After encountering discrimination and bias occuring at his son's public school (PS 87, Manhattan), New York parent, J. Curry, decided to honor the memory of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King and help students around the country, by going on a hunger strike to showcase "modern day lynching". "I feel it is my obligation to ensure that every child has the mandated educational resources necessary to learn; and no child or parent should be punished for bringing cases of discrimination, bias, abuse to the school's attention. Yet to date, since I spoke out about such grievances, a teacher has vilified him in front of my son's class, he has been searched, I have been verbally attacked, and more. Thus as the world reflects on the life of Martin Luther King it is truly astonishing that in 2005, many poor and/or minority male students are still treated as 3rd class citizens in schools that we, the public, pay for with taxpayer money".
(PRWEB) January 20, 2005 -- With the exponentially increasing wave of public school children that dropout, end up in prison, in College remedial classes, etc., one parent is taking a stand by going on a hunger strike. Mr. Curry explained that there is obviously some responsibility on the shoulders of parents and guardians. However, he stressed that school's have a fiduciary responsibility and are mandated to educate all children. Yet many biased educators try to blame a child's in-class academic weakness on parents/guardians. "If we all all parents to be vilified, then we are falling for a psychological trick which takes the responsibility away from the schools and onto the parents. Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that the school does its' job, and responsible for helping the child with homework etc. while at home. But we must not let biased teachers ignore our children, then either throw them into special ed, or blame the parents. When schools try that trick I always tell them that if they gave concerned parents who want to home school their kids, the money that our government is paying far too many biased teachers to educate our children, then we'd all be better off."
J. Curry, has had enough of the teacher's union holding children's rights hostage simply to gain additional pay increases and rights for teachers. "Of course, there are some awesome teachers around the country, thus this is not to negate their efforts. But far too often school administrations, and the teacher's union allow abuse, bias, discrimination to occur. This is no way for a world power to treat young children. If I must set an example by going on a hunger strike, it is a small consequence, compared to the big picture, decades of failing schools, and the blood that MLK, JFK and other gave for the cause".
Although federal, state and local laws and guidelines are often in place to challenge bias, discrimination and abuse in public schools, many parents are afraid to step forward for fear of being targeted for negative treatment. In New York City out of approximately 70,0000 teachers, only about 10 a year are ever fired due to the power of the teacher's union. Bad teachers, abusive and biased teachers are simply ignored, given new assignments in the same school, or are transferred to another school, where the administrators are not allowed to use their previous history against them if administrators seek to fire them for similar negative teaching tactics.
But many parents are afraid to speak out against the monstrous school systems in their local towns and cities. One parent who spoke out at a New York City school had his child taken away for 6 months, since there were trumped up charges of neglect created to distract everyone from the real issue. The father simply didn't get his child glasses so while he was fighting the school on issues of racism, etc., a negative campaign against him was started, and his child was taken away from the home. Many parents fed up with the failing public school system are now "home schooling" their children. The problem is, these parents don't get the same funding that the traditional public schools would have received if their kids were enrolled, so "home schooling" parents face the additional challenge of doing a good job without the same levels of funding of public schools. When legislatures ensure that children schooled at home receive the city, state and federal funds that were originally meant to go to the public school system, everyone involved will benefit, particularly the children that are schooled at home.
Mr. Curry states: "If Martin Luther King, John F Kennedy and others died pursuing their beliefs, why cant' more of us stand up and be counted as upholders of democracy, justice, equity and human and child rights. Are people that afraid of retaliation that they'd sell the hopes and dreams of the next generation, of our planet, our future? Is ensuring that we all make a pay check more important than risking that paycheck to protect our children. Prejudiced teachers with biased hearts and non-diverse lesson plans can no longer ask for pay raises and additional rights, via their union, while our children are being ignored, tainted, silenced and discriminated against. If we can begin to force cameras into the hallways to watch our children, why can't we use the same legal strategies to force cameras into the classrooms, prisons and boardrooms to ensure that our great country's laws are being abided by. I am all for the Teacher's Union fighting to ensure that teachers are respected, and paid equitably. But when their contracts lead to bad teachers being able to stay in schools, lesson plans containing systemic biased language, and parents and kids having no voice, we must all express serious concerns about such as academically stifling monopoly"!
Mr. Curry's hunger strike ends on Monday January 24 at midnight. He is concerned that not only are many children bbeign ignored, but many parents are vilified for speaking out and targeted by school administrators, which intimidates other parents from coming forward. "When the truth about America's public schools (like PS 87 in Manhattan) comes out, the world will take note that our country puts minority male students, poor students (of all ethnicities), disabled students and outspoken students and parents on secret lists for punishment, discipline and explusion. Freedom of speech is only free, when we all have it" Mr. Curry said.
Concerned parents/guardians, students, teachers/administrators, media, business or political leaders can learn more by calling 212-330-8077 (24 hrs).
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