Are You Raising One of the Next Generation of Hoodlums?

WAKE UP, PARENTS!

For more than a decade, the Schott Foundation for Public Education has published data on the outcomes for Black males in public education. During that period, there has definitely been an increased awareness of the issues and opportunities confronting Black males. There have been more national, state and local commissions formed, philanthropic dollars invested, programs developed and documentaries produced—all of which can be viewed as worthy investments. Without these, it is very unlikely that any progress would     have been made.

Despite these efforts, there is yet urgency at the current time. Their report on Public Education and Black Males data indicates nationally the gap between the Black and White male graduation rate. It has only decreased less than five percentage points in the last several years. At this rate of progress, with no “large scale” systemic intervention, it would take another 50 years to close the graduation gap between Black males and their White male counterparts.

You are making a BIG mistake if you become concerned about this only after your son reaches high school or even middle school and is doing poorly. Your concern and involvement from day ONE are necessary. Start early in your son’s life to encourage him for future success.

Too frequently parents have expressed their concern when their sons’ do poorly in middle and/or high school. But the fact of the matter is, if a child has failed to get the foundation, the necessary building blocks in elementary school, chances are slim that he will be successful at a higher level that requires the missing foundation.

I can state unequivocally as a retired educator who has interacted with children in excess of more than 20 years, that most children are extremely intelligent, but it is  a parents’ responsibility to assist their children to develop their intelligence.

Parents must make the effort to help him to complete his class projects. You must ask him about his homework assignments and ascertain the necessity to check them so that he knows that your expectation is that he will always complete them at a high level. When you do these things throughout your son’s early years, he will have the expectation that you care enough to be involved in his life. And your caring is transmitted to him as love, which it is.

A son who knows that he is loved and that his parents are concerned and have the expectation that he will do well, will make the effort to not disappoint his parent(s). In fact, your love, concern and involvement are the most powerful motivation you can provide for your son’s success. Know that YOU are THE key factor in your son’s desire to succeed!

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