Modern-day issues need modern solutions

Yes, many have seen these articles, but I am posting for reference for all those who may need to catch up and were out of town in my district. Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming support on the most recent issue, the flowers sent to my home, the cards, and the plefora of positive emails about our vote. Thank you.


Modern-day issues need modern solutions
By KAREN Y. JOHNSON • July 13, 2008
Today's educational challenges require new leadership and new solutions!
Last week, I was one of five members of the Metro Board of Education who voted to accept the rezoning recommendations of a task force composed of a cross-section of community members from every ethnic group.
Each board member had an appointee on the task force, and specifically, the task force was 50 percent black.
They worked for more than six months and held numerous public hearings to get input from all segments of the community before coming to the board with a unanimous recommendation.
Therefore, it was inappropriate for one board member to bring up a last-minute, emotional issue such as resegregation and draw attention away from the communitywide work of the task force. And it was inappropriate to release some months-old documents in an attempt to manipulate public views on the backs of our children.
Pearl-Cohn High was at the center of this inappropriate objection. Simply stated, the new rezoning plan changes the percentage of black students at Pearl-Cohn from 88 percent to 91 percent, which is not resegregation. We have a school system in a city where blacks make up 25 percent of the population but 53 percent of the student population, showing we're already in a segregated system. And, it's time to stop looking at everything as a black-white issue because Nashville has become far more diverse.
Parents are key to greatness
Furthermore, history and current-day situations have shown that blacks are capable of making great educational strides while attending majority-black schools. For Pearl-Cohn to be great — for any school to be great — parents must instill in their children the need for a good education, the need for respect and discipline, and a desire to be as competitive as any ethnic group in this world.
The real issue is our system has failed to meet academic standards. Therefore, we need to make some changes.
One of those changes is allowing children to have the option to attend the school closest to their neighborhoods. The closer the child is to home, the greater probability of more parental involvement and interaction with the child's education.
That is even more so important today when we consider the high cost of gasoline, so parents can attend an after-school event or get their children to after-school tutoring by driving one or two miles instead of 10 or 15 or more.
I attended most of the task force sessions and public hearings and talked to people throughout the city to get a good understanding of their concerns. Most of the people are interested in making changes so all of our children can get a good education regardless of race or ethnic group.
For any board member to say that other board members are hip-pocket votes for any constituent group is an insult to the democratic and educational process. All constituents deserve to be heard.
During the time of segregation, blacks were not sitting on the city's school board when resource allocations were made. In looking to the future, it is incumbent on all board members to insist, demand, and fight to see that all schools, including Pearl-Cohn, get what is necessary to succeed.
Today's challenges will not be solved with yesterday's solutions.
Karen Y. Johnson is a member of the Metro school board.