnds (Rep. Purcell)
An Act to require the Child Care Commission, in consultation with the Division of Child
Development of the Department of Health and Human Services, to develop improved
nutrition standards for child care facilities, and to direct the Division of Child
Development to study and recommend guidelines for increased levels of physical activity
in child care facilities, as recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood
Obesity.
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION | Chris Minard, Legislative Liaison | cminard@dpi.state.nc.us
6302 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-6302 | (919) 807-4035 | Fax (919) 807-3198
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
SB 1289 (HB 1756) Update Statewide Nutrition Standards (Rep. Purcell)
An Act directing the State Board of Education to update statewide nutrition standards for
food and beverages available in public elementary, middle and high schools, as
recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
SB 1296 (HB 1757) Physical Education and Activity in School (Rep. Dannelly)
An Act to require public schools to use evidence-based fitness testing for students
statewide in grades K through 8, as recommended by the Legislative Task Force on
Childhood Obesity.
SB 1307 (HB 1890) Modify MHDDSAS Reporting Requirements (Rep. Nesbitt)
An Act to modify reporting requirements pertaining to mental health, developmental
disabilities, and substance abuse services, as recommended by the Joint Legislative
Oversight Committee on Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance
Abuse Services.
SB 1328 (HB 1815) North Carolina Science Olympiad Funds (Rep. Dickson)
An Act to appropriate funds to expand the North Carolina Science Olympiad to all one
hundred counties.
SB 1339 (HB 1917) National School Lunch Program/Funds (Rep. Purcell)
An Act to require the Department of Public Instruction to use a specified amount of child
nutrition program funds as required state matching funds for meals under the national
school lunch program, as recommended by the Legislative Task Force on Childhood
Obesity.
The following bills have been calendared in committees next week:
• HB 1682 Ban Corporal Punishment for Children with Disabilities
• HB 1683 Amend Sunset/Children with Disabilities
• HB 1700 Career Academy as Cooperative Innovative High School
• HB 1756 Update Statewide Nutrition Standards
• HB 1757 Physical Education and Activity in Schools
• SB 1151 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
• SB 1152 Study Child Nutrition Program
• SB 1153 Legislative Task Force on Childhood Obesity
Filed under: Education North Carolina State Board, Legislative Update | Leave a comment »
Thurs., June 17, 7-8:30PM, "High Poverty Schools’ Impact on Our Children’s Achievement" forum, Martin Street Baptist Church’s Johnson Building, 1001 E. Martin Street, Raleigh. Details in this flier (disregard 1001 State Street address on the flier). Call 231-9057 to register.
Filed under: Announcement, Education Resources, Education Wake County Public Schools | Leave a comment »
If you’ve given “an Abe” for cannabis, cocaine or meth, then you are one too. Those 5 bucks joined a stream of money fostering the world’s illegal drug trade; the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances subject to drug prohibition laws are estimated to be a $40 trillion market.
Consumption of illegal drugs is widespread globally. But, the single largest marketplace for illegal drugs is the United States. Close to 13 million Americans still think nothing of occasionally buying a gram of cocaine, a few hits of ecstasy or a quarter-ounce of weed to have a good time. Americans with serious drug habits regularly spend $100-$500 dollars a week purchasing their drug of preference.
Government studies say that 800,000 American adolescents, ages 12–17, sell illegal drugs. Young Americans of all stripes are involved in illegal drug activity, but America’s war against that trade has serious affects on young Black men. Blacks constitute 13 percent of all drug users, but are 35 percent of people arrested for drug possession; 55 percent of persons convicted; and 74 percent of people sent to prison.
“Everybody’s doing it”, but the number of Black men who are behind bars and being channeled into permanent second-class citizenship status should be a cause for alarm. The illegal drug trade is producing long-term consequences and problems in societies worldwide; but an American tragedy is the disproportionate impacts of the drug war on Black males. Out of sight of “Colorblind” Americans, the War on Drugs subjects young Black men to conditions of life sufficiently destructive enough to amount to an instance of genocide. Based on current rates of incarceration, an estimated 7.9 percent of Black males compared to 0.7 percent of White males will enter prison by the time they are age 20. And 21.4 percent of Black males versus 1.4 percent of white males will be incarcerated by age 30. Blacks (28.5%) are about six times more likely than Whites (4.4%) to be admitted to prison during their life. Black family-life is being destroyed. African American children are nine times more likely to have a parent incarcerated than White children.
The genocide of young Black men is like shooting ducks in a pond. The high arrest rates for African Americans reflect a law enforcement emphasis on inner city open-air markets where drug use and sales are likely to take place. The drug war has been brutal among Blacks, but those who live in integrated communities have little clue to the devastation being wrought. The American War on Drugs has been waged almost exclusively in poor communities of color, even though people of all colors use and sell illegal drugs. Young Black males are definitely getting the shaft in the War on Drugs; and due to the lack of public attention continue being subjected to disabling conditions that restrict their opportunities, inflicts pain and suffering and shortens their lives. The rate of drug admissions to state prison for Black men is 13 times greater than the rate for White men. The average federal drug sentence for African-Americans is 49 percent higher than for Whites. Rates of drug use or drug selling are no greater for members of minorities than for nonminorities, yet minorities are stopped, searched, arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated at far greater rates than Whites.
Steps should be taken to rid our communities of this genocidal activity. In America’s multi-billion dollar illegal drug trade Blacks are simply street-level pawns. If legit employment opportunities were as frequent for them as White youth, the criminal number would be equal. According to according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of Black males between the ages of 16 and 19 are unemployed; fewer than 14 in 100 young Black men actually have jobs.
Let’s remove the yoke of the War on Drugs from around our necks. Tell every lawmaker you see that legalizing drugs will save $48.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. America can save money by legalizing some drug sales and ceasing processes that destroy young Black men.
(William Reed – www.BlackPressInternational.com )
See related:
Filed under: Speaking Truth to Power, William Reed Columnist | Leave a comment »
Stay tuned for the Ignant Column. Don’t let your ignance be made known so I will not have to give my opinion but if and when it is made known watch for my opinion.
Filed under: Ignant | 2 Comments »
The people interviewed for a recent national story on Rocky Mount’s alleged serial killer case are divided on the published product.
Jackie Wiggins, mother of victim Jackie Nikelia ‘Nikki’ Thorpe, spoke with the author of the article in June’s issue of “Gentleman’s Quarterly” last fall and said she has mixed opinions about how it turned out. (Read more @ Rocky Mount Telegram)
See related:
So Whose Fault Is It The Girls Of Rocky Mount Were Lost?
Memorial service staged to unite community – The Rocky Mount Telegram
Murdered and Missing Women
Filed under: John Manley Former Chief Rocky Mount Police Department, M.O.M.S. Missing or Murdered Sisters, Missing/Murdered, Missing/Murdered Women in Rocky Mount NC, P.R.O.M.M. Parents & Relatives Of the Missing & Murdered, Rocky Mount NC City Council, Sheriff James L. Knight Edgecombe County | Leave a comment »
Dancy Communications Network - The DCN 