Killer Mike

Frank statement of the pervasive, persistent, systemic injustice at work in our nation.

Is there not a place for these kinds of discussions to take place in communities of faith and social opinion formation?

  

Tears for the children. . .

Yesterday was a day of tears for me.

Owen, my third grandchild, went off to Kindergarten!  I expect his parents shed a tear or two.  I know I did just looking at his photograph!  Time gets away so quickly.  Everything changes so fast. 


Then, Gracie and Wyatt, two of my other grandchildren, went off to 4th and 2nd grade respectively.  I bet a tear or two rolled down a cheek over at that household as well.  Again, I confess, my eyes filled up as I viewed their photo. 

Sweet children!  Blessings, every one beyond words.  And, I didn't even mention little Henry--his time will come! 

But, there were other tears as well.

My day began in the office of a great immigration attorney as we prepared to deliver two other children from two other families to the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) here in Dallas.  These other young people had to appear for consideration of deportation.  [Again, if you are interested, use the search tool above and type in "Monica" and "Jose" to read more about them and read my post from two days ago.]

As we prepared to leave for the drive to ICE, these families melted into each others' arms.  The tears flowed like a river.  Parents telling their children good-bye, not knowing what would happen to them next. 

Thankfully, the Executive Order issued last Thursday by President Obama provided the platform my young friends needed to see their "stay of orders" documents accepted by the ICE officials. 

What a grand relief we experienced.  Reunited with family members, the tears flowed again!

These young people are so wonderful.  So eager for a better life.  So willing to learn.  So ready  for greatness.  So wanting to make a difference in and for their nation, the only country they've ever known, having come here with their parents when they were very small children. 

I came away from the day considering the stark contrast in the reason back of all of the tears.  I also realized that the tears were all really the same.  They came from loving parents, grandparents and siblings.  Good tears, as it turned out. . . at least for now. 

“COVER TEXAS NOW”

ADVOCACY DAY AT THE CAPITOL

MARCH 30, 2011

Join advocates from around the state as we focus lawmakers’ attention on health insurance.

OVERVIEW:

• Meet at the Capitol at 10am (buses will be available from Dallas)

• Hear up-to-the-minute information from legislators and issue experts and share breakfast with health advocates from across the state

• Gather on the Capitol Steps for a press conference on the importance of health care in this legislative session

• Participate in scheduled meetings with legislators and their staffs

• Lobby Day events will end at 5pm

Texas has had the highest uninsured rate in the nation for two decades, and it’s time to get covered!

• Texans have new opportunities to get quality, affordable insurance and our state can benefit from new federal resources—legislators need to make health care reform work in Texas.

• We can’t balance the budget on the backs of sick people. Lawmakers are proposing cuts up to 30% for health insurance and health care services—this will take our state farther backward instead of helping get Texans covered!

Join us if any of the following issues are important to you:

• Protecting CHIP and Medicaid health coverage for 3 million Texas children and nearly 1 million adults including expectant moms, seniors and those with disabilities.

• Ensuring that hospitals stay open for everyone. Cutting resources to hospitals reduces availability and puts everyone at-risk during a medical emergency.

• Ensuring seniors and the disabled are able to continue receiving care in nursing homes and in their communities

• Ensuring access to all the benefits Texans should get from national health reform and preparing for full reform implementation in 2014.

HOW CAN YOU SIGN UP TO ATTEND LOBBY DAY?

Register NOW! Cover Texas Now Lobby Day is free, and registering early helps us make your day as worthwhile as possible.

Visit www.covertexasnow.org to register for Lobby Day and check bus pick-up location and times.

Participants should wear a bright green t-shirt to the event!

Dallas Bus and Travel Info

Team Lead: Jessica Davila (jdavila@citysquare.org)

Bus Meeting Information:

East Dallas Christian Church
629 North Peak St., Dallas, TX 75246
Parking lot on the southwest corner of Worth St. and N. Peak St

Time: Meet at 5:30 am to leave at 5:45 am sharp

Need more details? Call 214-303-2146 or email JDavila@citysquare.org

Can’t make it to Austin on March 30?

Contact us for more information on how you can get involved – in your own backyard! Sign up for email alerts, contact your legislator, or even plan an event in your area for the same day. Let your lawmakers know that people in your community are talking about health!

Principal for a day. . .

On Tuesday I enjoyed the privilege of serving as "Principal-for-a-day" at Rufus C. Burleson Elementary School, a DISD school located in Pleasant Grove. 

While it may be true that there are poor schools, bad principals, unruly children and rotten teachers, I certainly did not see anything remotely resembling those characterizations during my day at "Burleson," as the students refer to the school. 

The building is old, but immaculately maintained and cared for. 

The atmosphere conveyed a sense of calm, quiet order. 

Students were well-behaved, teachers well-prepared. 

I visited classes from Pre-K to 6th grade (E. B. Comstock, the middle school in the feeder pattern is too crowded to accept this oldest class at Burleson).  In every setting the students were attentive, actively engaged in their learning activities and very respectful of their teachers and one another.

I sat in on band practice. 

I visited a great computer learning classroom where students worked hard on math skills. 

The PE class was fun. 

The art teacher a real creative sort. 

As I left the building, I ran into Yolanda Knight, the real Principal of the school.  She was walking the property with DISD planning officials who were evaluating the property for improvements.  Ms. Knight was lobbying hard for her kids. 

"Give this lady anything she wants," I counseled as I left.  "She knows what she's doing if what I just saw is any indication of her effectiveness."

What a great experience. . .except for one defining reality with which every one of these students must struggle:  poverty. 

Burleson's atmosphere couldn't be better.  Tweaked maybe, but not made substantially different or better.  The school reminded me of my elementary school experience.  Caring teachers.  Attentive students.  All of it. 

Then, I took a moment to look at their test scores. 

On the TAKS scale of "met minimum requirements," the older students seem to have improved slightly over the past three years, likely a tribute to the Principal and her team. 

The younger children who continue to use the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (I took that test!) and, in terms of performing at grade level, under-perform badly in math and only 61% read at grade level. 

Among older students (3-6 grades) 43% are college ready in math; 34% in reading; 40% in science and 65% in writing skills.  In terms of involvement, 93% attend classes 90% of the time.  Only half of the 5th graders are on track for middle school. 

What's going on here?  I had to ask myself that question. 

I think I know.

It's not the school. 

It's not the kids.

I don't think it's the parents or families, though I know popular wisdom would lay blame at their feet almost exclusively.  While parents must share in any blame game scorecard, they too are trapped in the same web of enduring difficulty. 

It's the entirety of the social milieu, the oppressive fabric of life lived in a complex community of urban poverty that stands behind the test scores, the limited expectations, the shortened personal possibility horizons and the realistic prospects for change. 

The parents of these children work very hard to keep their families housed, clothed and fed.  Most don't really make it, always playing catch up to keep things moving.  Burleson serves breakfast and lunch to its students, an indicator of both the income levels of their households and their persistent struggle with "making ends meet." 

I saw bright-eyed children in very worn clothing. 

Several years ago a candidate of DISD School Board asked me what I thought was the number one issue facing Dallas schools. 

My one-word reply surprised him.  "That one is easy:   poverty." 

My experience as a principal reconfirmed my idea. 

To improve public schools we'd better get serious about eliminating poverty. 

And, our ideas need to be larger than the enormity of the challenges we face in this regard. 

Much larger. 

Who's up for the battle?

Children and poverty--a growth issue

Our friends over at Voice of Hope in West Dallas published the following essay by Mark Shriver, "Our Future Dims as Childhood Poverty Jumps."  The message is beyond disturbing to say the least. 

 I applaud the fine work being done by our partners at Voice of Hope.

We're all in this fight together.

USA Today reported this week that the national poverty crisis now affects 1 out of 5 children in the United States, up from 1 out of 6 just four years ago. This astonishing figure is a sober reminder that the recession isn't just stretching our safety net, but it's also threatening the success of the next generation of Americans.

Indeed, childhood poverty in the United States ignites a devastating chain of consequences that leads to equally devastating places:

• Four-year-old kids living in poverty are 18 months behind their peers. These gaps in early childhood persist throughout a child's youth, with clear and established links to the high school dropout rate, teenage pregnancy and unemployment.

• Only a little over 15 percent of fourth graders from poor homes are reading at levels considered proficient by the U.S. Department of Education. According to a recent study from the Casey Foundation, the clearest sign a child will drop out of high school is subpar reading scores in elementary school. Almost half of all high school dropouts are on government assistance and a high school dropout is eight times more likely to be incarcerated.

• Half of kids living in rural areas -- where poverty is at extraordinary levels -- are obese or overweight, compared to one third nationally. The obesity crisis puts kids at risk for "adult" diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, stunting their productivity and straining an already exhausted health care system.

We can have a debate about the best and most effective ways of eliminating poverty but there's no better place to start than the by protecting the next generation. Doing so means reversing the effects of poverty through smart interventions and innovative programs.

There are many highly effective steps we can take to blunt poverty's permanent effects on young kids. Here are three:

• Invest in public-private partnerships that are proven to make a real difference in a toddler's development. The Early Learning Challenge Fund would provide billions of dollars in grants to innovative early education programs and save billions over the long term through a better educated and more productive America.

• After-school programs can give kids reading below grade level the extra boost they need to catch up with their peers. There are three bills in Congress that would increase after-school programs for kids struggling to read. These programs work--Save the Children's after-school program almost doubled the number of kids reading at grade level at some schools in the most remote, low-income parts of the nation

• We can combat the twin childhood hunger and obesity crises by increasing access to healthier school lunches. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 would provide healthier meals to hundreds of thousands more kids than the current school lunch program does.

In the midst of this economic downturn, we may not be able to end poverty for all kids. Still, that's no reason why businesses, families, non-profits, and, yes, government can't work together so that kids being raised by struggling parents get a fair chance in life.

Another DREAM Act story. . .

Why would we deny productive students a place in our national community? 

Why would we squander such resources? 

Why would we abandon someone in whom we all have invested so much? 

Consider this story. . .

IN MANY WAYS, Eric Balderas's story is the typical American dream. He came to the United States with his parents at age 4. He was the valedictorian of Highlands High School in San Antonio and was admitted to Harvard's class of 2013. There, he studies molecular and cellular biology and is about to begin his sophomore year. He dreams of helping to find a cure for cancer.


To read the rest of Eric Baldera's story click here. 

UT President supports passage of DREAM Act

This just in from University Leadership Initiative: 

PRESS RELEASE
August, 9, 2010
Contact:  Julieta Garibay
University Leadership Initiative
512-297-9417

University of Texas President Supports the DREAM Act

Austin, TX -- University of Texas President William Powers is one of the newest university presidents who has made public his support for the DREAM Act. With President Obama's visit to UT, the University Leadership Initiative (ULI) hopes President Obama takes note of how the DREAM Act would help meet our nation's higher education goals.

Under the headline UT Support for the DREAM Act, President Bill Powers reiterates his support for the legislation and those it would benefit. President Powers stated:

"If Texas educates these young people, it should provide them with access to legal employment. At UT, we support the goal of our graduates having the opportunity to put their education to work on behalf of our state and our nation."

According to a recent report from the Migration Policy Institute 258,000 individuals in Texas would benefit from the DREAM Act.

"We thank President Powers for his support of the legislation," said Julieta Garibay, a University of Texas alumnus & ULI Co-founder. "Every year, students who would benefit from the DREAM Act graduate from public universities in our state, including the University of Texas. We hope that our state's senators and congressional delegation are taking note of the overwhelming support."

Jose Torres from the University Leadership Initiative added, "The economic benefits of an increasingly educated labor force to our state will be significant. It's no wonder that this law boasts supports from business groups, institutions of education, conservatives, and liberals."

In 2001, the Texas legislature overwhelmingly approved legislation to allow certain undocumented students who met residency requirements pay in-state tuition rates at public universities. The legislation was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry. The DREAM Act shows bipartisan support in Congress.

DREAM Act needed NOW!

Eric Balderas is the latest student to make the case for immediate passage of the DREAM Act.  Fortunately, Balderas' case has been temporarily resolved so that he can remain at Harvard University to complete his education.  Still, he has absolutely no assurance that he'll be able to remain in the United States to serve and to build the nation he has called home since he was 4-years-old.


Check out the NPR report on his case:

Undocumented Harvard Student Faces Deportation

by The Associated Press
June 11, 2010

An undocumented Harvard University student is facing deportation to Mexico after being detained by immigration authorities at a Texas airport, the students said Friday.

Eric Balderas, 19, who just completed his first year at Harvard, said he was detained Monday by immigration authorities when he tried to board a plane from his hometown of San Antonio to Boston using a consulate card from Mexico and his student ID.

"I'd made it through before so I thought this time wouldn't be any different," Balderas said Friday in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "But once ICE picked me up I really didn't know what to think and I was starting to break down."

Balderas, who previously had used a Mexican passport to board planes but recently lost it, said he became despondent and thought he was being deported to Mexico immediately, only to be released the next day. He said he has a scheduled July 6 immigration hearing.

"All I can think about was my family," said Balderas, who doesn't remember living in Mexico.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman, Mark Medvesky, confirmed that Balderas was released and said his hearing will likely be in Boston.

Harvard officials immediately threw support behind Balderas.

"Eric Balderas has already demonstrated the discipline and work ethic required for rigorous university work, and has, like so many of our undergraduates, expressed an interest in making a difference in the world," said Christine Heenan, Harvard's vice president of public affairs and communications.

The case also sparked a buzz on social media sites and among student immigrant activists who see the Balderas situation as the ideal test case to push the proposed DREAM act — a federal bill that would allow illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship via college enrollment or military service.

To read the entire report click here. 

To sign a petition in support of the DREAM Act click here. 

The time is NOW to act to save an entire generation of students in whose lives we been investing for years. 

Pew Report: Black children and poverty

What follows was published by the Economic Policy Institute.

Many people who spout off about poverty and how to overcome it have no real understanding of the pervasive and corrosive affect of dense poverty on the lives of children and their families.

Sobering data.

Business as usual charity won't move the needle on this social reality. This issue calls for bold, courageous public policy and consistent leadership to go with it.

Most black children grow up in neighborhoods with significant poverty

October 7, 2009
By Joydeep Roy

Two out of every three black children born between 1985 and 2000 were raised in neighborhoods with at least a 20 percent poverty rate, compared with just 6 percent of white children, a new report from the Pew Foundation finds. These numbers are virtually unchanged from thirty years ago. Among children born between 1955 and 1970, 62 percent of black children were raised in neighborhoods with at least a 20 percent poverty rate, compared with only 4 percent of white children, according to the Pew report. This gap persists even when the poorest families are excluded from the analysis. Among children from the upper three income quintiles, almost half of black children -- 49% -- lived in high-poverty neighborhoods, defined as those with at least a 20% poverty rate. Only one percent of white children from the upper three income quintiles lived in high-poverty neighborhoods.

Too many children, particularly those from minority groups, are growing up in poor communities. While most studies of child poverty look at the direct impact on children living in poverty, research also shows that proximity to poverty can limit a child’s job and education prospects, even if that particular child is not poor. With research showing that reducing the concentration of poverty in their neighborhoods significantly affects children’s future, including their prospects in the labor market and their chances of upward mobility, policies that foster such changes should be a top priority.

Uninsured children

This from a recent Johns Hopkins' study:

Using more than 23 million hospital records from 37 states between 1988 and 2005, the Johns Hopkins investigators compared the risk of death in children with insurance and in those without. Other factors being equal, researchers found that uninsured children in the study were 60 percent more likely to die in the hospital than those with insurance. When comparing death rates by underlying disease, the uninsured appeared to have increased risk of dying independent regardless of their medical condition, the study found. The findings only capture deaths during hospitalization and do not reflect deaths after discharge from the hospital, nor do they count children who died without ever being hospitalized, the researchers say, which means the real death toll of non-insurance could be even higher.


"If you are a child without insurance, if you're seriously ill and end up in the hospital, you are 60 percent more likely to die than the sick child in the next room who has insurance," says lead investigator Fizan Abdullah, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric surgeon at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

Read the full report here.

From my perspective in inner city Dallas, I vote that every single child be covered by adequate health insurance like CHIP.

Prison and fathers

Working in inner city Dallas has made me very aware of the impact of prisons on neighborhoods and families. We spend far too much on locking people up, when we should be directing our resources at preparing people for life.

My good friend, Rev. George King sent me this clip created out of the experience of one young man.

You can make a difference today. . .

Today is DREAM Act Day!

Watch this helpful and informative video to meet some of the students who will be affected.

Click here to learn more about the legislation.

Then. . .

Contact your senators and your representative in Washington, DC today to express your support for this legislation that would provide students brought to the U. S. by their parents at a very early age the documentation they need to remain here to continue their education or serve in the U. S. Armed Forces.

Childhood Poverty USA

Lots to think about here regarding "the sixth child."

Our President's Speech to the NAACP Anniversary Celebration

This President communicates.

Here's a portion of his speech last week before the 100th Anniversary of the NAACP.

He spoke on education, achievement, community, parenting and living strong.

What a speech!

I don't care what political philosophy you embrace.

What a speech! What a message!

Speak Now for Kids

PLEASE JOIN THE CAMPAIGN!

The debate on health care reform is moving quickly in Washington. We have an enormous opportunity to raise the voice of children in this debate.

Children’s Medical Center, the National Association of Children’s Hospitals, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Defense Fund and the March of Dimes invite your organization to be listed as a supporter of the http://www.blogger.com/www.SpeakNowforKids.org%20%20web based campaign which runs May 1-10.

Copy the contents of this post and fill in the blanks!

_______________________________

Please list my organization as an official supporter of the Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform campaign.

Organization name:
Contact person:
Name:
Title:
Phone:
Email:

Website address:

___________________________________

AS A SUPPORTER YOU CAN HELP BY:

• Sending a blast email on May 1st to your organization’s contacts asking them to visit http://www.blogger.com/www.SpeakNowforKids.org%20%20(Promotional materials will be sent to you)
  
• Posting the campaign’s sticker on your homepage or facebook page.
  
• Promoting the campaign in your blogs or twitters.
  

To sign up, just complete this form and email it to Gina at Gianina.Sagnbiene@Childrens.com.

Ffor more information contact: Julia.Easley@Childrens.com, Valerie.Lengel@Childrens.com or Guwan.Jones@Childrens.com.

Speak up for the children!

National DREAM Action Day--You Can Help!

Today is "National DREAM Action Day" in the United States!

Below you can read the message that I received from the United We Dream Coaltion and the University Leadership Initiative. You can make a difference. Please take action today!

______________________________

Dear DREAM Act supporter,

On behalf of the United We DREAM Coalition and the University Leadership Initiative we URGE you and your membership to become proactive supporters of the DREAM Act on TUESDAY, MARCH 24 [today!]-the NATIONAL DREAM ACTION DAY.

Please remember to use ALL resources to take action such as:

EDUCATE OTHERS about DREAM & MOBILIZE them

Letter writing (mail, fax, & email) and call-in campaigns

Mass texting friends

Forwarding email

Sign petition at dreamact2009.com

Facebook & My space

Write letters to the editor and/or op-ed columns

We must ensure that members of Congress understand and support the DREAM Act. The only way for the United States to out-think, outsmart, and out-innovate the competition, is to support policies like the DREAM Act that keep the best minds in the U.S. If you need more information and/or want to be armed with the facts, please contact us via email at ourdream2005@gmail.com so that we may assist you.

Sincerely,
United We DREAM Coalition (dreamactivist.org) and University Leadership Initiative

What is the DREAM Act?

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act ensures that the United States benefits from keeping the best and brightest students in the country by allowing them to become productive contributors to the country's economy.

It is bipartisan legislation that responds to the demographic realities of American society by acknowledging the potential contributions of some of our nation's most talented, dedicated, and patriotic youth. This piece of legislation ensures that no child in American is denied their dream of having a better life if they are willing to work for it.

It allows undocumented students who have resided in the U.S. for more than five years, were brought to the U.S. as minors, have no criminal records, and have successfully graduated from a four-year U.S. high school to obtain conditional residence which will allow them to attend an institution of higher education or join a military service.

It provides zero benefits for immigrants who are not already here or who have resided in the US for less than five years. Within a six-year time span, the young students must prove their merits for permanent residence. The qualified person must have completed a two-year college, two years of credits in a four-year college program, or have served in the U.S. armed forces for at least two years.

Visit the official DREAM website - http://dreamactivist.org/ where you'll find helpful information and useful tips to become active supporters of the DREAM Act.

Sign & Share the National DREAM Petition --Please visit and participate in the National DREAM Petition, it takes less than a minute to sign on http://dreamact2009.com/

You may also email your member of the U. S. House of Representatives and your two Senators with one simple step, go here.

Let our Voices be Heard!

On Tuesday, March 24 we ask that each of your family members, friends and organization members call their congress members and urge them to become co-sponsors and/or supporters of the soon-to-be introduced DREAM Act.

For Texas advocates, please do not forget to target Senator Kay Baily Hutchison: phone (202) 224-5922 and/or via email at http://hutchison.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Senator John Cornyn: phone at (202) 224-2934 and/or via email at http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Find your Member of the House at you https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

**************************************************************** --> -->

SCRIPT FOR CALL-IN:

"I'm calling to ask Representative/Senator _______ to co-sponsor and/or vote in favor of the DREAM Act. This bi-partisan & bicameral federal proposal would provide a path to lawful permanent residence for individuals who were brought to this country years ago as undocumented immigrant children. The only students who would benefit from this bill are high achievers who contribute to their communities, have learned English, pledge love and allegiance to this nation, have successfully graduated from a U.S. high school despite many barriers, have been accepted into a 2 or 4 year university OR serve the U.S. armed forces, AND have a clean record with the law."

.

SCHIP on Dallas Morning News website

So, here's one man's opinion.

Reactions more than welcome!

Happy Valentine's Day!

.

Poverty's physiology

Did you see the recent story in USAToday ("Study: Poverty dramatically affects children's brains," December 7, 2008) regarding poor children and the affects of poverty on brain functioning?

Clearly, the evidence is mounting that without specific and determined interventions, poverty and its associated realities remove any real opportunity for low-income children to compete on a "level playing field" when it comes to education. Poverty, especially the long term generational variety, positions poor children far behind middle class children by just about every measure. Challenging poverty directly and investing in efforts to overturn the negative affects of living in poverty for children must become a national priority.

Further, recogniton that many children of the poor learn differently and need the benefit of specific educational techniques and strategies will be necessary in overcoming learning disparities.

Here's part of the report:

A new study finds that certain brain functions of some low-income 9- and 10-year-olds pale in comparison with those of wealthy children and that the difference is almost equivalent to the damage from a stroke.

"It is a similar pattern to what's seen in patients with strokes that have led to lesions in their prefrontal cortex," which controls higher-order thinking and problem solving, says lead researcher Mark Kishiyama, a cognitive psychologist at the University of California-Berkeley. "It suggests that in these kids, prefrontal function is reduced or disrupted in some way."

The study adds to a growing body of evidence that shows how poverty afflicts children's brains. Researchers have long pointed to the ravages of malnutrition, stress, illiteracy and toxic environments in low-income children's lives. Research has shown that the neural systems of poor children develop differently from those of middle-class children, affecting language development and "executive function," or the ability to plan, remember details and pay attention in school.

Such deficiencies are reversible through intensive intervention such as focused lessons and games that encourage children to think out loud or use executive function.

"It's really important for neuroscientists to start to think about the effects of people's experiences on their brain function, and specifically about the effect of people's socioeconomic status," says Martha Farah, director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania.

Among the most studied: differences in language acquisition between low- and middle-income children. The most famous study, from 1995, transcribed conversation between parents and children and found that by age 3, middle-class children had working vocabularies roughly twice the size of poor children's.

Read more from the USA Today story.

We kid ourselves if we believe opportunity is equally distributed in this nation.

.