“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Gunshots rang deep into my eardrums as Mickey Cobras and Gangster Disciples waged deadly war right outside of my rundown building. The cream-colored 16-story building named 5266 became a battlefield right before my very eyes. A walk to the corner store turned into a bloodbath as one man was beaten and murdered before my 10-year old eyes. A journey to Beethoven Elementary School became a game of “duck and dodge bullets.” It was not easy being a child of the Robert Taylor Housing projects during the mid-90’s, and it definitely wasn’t a picnic attending the Chicago Public School System.

During my young life I have attended about 5 or 6 different schools in the Chicago Public School System. My mother seemed to move us around frequently, nearly every year, to a more comfortable spot. Ironically, this last spot in the CHA (Chicago Housing Authority) was extremely uncomfortable. Suddenly things became unbearable—my brother joined the infamous Gangster Disciples street gang—shootings at DuSable High School, where he attended, became frequent—the war between GDs and MCs was bloodier than ever. My mother couldn’t bear the thought of seeing my brother’s obituary posted near the graffiti-plastered elevator doors like some of our neighbors. So, we moved to Lansing, Michigan to find a more “comfortable spot.”

I spent about 9 years in the Chicago Public School System and my memories are as clear as day. I remember the good teachers who encouraged me and told me “Black is beautiful,” and to “be yourself.” On the other hand, I remember the teacher who called nearly every child in class, “dumb and stupid.” I really needed the reassurance that my dark skin was beautiful because I was constantly taunted by other children. Of course kids will be kids, so my self-esteem was as low as sub-freezing temperatures. Although I maintained a B+ grade point average throughout high school, my intelligence wasn’t regarded by some teachers, but my Ebonics dialect and CHA resident status seemed to be the only factor to determine how they treated me. Only 2 out of my 4 teachers in one school setting were positive and motivating; the other 2 forced me to question the educational system. The fact that both teachers are still employed by the Chicago Public School System boggles my mind today.

As I reflect on my experiences as a student, unfortunately, I don’t have many positive memories to share. Out of all of the schools I attended and all of the teachers I have encountered, only two have made a positive impact on my life. Don’t think I am implying that there are no other teachers who make a difference in the lives of inner-city youth; I am only speaking of my personal experiences. I definitely wouldn’t try to offend another teacher like myself, because I know firsthand what teaching is like in the classroom setting.

The “Achievement Gap” is now a commonly used phrase to describe the vast difference in achievement rates between Middle Class Caucasian students and poor, disadvantaged minority students. Of course there are many other sub-groups in between. There is no surprise that an achievement gap is present because the quality of education is not the same across the board.
Many people have their opinions about why the gap exists, and we all agree that intelligence levels have nothing to do with it at all. Environment, self-esteem, low expectations, and a lack of connections are to blame for our children’s unequal education. I firmly believe that a student’s environment in and out of the classroom has a strong bearing on his or her achievement. Low-self esteem is a disease that is killing our children’s academic performance. Low expectations for academic performance from teachers and administrators are stifling our children’s’ growth like dwarfism. The lack of connection between the student and teacher is academically boring our students. I never understood why I was chosen to grow up on the South side of Chicago amidst all of the poverty, drugs and violence until I read the quote by Benjamin Elijah Mays, reading: “It is not your environment, it is you — the quality of your mind, the integrity of your soul, and the determination of your will — that will decide your future and shape your life.”

Whoa! If every student who lived in a destructive environment understood the meaning of this quote and believed every word of it, the achievement gap would close immediately. Not only did this quote motivate me, but catapulted me towards success. Although I experienced a life some would never imagine, I made a conscious decision to press forward towards a successful future. Soon after I moved to Michigan, I was plagued by stereotypes, racism, and low-expectations due to my physical appearance, Ebonics speech patterns, and Chicagoan mannerisms. As ambitious as I forced myself to be, I had new teachers to tell me that I wouldn’t succeed because I spoke Ebonics. What that teachers failed to realize was that I actually paid attention in English class and could speak “proper English” when I felt the need. This skill known as code-switching allowed me to turn off my “at home” language when speaking in places of “business.”

At the age of 15, I started speaking out against the injustices of the inner-city youth and entered several oratory competitions. I was ranked #1 in the state of Michigan two years in a row by the National Academic Decathlon. I literally brought people to tears during my presentations, and was considered a top-notch public speaker. I used my talent and started a motivational speaking business, which still exists today, and started speaking to children across the Midwest. That, of course only began my journey to success. Since then, I have won many awards on local, regional and national levels in the areas of public speaking, forensics and debate, community service, public relations, advertising, leadership, academic excellence, and education.

After earning my Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilberforce University, I decided to try and change the educational system by joining Teach for America, a national teaching corp. Shortly after my first year of teaching, I developed a writing program for my 80% ESL students and 20% African-American students who needed a boost in language arts skills. I found that less than 5% of my students met Texas state standards in composition writing, so I fought fiercely to change that. I used my experiences as an inner-city youth to pinpoint areas of weakness, and I designed a program to target my group of students. I found that environment, low self-esteem, low expectations, and a lack of connections from past teachers prevented my students from achieving on a higher level.
With only three weeks left before the test, I developed the I-Control Writing Program with my students in mind. I studied their thought-processes, what they were interested in, what environmental factors they faced, and what language barriers they were up against. I designed a program that included hip-hop culture such as low-rider cars, rap artists and songs. I also included popular culture such as their favorite cartoons, television shows, and movies. The students learned to incorporate 18 different elaboration strategies in their essays including facts, reasons, personification, hyperbole, and subordinate phrases. Within three weeks, my students went from limited proficiency status to proficient and commendable status. My students were able to connect to hip-hop and popular culture, and felt great about their abilities when they finally mastered the writing process.

What I have learned from creating educational products in reading, writing, and math, is that a child must learn by making connections. We are living in a new era when idols are no longer Dr. King and Rosa Parks, but Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Hip-hop has played a significant role in the lives of inner-city youth, as they think about it 90% of the time. Why not use those things they enjoy to teach a skill, which is interchangeable. You can still teach reading, writing, and math skills, but if you change the word problems and materials to familiar terms, children will not only be excited about learning, but will make the connection needed to increase academic performance.

Not only should educators make connections with kids, but take every opportunity to boost every child’s self-esteem in the classroom. A simple, “you are so smart,” or “you have a brilliant mind,” goes a long way for a child who may hear “dumb or stupid,” in their environments. I believe that we need to respect our children in a deeper way by understanding who they are inside, and how they may feel about their situations. A child will learn anything you present to them as long as you can hold their interest long enough. Making a child feel they are valued makes a huge difference in the way they view you as an educator and the way they view themselves. We should start overcompensating for what our children lack at home. It may not be in our job description as educators, but it must be in the prescription to medicate and cure our children from a plague called the achievement gap.

while i think it is easy to point the finger at outside influences, surely any identified “achievement gap” must come back to the ability / intention (your word) of the teacher / educator. for many years i have been telling my students not to worry about whether or not they are good enough to pass because that’s my job; to worry about them passing and to therefore do everything in my power to make sure that they are exposed to appropriate information and learning experiences to bring them to a point where they are capable of successfully demonstrating competence. (i do so hate this eduspeak crap)

have a great day

I feel that achievement gap is caused by economic barriers. The wealthy kids have parents that send them to math and computer camps, get private tutors, prep classes in the summer, prep classes for SATs, etc. Most of my poorer families can only dream about these advantages. The wealthier kids also have economic advantages by having parents that don’t work weekends who can actually take them to museums of Washington, DC, hertiage festivals, trips to see different parts of the US, camping, skiing, hiking, being able to be part of the swim/soccer/football camps, etc. These experiences are rewarding and educational; poorer children do not get the chance to experience these extracurricular activities.

I know that our schools system offers camps during the summer which include fieldtrips but it is only 2 weeks during the summer. There is enough money to have longer camps to make even richer experiences for kids but we do recognize it and try want we can do.