Pact to Help Minneapolis Black Students on the Verge of Collapsing Due to Bickering of Participants

The "Covenant," a pact meant to help improve achievement of black students in Minneapolis on the verge of collapse due to bickering of panel members.

A pact meant to help bridge the achievement gap between black and white students in Minneapolis public schools is on the verge of collapsing over disagreements about to proceed and deep resentment of some black participants who feel shut out of the process. Geez, we just can't get along for the sake of some of our at-risk children, can we? According to the Star-Tribune, the "Covenant" was created in response to the fact that only 34 percent of the district's black students graduate from high school in four years, compared to almost 70 percent of white students. Last year, only 8.6 percent of black students were proficient on state science tests, compared to 61.4 percent of white students, the Star-Tribune states. That is deplorable and rather than constant bickering, a viable solution, for the sake of these students, is needed immediately.

So, what is the "Covenant?"

The 2008 Covenant says that the city's schools and black families "must commit to working with a deliberate focus on African-American students in order to overcome a legacy of educational inequity." It focuses on teacher training, school stability and keeping track of what works. The idea was taken from a similar agreement the district has with the city's American Indian community. The Covenant was seen as a hopeful sign that resolve might finally be high enough to turn the tide of failure. But for some, resolve has turned to recrimination. The district is forging ahead with the agreement and hopes to start pilot programs in one or two schools this fall, said spokesman Stan Alleyne.

So, why are some people angry about the progress of the "Covenant?"

One district ally said some community members are angry because the district might not implement a $700,000 behavior-management program run by Covenant advocate Titilayo Bediako.  A group called the African American Mobilization for Education [AAME] forged the Covenant with the district. But the district has since worked with an "advisory council" to determine how to proceed. Since the council started meeting, the district has not invited AAME to the table, the group says. The district denies that, saying the group has always been welcome. But the district adds that it needed to get experts together in order to move the plans along.

The issues confronting many black and Latino students in school districts across this country are dire and need to be addressed immediately or the results will be disastrous. I wish for once the people on these panels could put the needs of the students above their own. It seems the fact that the quality of America's education is slipping is lost on some of these so-called advocates for our students. There should be equal education for all, but we know that is a dream.  President Barack Obama is championing a cause to improve the educational standards in this country, while there are factions who want to force our educational system in a state of emergency.