Two weeks ago, a Cobb County mother faced the possibility of 80 years in jail after being charged with 16 felony counts. The crime: she lied about where she lived, and sent her children to a school that was not in her assigned District.
Anyone reading this article has at some point and time done the same thing, or knows of someone who has lied about their address in order to attend a better school. What is so ironic is that more than likely, her ancestors were faced with the same crime and punishment during slavery. It is now 2007, and nothing has changed. Fortunately, a jury acquitted her of all charges. Americans in 2007 should not have to lie about an address in order to receive an equitable education for their children.
Melodee Ford, President of Junior Academies, Inc., reached out to offer the family space at the Rosa Parks Leadership Academy, the first of eighty-five private K-12 schools to open throughout seventeen states. Junior Academies schools are schools of choice, for families that have been underserved and seek a top notch education in a safe environment.
Junior Academies, Inc (JAI) was founded by Melodee Ford, an educator and administrator for thirty-four years in some of the more affluent and respected schools in the nation. In the year 2000, Ms. Ford was assigned to assist a new principal in a public charter school. Disheartened by the lack of equity education the children were receiving, Ms. Ford no longer felt entitled to return to the wonderful schools that provided all the possible resources and support, committed parents, and caring and nurturing educators. Not while there were children that looked like her being left behind in underserved schools.
Ms. Ford says that when she was a part of the private schools, many of the teachers of color would attend the annual People of Color Conference put on by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). She noticed that year after year, all of these fantastic educators would convene and share the same stories year after year, and ask the same question year after year, "Why don't we have our own system of private schools?"
JAI, with the support of communities and business leaders, aims to break the cycle of inequity in the PreK-12 schools. They will create a positive legacy for children of color within their communities by establishing effective and affordable independent schools: schools that are committed and dedicated, schools that mirror our Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's), schools that produce quality students that become productive citizens, schools that are devoted to producing self assured, educated, articulate and confident Black men and women. The first of these outstanding schools will be the Rosa Parks Leadership Academy which opens in Lithonia, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta in September of 2007.
Rosa Parks once said, "The only thing that bothered me was that we waited so long to make this protest."
Rosa Parks' single act prompted the action of Blacks in the community to take action. That action led to the desegregation of the public transportation system.
The time is now for all underserved children to have access to optimal educational opportunities that will prepare them to emerge as outstanding leaders. The blueprint for Junior Academies, Inc. opens the door to achieving educational success.
"These eighty-five schools will only happen with the support of everyone," says Ms. Ford. "I receive countless emails and phone calls from many different communities waiting for the schools to be established in their communities."
Ms. Ford goes on to say, "We have got to get out of that free education mentality, in order to save our children. Free education is government education, and anything that the government gives you is always inferior to what one would buy with their own funds. We must take hold of our children's education in order to change the path they are now headed. "
"Our ancestors took action in so many movements," continues Ms. Ford. "We need to draw on the strength of our ancestors and stop talking about what some public school systems are not providing for our children; they are not going to get any better. They will put money into alternative schools, classify many students as special education, and suspend a great number of students of color. How long will it take for us to wake up and take action?"
The Rosa Parks Leadership Academy is the beginning of equity in education for the underserved. The schools are private schools and need funds in order to survive and provide quality resources and superior teachers. African Americans have the funds and the power to make a change. That change can and must happen now.
Americans have contributed to every possible cause one can imagine, here and around the world. However, the crisis of education for underserved children has been ignored. Action must come from every person of color. The time is now that all underserved children have access to optimal educational opportunities that will prepare them to emerge as outstanding leaders. The blueprint for Junior Academies, Inc. opens the door to achieving educational success.
Junior Academies, Inc is reaching out to every person of color, business owner, entertainer, athlete, and church to show our youth that we are their leaders and will begin now with changing and improving their quality of education. This is history in the making.Labels: academy awards, career training, education online, financial aid, free college, free education, high school, student loans, study abroad |
