Rethinking Freedom
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Rethinking Freedom
It Takes a Village: Who's Responsible for Our Kids' Education?
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Who failed our kids, and what will it take to fix America’s education crisis?
In 2024, 70% of U.S. fourth graders scored below proficient in reading. For Black fourth graders, that number rose to 84%. This is bigger than test scores. It is a crisis in Black education, literacy, parent involvement, public schools, student accountability, and community responsibility.
In this episode of Rethinking Freedom, host Aya Fubara Eneli brings together three educators and community advocates for a direct conversation about one difficult question:
Who is responsible for our children’s education?
Is it the parents?
The teachers?
School leadership?
The students themselves?
The community?
Or have we spent so much time assigning blame that we have forgotten what it actually means to be a village?
MEET THE GUESTS
Christopher Owusu
U.S. Army combat veteran, educator, and mental health professional with more than 12 years of experience in public education.
Toya “GiGi” Algarin
Philadelphia education advocate, founder of Grandma’s 4 Literacy, and longtime KIPP Philadelphia board member.
Dr. Janelle Muhammad
Principal of Killeen High School in Killeen ISD and TASSP Region 12 Outstanding Principal of the Year.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Why so many Black students are struggling with reading proficiency
• The literacy crisis facing American schools
• Where the relationship between parents and educators is breaking down
• What schools need from families
• What parents should expect from schools
• The role students play in their own academic success
• How mental health affects learning and behavior
• Education equity and the achievement gap
• Why community involvement cannot stop at the schoolhouse door
• What it will take to rebuild the village around our children
The education crisis will not be solved by blaming one group.
Parents matter. Teachers matter. Students matter. School leaders matter. Communities matter.
The real question is whether we are willing to work together before another generation pays the price.
👇 Who do you believe carries the greatest responsibility for educating our children? Join the conversation in the comments.
🔔 Subscribe to Rethinking Freedom for conversations on education, history, race, public policy, freedom, and community accountability.
📲 Share this episode with a parent, teacher, principal, student, or community leader who needs to be part of this conversation.
#RethinkingFreedom #BlackEducation #EducationCrisis #WhoFailedOurKids #BlackStudents #LiteracyCrisis #ReadingProficiency #EducationEquity #ParentInvolvement #PublicEducation #EducationReform #BlackFamilies #BackToSchool2026
Right now, across this country, a child is sitting in a classroom or about to sit in a classroom who cannot read at grade level. That is not a rare exception. It's actually the majority experience. In 2024, 70% of fourth graders in the United States, that is 7-0%, scored below proficient in reading. Only 31% hit that mark. And that number has been sliding, not climbing. By the time our children reach the 12th grade, only 35% are proficient readers, and just 22% are proficient in math. The lowest scores the United States of America has recorded in more than 20 years. Now, if you are a frequent viewer of Rethinking Freedom, you know I'm also always going to bring this back to what's happening in the Black community. For black fourth graders, 84%, 84 out of every 100 scored below proficient in reading in 2024. That means that if you pull six children, six black children in the fourth grade classroom, only one is reading at the level they need to succeed. And this is not new, it is not a pandemic blip. It is the latest chapter in a much older story about who this educational system was built to serve and who it was never designed to catch. So when we say it takes a village to raise a child, we cannot let that just be a warm, comfortable proverb that we repeat and then we move past. Because right now, in real time, that village is failing. Schools are stretched past capacity, families are stretched to breaking point, and too many of our children are falling through a gap that everyone can see, but few want to own. Who is responsible for our children's education? And with me today, I have some amazing individuals. You know, you all hear me say this every week. All of my guests are amazing because we're not here to play around. We are redefining freedom and we're redefining what it is we need to do to bring about the kind of society, the kind of community, the kind of world we want to live in. So let me introduce you to my guests. The question, as you listen to even their introductions, is is it the school's job to educate? Is it the parents? Is it the communities? Is it the government? All of the above. So I brought three people to today who live this question every single day from the classroom, the counselor's office, the school board table, and the front porch. So let's meet them. I'm gonna start with I call her Mama Toya, Toya Allerin, known to many in her Philadelphia community as Gigi. And she could tell you what Gigi stands for. She has spent more than 25 years fighting for quality education for underserved children and families, starting the fight with her own kids. She served nine years on the board of trustees for KIPP Philadelphia Schools, founded educational opportunities for families, and helped shape KIPS national vision and mission statement. And she is also the founder of Grandmas for Literacy, an organization built around igniting grandmother's power to teach children to read. Mama Toya, thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much for having me. You know, when you called me, I couldn't wait to like get on your podcast and help other grandmothers and parents understand and navigate these times, especially when it's back to school time. So thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. And I cannot wait. And I know that people are going to be blowing up the comments section, especially those of you who watch us on YouTube. We want all the comments because this is our work to do. I also want to introduce Christopher Owusu. Chris is a U.S. Army comeback veteran, and he could have rested on his laurels and hung out every day and not do anything, but no, he went back into education. He's also a mental health professional with more than 12 years in public education. He holds a master's in clinical mental health counseling from Texas AM University Central Texas, and he spent his career working with youth and families navigating academic relational and life challenges. Chris, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_00Yes, indeed. Thank you so much for having me. I'm definitely humbled to be in the midst of greatness.
SPEAKER_01Well, I think this is your second time on the show. And the first time it was an all-male panel, and sisters were like, Can we get some numbers? I said, No, yo, that was not what that was about. Uh, we were actually talking about black males and black males and mental health. Um, but thank you for joining us again. And finally, we have Dr. Janelle Mohammed, principal of Killeen High School in Killeen ISD, and Kaleen ISD is the school district that my children, um, four of my children have graduated graduated from, and I have um the baby who's going into his senior year. Dr. Mohammed has more than 22 years in public education. She looks 22, don't because black don't crack. Um, but she has more than 22 years in public education. She's worked as a paraprofessional, a teacher, an instructional specialist, assistant principal, and now principal. And she is the recipient of the TASSP Region 12 Outstanding Principal of the Year Award, recognized for her leadership in school culture, student achievement, and student empowerment. Dr. Mohammed, welcome.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. Thank you so much for having me today.
SPEAKER_01You are so welcome. Now, I know all three of you are incredibly busy, so thank you for taking time out. And I know there are going to be a lot of questions that will show up in the comment section, and there might be some that I sent to you and see if you have a response for us to get back to our audience. Before we get into who's responsible, I want us to slow down the word itself, education. It comes from the Latin educare, care, educare, to bring up, to draw out. At its roots, education was never meant to be the simple transfer of facts, it's the deliberate cultivation of a person's knowledge, character, judgment, and capacity to think and act in the world. I think that as we have this conversation, it's important for us to have a distinction, to draw a distinction between instruction and education. Now, Carter G. Woodson, many of us know him as the father of Black History Month, used to be Negro History Week, in the miseducation of the Negro argued that every person has two educators, the one given to them and the one they give to themselves. And he considered the second the more valuable of the two. And he felt or or argued that real education had to be distinguished from mere schooling, because schooling within an oppressive system could just as easily enslave and indoctrinate a child as liberate one. I'm thinking prison-to-school pipeline here. And then one of my all-time favorite educators, Dr. Joanza Kunjufu, author of Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys and Restoring the Village, puts the responsibility back on the adult in the room. He taught that it's a teacher's job to inspire the student, especially the one who walks in without motivation. And he contends that if a student has not learned, the teacher hasn't stopped, hasn't taught. He also said teaching or education doesn't stop at the classroom door. He was just as clear that the parent is the primary educator of their own child, and that a family's home culture, habits, expectations, daily rhythms shapes a child's academic trajectory as much as ever anything that happens at the school. So I'm gonna start with this question that I want each of you to please answer. When you hear the phrase, it takes a village to raise a child, what does that actually mean to you? And we'll start with you, Dr. Mohammed.
SPEAKER_03Um, so having grown up in a village in the island of Trinidad and Tobago, it took every single one of the adults in that village to have praises. From the preacher to the neighbor. And I don't know if you know, but our neighbors would give us whoopings just like our parents did growing up. Um, they were concerned if we were doing wrong, they didn't have to wait to tell our parents, they'll take care of it right there and then. There didn't need to be any um, oh don't mind my business. No, it was everyone's business. It meant that you were going to be respectful to every single individual. And to today, I just respect all my elders. It doesn't matter what position or title they hold, like that village has stuck with me since it even here in America, because as I go into the school system, I become their mom. Okay. I I every time a kid walks in that door, I look at them as that could be my baby right there. Okay. What do I want for my child when he walks into any school? I want somebody that sees him. That village that we are so proud of, that I grew up in, I want people to look at him as their own. That is what I know parents expect of us when they send their babies off to school. And so that village, that mindset of we are all accountable for each other, is what I would expect. Um, it takes a village to mean everyone helping each other. Thank you very much for that. How about you, um, Chris?
SPEAKER_00Well, well, just to piggyback from Dr. Muhammad, uh, it means to me that everyone is interdependent, that no, that no man is an island. So essentially, every person in the community does have a part to play because, like Dr. Muhammad said, we are connected by seven degrees of separation. So, even though that young man who's walking at 7-Eleven may have his pants down, that could be my son in a certain number of years. If and I would want to intervene in my son's life, just like somebody should intervene in that young man's life. So, again, Dr. Mohammed pretty much summed it up perfectly that everyone is responsible for the next person to a certain extent, whether it be just simply greeting the person, simply holding the door from a person, that ripple effect is necessary in the community.
SPEAKER_01Yes, thank you, and and Gigi, Mamma Toya.
SPEAKER_02So, so I'm gonna go back to um how I was taught. First of all, if you hear me reference KIP Philadelphia, the KIP charter schools or a charter school, I represent a quality school, okay, whether it's public, charter, or parochial, because my kids went to all three, right? So, you know, like I could talk about all three because I have receipts. But the one school that really um clarified what that means, the village means, is Kip. And it's called the Three Legged Stop. So that means the parent, the child, and the teacher, right? They're all responsible to me for um education and the learning of the student. So I think that village is is is them, right? And then if you take that's the structure, right? You know, that's that's a structure. But if you go into that building, if you go into that school building where the education is taking place the majority of the hours, right? I would have I would say that is that whole building, because everybody has something to offer, right? Whether it's the custodian, the principal, the parent paraprofessional, you know, the grandma like me, the mom who comes in and helps serve the food. I think it's like everybody's responsibility for that. But I will say that education starts at home first.
SPEAKER_01I agree. Thank you all for those comments. So I'm gonna come to you, um, Dr. Mohammed, from where you sit as a principal, who shows up as the village for your students and who is missing?
SPEAKER_03Um, in my view, I have my teachers uh showing up every day. The teachers, the staff, the custodians, everyone in this building shows up for our kids every single day. Who's missing? Who is missing is I would like more community support in the schools. I have parents that show up. I would like the community to show up a little bit more in the schools. Um, it is seems like we could go knocking at their doors to get that support, but the idea is we want volunteers to also knock on our doors in the school and ask us how can we support you? Okay, um, to an extent we could do it more parental support in our schools, but I definitely understand that parents have to work and there's other um priorities that may take up their time. But definitely, if we could have more parental support from the community, that would definitely help us more. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Now, Chris, you've seen this from multiple angles as an educator, as a counselor, and a veteran who's worked with families in crisis. How has your understanding of this interdependence, as you said, or this shared responsibility changed across those roles?
SPEAKER_00Oh, wow. So it's a great question. So across those roles, so I would say uh as a teacher, um, seeing or needing the parental involvement is something that I tried to advocate early on, trying to get the parents on board by giving a positive phone call home and letting them know that we're in this together. It's not just me, right?
SPEAKER_01But again, can you can you pause on that? The did you say a positive phone call? Because most of the time we don't hear from educators unless something's wrong. And I'm like, well, did they do anything good for the other 300 and however many days? But I'm sorry, carry on.
SPEAKER_00No, no, that's yeah, that's uh well, that was one of the tools to get uh the three-legged chair, as Miss Ms. Gigi would say, to try to get us all on board because I know human beings respond to positive more so than negative, and then I see that they'll be more responsive when I had a concern. So from a teacher standpoint, that was how what I saw there. It was hard to get them on board, but once I did, they tend to stay on board. And then as the counselor, I noticed that uh the the parent and child they would wait until the scenario was that was at the worst possible outcome before they came to me as a clinician, and then they would expect me to work miracles, but when in reality, it's it starts from from childbirth. Are you setting rules and boundaries when the child is young? Are you directing them? Are you speaking life into the child, not just expecting person to work miracles and interventions in the 60 minutes out of 128 hours a week? So I see from different roles.
SPEAKER_01And how about you, GG? You've spent 25 plus years organizing parents and communities around this exact question. When you started that work, how did people see or define responsibility for a child's education? And has that changed in any way today?
SPEAKER_02Well, I mean, I there's parents who need to understand more, okay? But and when I look at that, I look at myself as a parent and where I was, right? Because as a parent, sometimes there's first of all, there's no book, and then you know, you don't know what you don't know, right? But I also think that that communication starts is with lies with the parent too. I remember when I was going through a divorce, right? I went up to the school and told the teachers, the principal, and the teachers, my kids might need some grace because this is what's happening home at our house. You know, they might be acting out, but it's more underneath that acting out, you know, there's more to that battle. So just do me a favor and overlook that. And and that comes with trust, that comes with building community with the school. That comes with a parent being able to trust the principal and come out there. But see, I'm a different type of person, right? But you have to build that trust. So while the the teacher or the school is calling home with that positive phone call, more than the beginning of the year, just to let you know, not only at the beginning of the year, you know what I mean? That phone call gotta keep happening. But at the same time, as a parent, I suggest parents go up there with a bag of apples, you know what I mean, and and create community with the teacher, you know, and and I mean I have a whole list of things that parents can do, but that's one of the things is build community with um the teacher and the the administration because maybe you are more friends with the janitor, or maybe you're more friends with the lunch person and go find the climate person for sure, you know. So that's that's that's how I see it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, certainly. I'm gonna ask you a follow-up to that because you said you had some more ideas for for the parents. I it seems sometimes within the the school district or school buildings, it's oh, you know, parents for bake sale, or um, you know, I remember being part of parent-teacher organizations, PTOs, um, which I don't even know if they still exist now. Um, definitely once you leave middle school, you don't hear anything else about that, except for if you're a band mother or a football parent, you know, that kind of thing, acquire. Um, but beyond some of those um tasks that we like to give parents in the school, what does it look like when parents are shut out of the real decision-making power in their children's education? And how do you or how have you helped parents try to navigate that?
SPEAKER_02Okay, so this is how I look at it, right? A lot of times parents, like I started off by saying parents don't know what they don't know. So some parents don't even know they they they can make that decision, right?
SPEAKER_01So so I feel like not just not just to come to the school to cut somebody out, but oh no, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_02It goes behind the bake sale. There's a whole book called Beyond the Bake Sale, and things that you can do with your parents, you know, and and for me, when I start those work organizations, it's me meeting parents where they are, and that's one of the hardest things that or the things that you know schools don't do. I ain't gonna lie. I'm not talking people excluded on this call, but I'm just saying don't have a meeting at five o'clock for my parents, right? And let's and and and not offer four food or for listen, food, transportation, or um daycare or care for the other children that are gonna show up. You gotta meet parents where they are, have that meeting maybe one a Saturday, you know what I mean? Like you have to meet, and that's the biggest thing meeting parents where they are. One, two, don't go in there talking over a parent's head. Like, what did you just say? Like, no, no, no, you gotta meet me where I'm at. Don't don't talk to me like I'm another educator. I don't know what that means, you know. And parents, do me a favor, speak up. You got the power, baby. You understand? Parents have the power to make these decisions, but Aya, as you know, it also takes looking at history and seeing what black parents did in the past to make things happen. So, yeah. I don't, yeah. I got I got so much more, but yeah.
SPEAKER_01And and we will continue. And if we have to have a follow-up, we we will because our children are failing. And I've always told people that our children are a reflection of the communities in which they live in. So if our children are failing, I'm failing, we are failing. And it's not just pointing the finger at the child, and that's not to say, for any of the young people listening to me, that is not to say that you have no accountability for your education, because you absolutely do. You must. In fact, for black people, that's what has allowed us to excel even in an oppressive system, because many of us decided, in spite of the barriers, we are going to get an education and we're gonna do something with our lives. So, on that note, Dr. Mohammed, what are, from your your viewpoint, what are the systemic barriers that make it hard for schools to partner effectively with families? Where is the system stuck? Where is it not working? What are the cogs? What's going on? Why why can't we come together?
SPEAKER_03Okay, so like uh Mama Gigi said, it's the time of the day. And a Saturday, that sounds excellent, but a lot of times that's the time we have for our families as well. Exactly. So we have to take that into consideration as well. Um, we're there from seven. In the morning, sometimes to six, seven o'clock at night. And if we're staying for the games and all those events, then it's just we're there all day long. Now, one barrier, and I have a I have used this, I go to all the games. I talk to parents at the games. Oh, that's the best time to speak to the parents. You go to all the games? Every single game, I go to all the games and I meet those parents, and that is where I've gained the most trust from my parents. I made a decision to do it, and I if I miss anything, they know I wasn't there. They'll come to me and say, You weren't at the game, you know. The kids know. They see, you have to be seen. And um, another part of the barrier, like I said, that visibility helps parents. Um, even if I have to go to the front of the building, if I'm waiting for a parent, and I know that parent drops you off in the morning, I'm out there. So we have to remove those obstacles. We can let them stand in a way and say time is the problem. If I uh I want to have a meeting, I could have a meeting by phone, I can have it junior lunchtime, I have to be flexible. So, as an educator, some of those barriers have to do with us. We just have to be more flexible and willing to meet with the parent where they're coming from.
SPEAKER_01So I I hear you, but as someone who also is a life coach and knowing so many friends who are teachers, I'm like, but the balance for you all as well. Because isn't that one of the reasons why we're seeing so many teachers burn out? Yes. If you are going to be at school at seven, that means you were up and getting ready and doing what you needed to do for your family before the clock started crowling.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_01And then if you're staying till the end of the game, I know as a parent, I want to leave as soon as my son's tennis match is done. Now he has to stay till the whole team is done. He's not coming home till 10:30, 11 o'clock. So if you're the educator who's there from seven in the morning till 10, every that's a lot. So does the system allow you all to in any way balance your time?
SPEAKER_03Well, you gotta think we do get summers off as teachers. Okay, we all teach them to get a little bit more time than the normal person to spend with our kids. Well, you're right. I feel like the school system is also fair, like if we as a parent readiness, they would allow, they would try to stagger the time. Okay. So that if I'm at a high school, my middle school, I can go to their um event. And the elementary school, they would have a different timeline. So they're working with us as well to ensure that we are there for our own kids. They allow us to invite our own kids to the game and come out and support us and be present. And um, I think there's things that we can do that make it work. Now, in my community, I know um we have a lot of parents that are not separated. I'm fortunate to have a husband that will help me take care of my son. So that has helped me a lot, and he will bring him to the games as well. So that does help me for every par every other educator. I ask them to come to at least one game and support the kids. I like just show up and just say hi, even if you just make sure that they see your face and say, Hey, I got you. You know, that makes a big difference to that student. Yeah, and it's the same thing for parents, as even if you have to run away for 10-15 minutes, let your kids see that you're there for them. Yes, it makes a difference. So, yes, it is a lot demanding on our time. And I could tell you when my husband heard I was going to high school, he's like, I'll never see you again. But like date nights at the basketball game. So, date night, yes. We're gonna have to go to Georgetown for a game and say, Hey, we can ride together, and then you know, you gotta make it work.
SPEAKER_01I hear you. Well, so Chris, in your counseling work, what does it look like when a student is falling through the cracks? Because maybe no single adult, their parent, their teacher, or otherwise has taken ownership. And for those listening, what are some of the warning signs? Because, like you said earlier, sometimes the parents don't come to you until we're past, you know, stage four, where we're in critical in a critical place. So, what does it look like? And what are the warning signs?
SPEAKER_00So, as a from an educator standpoint, and I'll talk elementary, middle, and high school, the what it looks like initially is that that child is not engaged. Not that they have to know the answer, but can that child stay awake? Can that child respond to their neighbor? Can that child participate at any level? So once the child starts to withdraw, that's the first sign. Now, I will say, as an educator, because of my faith in Christ, I went above and beyond because I saw value in each child, not based off their letter grade, but based off their inherent value. So I would greet my children at the door.
SPEAKER_01As the kids will say, clock that.
SPEAKER_00So uh, so for me, I would greet the child at the door, and I can determine, okay, based off their handshake, where are they? Are they withdrawn? Do they make eye contact when I call their name? Are they are they getting irritated? Do they bring basic materials to school? All of those are letting me know, okay, something's going on at home to let me know that someone's not making sure that they have their supplies, and then you also have the kids who act out because they need some attention. Because all behavior is communication, all behavior.
SPEAKER_01So okay, say say say break that down because there are some people who that just went over their heads. All behavior is communication. Yes, you mean you mean you mean the kid isn't just bad?
SPEAKER_00No, no, no, no, no. I I wasn't under the belief. No, I oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah, break that down for us, educate us.
SPEAKER_00So, every so in in other words, we're all communicating with our non-verbals and verbals. So, when a kid, like in my classroom, my thing was raise your hand before you speak out. You're not yelling out, this is could we have an orderly environment. If a click kid then blurted out and said something, I knew that kid needed some type of attention, they need some type of affirmation, attention, or appreciation, even if it's from in a negative way, they need that attention. So, my job was to bring them outside and not put them on stage in front of the classroom because that's what they want, because they're not getting it somewhere. So that child is gonna get their needs met one way or another. Either the parents are gonna give it to them, the school system is gonna give it to them, or the police officer is gonna give it to them, but they're gonna get some attention paid to them at some shape, form, or fashion. You give it to them now at home, or they're gonna get it, and then you're gonna have to write them incarcerated.
SPEAKER_01So, oh, okay. So, one of the warning signs is just are they engaged?
SPEAKER_00Are they just engaged? Basic engagement, are they making eye contact? Are they bringing basic materials?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, hmm. So for a parent right now who is looking at their child behavior and just saying, oh, they just going through them teenage phase and they don't this, they don't want to talk, they're banging their door, all of that. This is a warning sign, it's not just normal teenage behavior.
SPEAKER_00So there, so it's a level of being withdrawn, like if a kid doesn't like math, but if they're not speaking at all, they're wearing, they're wearing like this, they're not taking care of their basic hygienic needs, they're they don't have any type of passion, whether it be roblox, basketball, and something they have, nothing that they're excited about, then those are warning signs. You you want to pay attention because everything is in small steps, everything is in small steps, it's all incremental.
SPEAKER_01And so our kids are going to get attention one way or the other if that's what they're seeking, and we better find a way to make sure that it's in a positive way.
SPEAKER_00That's it. That's it.
SPEAKER_01All right, so this is open for you all to take this wherever you want to, because I know you have different things that this whole conversation brings up for you. So when we talk about it taking a village to raise the children and who should be held accountable, is much of the breakdown because there is a breakdown, we know there's a breakdown, we see that from the actual outcomes, right? Is it about individual choices? Is it about systemic disinvestment, under-resourced schools, food insecurity, housing instability now, ICE terrorizing neighborhoods, and some teachers and staff? Because I know, right in my school district, there was um um, I believe she maybe not a power professional, but she worked for the school district, and she was beloved by the children, by many of the students, and ICE came and picked her up. But anyway, is it generational trauma? So, how do we have this discussion about who is accountable or to what degree systems and individuals are accountable? Whoever wants to go first.
SPEAKER_02Well, I would like to say because I mean, dealing with this, first of all, I'm in literacy, so I'm I'm seeing children.
SPEAKER_01Mama Gigi, tell us about Mamas for Literacy, Grandmas for Literacy.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so yes, so so Grandmothers for Literacy is an organization that I started in honor of my mother, who was born in 1929, right? And she never graduated from school, but however, she became judge of elections. She was a beast, right? Exactly, right? But um, and I'm feeling like she raised my children, but if she had more resources like like like phonemic awareness and and um all that other stuff that comes with that, uh my kids wouldn't have struggled as much. So I believe that empowering grandmothers and giving them those resources, they could help children um, you know, be able to read. And it's all about literacy for me to be able to dream, right? And in the city of Philadelphia, 30% of parents in the city of Philadelphia are grandparents. That's 45,000, 45,000 kids. Now, who invests in that grandmother to help the grandmother raise the children? Okay, so that's what grandmothers for literacy is is one thing that's about. And it's also tutoring children, right? So, um what was the question?
SPEAKER_01I'm just saying, you can just go no who's a who's accountable? Like, where does the loss? Because it seems like when I'm out and about, it's like parents are yelling at the teachers, the school didn't do this, and that the school district is saying parents don't show up, and then the community is like, we don't want to pay taxes, but these kids are bad as all get out. And it's like, wait a second, while we're having all of these arguments, the gap is getting bigger, and these kids are falling in, and we're all going to deal with the fallout.
SPEAKER_02Well, I mean, I uh be honest with you, for me, and seeing how my kids struggle and and then lacking some of the basics when they got to um college and in high school and college, I want to say, I'm gonna take the onus on myself. I'm gonna take the onus on, you know, where did it become? It became beyond the bake sale for me with my third child who was failing in school and couldn't read. He couldn't, he was on a third grade reading level in fifth grade, you know, and and what did that look like for me? That was for me to get more involved in the school to ensure that you're not passing my child on. You understand? Because that I mean that's that's a lot of what's going on. You know, they're passing these kids to grade, to grade, to grade without them being on reading level. You feel me? And and like, and I know how hard it is. I know how hard it is, I know what it is to keep the lights on. I know what it was like like trying to make those six figures to send my kids to um to to private school. So I'm I'm out here trying to be that person in the middle to do that work for the grand for the parents. And if you look at our cultures, right? Normally the grandparent is raising the kids, right? While the parents go out and work, you know. So so I think like giving us the resources, investing in who who watching the children, investing in that 30% of grandparents, you know, what would be some of the answers.
SPEAKER_01Just really quickly, what would that investment look like?
SPEAKER_02For me, and what I see it doing is basically teaching um either um bubble kids, those kids that are almost there but are not quite proficient, helping them with their phonics and being able to read. It's all about reading for me, it's all about literacy for me. Because listen, from one to three, your child is learning to read. From three, from four and up, your child is reading to learn. You understand what I'm saying? So one through three are these critical, is a critical time for these kids to learn how to read, to learn how to um to to blend, to dissect work.
SPEAKER_01You know what? As you're talking, I'm thinking we almost should have it set up where wherever people are having babies, when they're leaving and we're giving them whatever else we're giving them, that we're giving them a little bit of a parenting packet. Because, yeah, if you don't know, you don't know.
SPEAKER_02You absolutely, if we look at the history, historically, black teachers taught phonics, they taught like the science of reading. Is this stuff is not new, okay? If we were teaching it, and then when we then board versus brown and we integrated and we lost when we lost, not only did we lose those teachers, we lost educational capital. By the way, we taught, we lost our systems, and that is a fact. Like, we're uh that's a fact. So, my point is is like I think it's it's also self-determination and and not leaving it to the school to be the only one who's educating our children, to do what your dad did, to do what your dad did, you know, your dad kept you home for a certain amount of years, so you could build up your strength and knowing that you could achieve and not seeing school through the lens of a deficit. Yeah, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. I think that's so important. I I'm gonna say, as a parent, and just given what I saw from my parents, so I definitely had an advantage because my parents modeled this for me from when I found out I was, you know, we had conceived and we were thinking about the the child's room and all of that. For me, it wasn't about, yeah, they had some toys, but it wasn't about the toys, and it was certainly never having a game system or a TV in their room. Every one of my children, by the time they opened their eyes in a bedroom, there was a bookshelf and there were books, and it was part of our nightly routine that they read every day, whether the school required it or not. And for me, it was always my mindset that I have to supplement whatever they're getting in school. That was always, and summer for me was this is our opportunity to get ahead. It wasn't an opportunity to step back, fall back, because we see that summer slide happen. So we get out of school, they get out of school when I wasn't homeschooling and they were in the public school system, they get out of school, we take about a week to, you know, WUSA, and then we head out to the bookstore and we're getting reading and math and writing, and you know, and and they had to do book reports over the summer. Now, um, next week we're going to have a panel of students, including one of my children, and they rolled their eyes at me. They had attitude with me. I had a sign up that said, if you're bored, don't tell me you're bored, because if you say you're bored, I've got the chores to do.
SPEAKER_05There's a lot to do.
SPEAKER_01Don't come to me with we we we wove in fun as well. But yes, parents have to understand that everything cannot be on the school system because it's not even possible.
SPEAKER_02So so I work with um I'm so sorry. Uh I work with a uh his name is um first of all, Dr. Fuller. I don't know if you know him. He look him up, Dr. Fuller. He has a he has a um a uh a documentary out. And the first line is only an idiot would think that what happens to a child before he comes to school wouldn't affect that child when he gets into school because kids are going through trauma. That's one. Two, the answer to that is um um Dr. Um Charles Cole came out with a book and it's called The Agentic Parent. And you can put that in the um comments or whatever. It's free, it's an online book, and it tells a parent how to take back their agency. Okay, how to take back name, share the name of the book again? It's called The Agentic Black Parent. Okay, and the big thing about that, the first chapter talks about, like for me, you know, feeling guilty because my son didn't do well in school. You know what I mean? You gotta let that crap go, or because I didn't do well in school, or letting go that that trauma that I had in school. Because a lot of times when you look at parents and their engagement, it's because they had trauma. Yes, they hated school. So to let that go, right? That's the first chapter, and then to realize you are your child's first teacher, and to also realize that you know your child the best, or or should or should. And then it gives you, and then it gives you techniques to identify what you know. So this book is so powerful, and it goes on, it's 10 chapters, but it's so powerful because it it teaches you what you don't know. Like we said, you don't know what you don't know. Yeah, you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01On over to the YouTube side and go to the description for this show, and you'll be able to um see exactly the this um book that um Mamatoya has shared with us. So, Dr. Mohammed, I know that as a principal, you've been recognized for school culture, for student empowerment. What has actually worked at your schools? So, if there are other educators listening to this, what tips can you give them? And for those who are particularly going to be attending Kaleen High School or Kill um Um Kaleen ISD schools, are there any specific programs or practices that our listeners could take back with them?
SPEAKER_03Okay, um, one of the things that uh work, period, is having relationships with our kids. Like um, it's like Mr. Owusu said, when the kid comes, you shake your hand. It tells you a lot about that kid before they even enter the door. I know a lot of people like, oh, you guys have metal detectives at the door. I greet the kids still at the door, even though that's what's going on. I check the temperature, that is big. Um, we had a program called Capturing Kids Heart in our community, and it teaches how to communicate with the kids, like connect before you correct. Like one of the things we we learn is that, hey guys, as you walk, you know, some as teachers, it's easy like for us to judge, but by um relating uh where our kids are to our teachers, they were able to make that connection. And um we ask the questions. We have the four questions we ask them. Like, what are you doing? What are you supposed to be doing? Are you doing that? And how are we gonna fix it? We are not gonna write you up right away. We're trying to have a system where the kids themselves are reflecting on their behavior and making that connection. Okay, um, Mama GG talked about the kids are not reading, and um, one thing I wanted to point out, and you also mentioned that most of our black kids are not reading. You said 80 percent um were not reading on grade level. And when we think about what our kids like to do when they get home, they like to watch TV. I thought playing video games, yeah, put the caption on, let them read. I put that on. Oh wow, and they don't even realize that they're reading.
SPEAKER_01Okay, that is now that's genius level because I just for me in our house, there was no television Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. You could watch TV or play games Friday after school, Saturday, and Sunday, Sunday, up until a certain time, and they thought I was the wicked witch of the earth, the the the whatever West. But this is genius, they can watch TV but have the closed caption on so that they're reading.
SPEAKER_03Wow, okay, and they don't even realize they're reading and know this because I keep my caption on all the time, and then when I don't see it, I was like, Oh my god, something is wrong. So I put the caption on just for my own self. And my son, he reads at like a really high grade level, and he's reading at every time. I tell him that's my only non-negotiable. You have to have the captions on if you're gonna spend time looking at TV. I like. Okay. Well, for simple things like that, is ways that we can have parents that don't have the time to teach the kids to read, to like see the reading. Um, another thing that we ask um parents to do is make sure attendance is a priority, they have to show up to learn. We cannot get the learning to them if they're staying home. And how are we gonna teach them? So we're asking that if you will help us with attendance, we truly appreciate that. Um, as educators, we know how to collaborate. I asked them that look, speak to the parents. Um, don't make any assumptions because you never know what's going on in that child's life. Uh, Mr. Awusu said something about um you notice that kid is disengaged, you see all the signs, but what are we doing as educators? Okay, a lot of time when a kid is quiet, it is easier to ignore them. It's so much easier, and they go on like without even us um knowing any of the behaviors because they're quiet. But this is the kid you need to be concerned about. Yes, you want to know what's going on in that kid's life. They're the ones that go under the radar a lot of the times. So, as an educator, even sometimes in the lunchroom, I ask uh teachers to look and see, you know, those kids. Go talk to them, go ask the question. Sometimes I tell another kid, hey, go talk to that new kid, or go talk to that kid. He sits. By himself a lot, so we don't always have to do it, we just got to find that connection and even teaching our own kids how to do it. Um, for the community, like I said, we're not gonna come knocking at your door, yeah. Maybe if we need some money or something, but normally we don't, so we're asking that you guys come in and help us volunteer. We have mentoring programs in Kaleena ISD. Um, we do put you to uh volunteer because we have to check the background to make sure you're suitable for talking to our kids. But we have like certain pastors that come and they mentor kids. We have Hispanic students where specific people come in and say, Hey, I want to mentor Hispanic students because I want to show them that they can move forward in life, you know, by have and by sharing my experience with them. Um, we talked about ice, I saw that affect our community. I know kids came and it was like, I'm not coming to school because I'm scared that they'll come and get me. And you know, we have to keep letting them know we're not gonna let them come and get you. We got you. So having those conversations, you can't shy away from those conversations with the kids. We have to be real with them. So when it comes to accountability, the student has to understand that they're not passengers in their own journey, also, they have to take an active role in their own um future. So just encouraging them to be a part of it, tracking their own learning, looking at their learning um growth. Where am I going? What is my plan? So we have to teach them that and encourage them to be a part of it as well. Okay, and as for the parent, I spoke to the our parent liaison two days ago, and we were speaking about hey, uh do we have classes where we're teaching parents how to speak English? Because in Kaleen, I don't know if you've looked at the um population right now, our Hispanic population is the highest. They are like over 40%, where our black is like 30-something percent. But when I look at those numbers and I cannot communicate with a parent except by phone or Google, a Google app or anything like that, I'm trying to educate a parent and have that parent come into school and just simple words. And uh, I like to hire people that represent our kids because kids, when kids can see themselves being successful, they're more apt to be successful, yes, and they relate more to those people. However, any caring adult, once that kid knows that you care about them, they're gonna work for you, they're gonna tell the parents how good you are, and a parent is more likely to come to you as opposed to cursing you out, yes, you know. So I I encourage, like it's all of us, yes, it's the student, the parent, the community, the educator. All of us have to come together and work so that the child knows that you're seen. We see you, we want you to be successful, we value you. Yes, grades and assessment come, but that's just part of it.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_03We have to prepare our kids to deal with the real world out there. We have to teach them how to think critically, and those are the things that we forget a lot when we are trying to teach a curriculum.
SPEAKER_01Well, well, when you also have legislators who don't want the kids to think critically, because we because um an uh um a citizenship or citizenry that is uneducated is easier to control. That that is an issue. So, in the little time that we have left, I would like to see some crosstalk. So, Mamatoya, as a parent advocate, as someone organizing the community to take action, what do you wish more educators understood about what it takes to help our children succeed? And then Dr. Mohammed, as a principal, as an educator, what do you wish more parents and community members understood? And Chris, as an educator, a counselor, someone who has also seen we have a lot of um military families in our area. You've also seen how that impacts families. What do you think both sides are missing? I'm gonna have you as counselor pull it out and like what what are all the sides missing? So let's start with you, Mama Toya. We've got about eight minutes left here. So you share your part, Dr. Mohammed, and let's hear from Chris as well before we wrap up.
SPEAKER_02Girl, let me tell you something, right? It's so funny. I'm I've been always been um friends with teachers, right? So one day, I gotta tell this story. So one day, a teacher, I was like, Where are you at? Right? It was before school started. I'm like, where you at? Just like, you know, she's like, I'm in a PD. Come up to room, blah, blah, blah, blah. So I go up to the room and I walk in. In fact, guess what? I had this dress on. I'll never forget because I got the picture, right? And I walked over to the principal. I was like, look, Gigi has something to say, right? And I was like, first of all, teachers, and with new teachers and existing teachers in the room. I'm like, this is what parents want, right? They want communication, they want to be able to communicate with you in a consistent manner, in a way that's convenient for both of you. You understand? And I wrote it down, I have it right here, right? Parents need flexibility, all right? Be flexible with a parent. You know, maybe she might not be able to show up at the report card time, but the Zoom really works, and maybe not on the day that Zoom was that everybody else was scheduled, but Zoom really works, right? Have high expectations of our children. That part, that don't think that my child can't do it, you know. You know, and if you got a problem with it and he's showing a problem with it, get me involved. Talk to me, and then let's work together, let's partner together to educate my child. And um, one more thing I'll say is um know your parents' names, know your child's name, okay? Just know my name. You might not be able to spell it right, but know my name. Treat me, you know, as an adult, see me, acknowledge my presence. And know that I know what's best for my child. You might know, like, you know, like the specifics, but I know too.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and respect that. I think that point you just made, I'm just gonna interject for 30 seconds here. It's so important. When we first moved to to um Texas, um, and I think I just had my last child, right? So I'm I'm coming into the school, I got a kid on my hip, so on and so forth. And the secretary, administrative assistant, just completely acted like no human being had walked in. Like she's on the phone, she's looking here, she's doing all of that. And I just kept quiet because you know, I I could have gone off, but and then another parent walked in, and then she she acknowledged that parent. She was someone she knew. I let that interaction finish, and I said, Okay, are you ready to finally um acknowledge my presence here? Well, uh uh, you know, just attitude. And I said, Well, I'd like to speak to the principal. Long story short, at some point she found out that I'm an attorney. Oh my god, now that carpet is laid out, and I went back to the principal and I said, This is a problem. It doesn't matter if I'm a school, you know, call a high school dropout, it doesn't matter if I've got five kids on my head, it doesn't matter if my clothes are clean from thrift stores, which I actually love shopping at thrift stores. Um like show respect because when you disrespect me in that way, then my first interaction with you immediately becomes negative and everything escalates. So know the name, show some respect. Yes, okay, Dr. Mohammed.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so I'm glad you said that about the negativity. That's the big thing that we work on um now. I would tell you that we've done surveys for the school district, and some of that is what's coming out. So we've trained the uh staff on the front to be more record and more cognizant of people, like it's people first. It doesn't matter what you have on, what you're there for, you're treating everyone equally and with respect. Okay. One thing when I came in as a teacher, we used to say, call the parents mom. Like, yes, mom, do you need anything? You know, and throughout our surveys and getting to know parents, we learned that hey, we have to acknowledge parents as people, they are individuals as well. So we make it a big deal to find out their names before they come in and talk to them and say, What's going on, Mrs. Miss Mr. and Mrs. Johnson? Whatever your name is, we have to call you by that instead of calling you mom or dad. So we have we were guilty of doing things like that. And what we also noticed that we have to all be trained, uh, even the capturing kids heart model, it's the parent, the front office staff had to be trained as well. Um, the secretaries, even the district trains us, like we have a way of saying the principal is busy, they can't get to you. Well, I might be busy, but it would be better if they just said, let me check her schedule and see where she's at. If she's not available, I'll get you an appointment. But we close the door when we say that we're busy. Yeah, so we are all trained uh learning and we're evolving. Yeah, so as a com as a district, I know that we're gonna get better and we're gonna keep growing.
SPEAKER_01So we are hoping that's the case. Let's keep getting there.
SPEAKER_03Yes, I'm telling you, we're putting resources into it and we're we're we'll keep working at it. I promise that we are pushing that. Okay, and um, we do actually listen to the survey and and try to use those recommendations to I hope so.
SPEAKER_01Because sometimes I see I'm engaged, but sometimes I see those surveys and I'm like, is this gonna be another waste of my time?
SPEAKER_03We can use them to make a plan.
SPEAKER_01Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_03How about you, Chris?
SPEAKER_00Uh just well, just to it actually uh covers both Miss Gigi and Dr. Mohammed. So one of the uh the clinical mental health side and educator side, the big thing is speaking life. That's the big thing. Uh again, being able as an educator to see the potential in the child and not the problem. Because again, you will get so much farther, as Dr. Mohammed said, if you see what that child's capable of going of uh of doing rather than their current referral behavior, you get so much farther. Even interacting with parents, when you can address, tell the parent something good the child did, even if the child showed up on time, the child brought a number two pencil, the child was uh adhere to the code of conduct at the end of the day. Tell that parent, let that parent hear that because most parents act like they got an academy award whenever I complimented them, and that's been 13 years in education. Each parent acts a prize. Very few parents acted very nonchalant, they acted like I was some type of uh you know, some Nobel Peace Prize that they got awarded. So just that bridges the gap. Speak life to the child, see the potential in the child, and as Dr. Mohammed said, see the parent for what they did well in raising the child because they did something well, even if they kept the child alive from girl to 16. They did something well.
SPEAKER_01So thank you. Okay, last thing, and this is going to be like 10 seconds each person. A word to the young person listening, to the student listening, just quickly. Who wants to go first? Just a word, something for the young person who's listening.
SPEAKER_03It's your education, it's your future. Make the most of it, use every resource available to you. Okay, thank you.
SPEAKER_01How about you? Yes.
SPEAKER_02Okay, have self-determination, and you can do this, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
SPEAKER_00Um, I would tell any student uh um learn to fail forward. Learn to fail forward.
SPEAKER_01All right, so for those of you on the radio side, this is the end of today's episode. Tune in next week so we can hear from our young people. For those of you on YouTube, we're gonna keep this tape rolling for just a little bit longer because I know there are things that these three amazing individuals want to say that I did not ask. So you get to get the extra, you know, like how y'all go to the Marvel movie and some people leave right as a credits roll and then they miss out on the other stuff. Yeah, okay. So, um, anything anywhere that you want to go, anything that you feel should have been covered but has not been covered, and talking in terms of talking about how we essentially save our children and save ourselves at the same time as a village.
SPEAKER_02I would like to, you know, I'm gonna go, right? Because I'm like, you got me all pumped up, girl. You really do, right? But one thing I would like to say is don't worry about what you don't know, but also look at the resources that you already have. Look at the resources that are in your community. For instance, here in Philadelphia, we have an organization called Read by Four, right? So, what it does is it gives, just like um Dr. Muhammad said, gives you those tips and ideas, not just like like one, they'll give you like 25 and it's a free package, it's at the library, right? Read by fourth is a part of the library here in Philadelphia. So, and one of the another tip is in your house, you can get post-its and write the name chair and post it on the chair when you're when you're at the store, you know and you know what? You can get those flashcards for flashcards from the dollar store. That's where I would get them, and I would paste them on different things, yeah. Exactly. But your local library could be your savior, you know. They you you you know what I mean. That that's one thing I would definitely say.
SPEAKER_03So, yeah, look at you know he talked about the library, we don't use the library like we used to.
SPEAKER_01Well, the school districts are getting rid of libraries, yes.
SPEAKER_03I'm talking about the local libraries, the region, the schools, yeah, yes. So we still have libraries in the school right now. I mean, uh the kids are not coming in like they normally did.
SPEAKER_01So one of the things that worked, killing ISD, because sometimes I do give killing ISD a rough time, but their program, and I oh gosh, what was it called? It was this program where the kids got points for every book that they read, and they would set a goal for the school, but then they also gave individual awards. So one year my daughter got like 832 or something points and got a plaque and all of that. She just kept reading because once she got into the rhythm and loved it, that the points were just extra. But doing having those kinds of initiatives really helped, especially if children come from a home where that is not emphasized, having the school emphasized it. So once kids got to like if you were in the hundred points reader club, you got a pizza party, um, if you were at some other, you got a t-shirt, you know, those kind of incentives really made a difference. Um, please go ahead, Dr. Mohammed.
SPEAKER_03Um, I I agree definitely. The library is a great place for kids. That was my safe has been as a kid. Um, I wasn't as fortunate as the kids in America to have a library in the school, but I did have one in my local community, and I would be there every evening and sometimes on Saturday. So that was a place that I knew to go to. Um, there is the community center. Like I go to the community center, they have books, they have all these things available for our kids to read. We have Boys and Girls Club after school. Um, they have the Boys and Girls Club actually pay teachers and other tutors to come in and teach our kids and tutor them. Okay. We have the fraternities and the sororities there in our schools, the D9s. Uh, we had the Sigmas come into the school and teaching kids how to read. Um, they're just being a great support that way. So we are having all these resources in the school. We have communities in school that reside on our campus. And during lunch, they'll take them to their rooms, they have programs, they educate them. There's so much available to our students that they get to pick and choose what they want to do. But they just like recess more. I'm just saying. They like to be with their friends a little bit. But the resources are there for our kids at their fingertips. Um, so at the end of the day, I really know that we provide a lot for the kids. Uh, we get a bad rep sometimes as a district because I don't think we put ourselves out there and let them know how much we have available for everyone to see. Okay. But the worst part is if we invite more parents in, then they will see. So then it comes, but it's both ways. We can't say, well, they don't know, but if we don't invite you guys in as parents, then how are you gonna know? So we just need to do a better job of welcoming parents and letting them know that we are partners in this together. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01How about you, Chris? Anything else that you want to share?
SPEAKER_00Uh, just just from a uh from an educator standpoint, I really well I'm and I love how Dr. Mohammed instills this that allowing the the teachers to make sure that they are they are that one healthy adult for the child, because again, every child the chance to at least have that opportunity to be safe with an adult because we don't know what they went through. As as Gigi Miss Gigi said, we don't know what they went through before they came here. As I indicated, a part of our job beyond the T tests, beyond staff meetings, beyond lesson plans, is to ensure that the majority of our students feel comfortable with us and safe within us. So when that when you think that that child's irritating you and wants to come to your lunch, or that child's telling you who's dating who, and that child's telling you all that stuff, they feel safe as a compliment. Don't run them off, don't be so busy in your schedule that uh as an educator, you can't go to the lunchroom. That's one thing the kids like. When I would go to the lunchroom and ask, Can I have peanut butter and jelly sandwich? And they tell me that they would laugh, but they still appreciated that.
SPEAKER_05So Dr.
SPEAKER_00Muhammad, I just think wish she was my principal, my teacher.
SPEAKER_01I do want to say this. Um, parents, there's so much that we don't know that in terms of resources that are available to us. Um, mental health is definitely a big issue everywhere now, but in our community, when I'm talking about the African, African-American, um, black community, whichever term you want to use, I know that for our local school district, the guide guidance and um what what's the other term for it? The the guidance department, they have a whole wellness portion, guidance and counseling, um, and they have a lot of great resources for parents. And I didn't even know, even though I've had children in the school district for 17 years now, that you can get counseling for your child through the school district. They partner with you know, a you know, um, a third party. And so, parents, it is our responsibility to seek out what is available and then to take advantage of it. The other thing I would say as a parent, and you know, if you're a black parent, you've heard this before, I'm not your little friend. Um, for me, parenting, I would tell my children, is about me coaching and training you, it's not about being your best friend, at least not in your formative years, and that means that there are things I'm going to require you to do, whether you see the importance of it or not. So, parents, I see where our school district and other people in the community, other organizations will have events, will have programs, and there are no students there. And when I talk to parents, well, my kid don't want to come, uh you don't make that decision because I can see more about what you need, and I'm gonna take you to that, and hopefully your eyes open. So we definitely have a big role to play. But I do also want to put this out there for those of you who are listening because you know I'm always gonna talk about the work that we need to be doing. Our schools are under-resourced, and if you are not voting people into office who will actually support our young people, who will support funding our schools, who are not giving themselves all of these tax cuts, property tax cuts, all of this stuff that ends up affecting how our schools are funded, who are voting for vouchers for schools that the majority of our students will never get into, that is a problem. When you are voting for people who are actively banning books because that's not a book they want, and you're voting them into power, you are part of the problem. And so there are so many aspects through which we can work on this. If you are an uh um an adult in our community, I don't care if you have children or not, you got a little extra time on your hands and you're not mentoring a child, you are part of the problem. If you're not supporting organizations like grandmas for literacy, grandmothers for literacy, and by the way, grandfathers, if you're listening to this and you're getting upset, where's the grandfathers for literacy? You start it. Like if there is a gap, don't wait and look around for someone else to come and save you or save our children. Maybe that's a call for you to step in. And I'm also hoping, Dr. Mohammed and Chris, as we're talking, that with all of this that we're requiring of you educators, that you all have some support for your mental health. That is very important to me. Because if you're going through it, how can we expect you to pour positivity on our children when your life is falling apart?
SPEAKER_05Right.
SPEAKER_01So that the my contribution, anybody else as we wrap up, anything else that you want to share?
SPEAKER_03Well, I have this small poem that I like to read for teachers. Okay. I wore myself up because we ain't got an alarm clock. Dug in the dirty clothes basket because ain't nobody watched my uniform, brushed my hair and teeth in the dark because the lights ain't on. Got my baby sister ready because my mama wasn't home. Got us both to school on time to eat us a good breakfast. Then when I got to class, the teacher fussed because I ain't got no pencil. So I encourage parents to think teachers all the time to think about this. Like, what did that child get go to just to be here? We're not gonna fuss about a pencil. We have plenty of pencils. Come on in here and get some, okay? We have free pencils, but it's just simple things like that, just being able to empathize with our kids when they come to us. It's the same thing we have to do to the pay with the parents, and that will help bring them in the school as well. So as a district, I think we're we're making good strides. I know we're going in the positive direction. I've been in clean ISD for 22 years.
SPEAKER_01So the whole 22 years that you heard me talk about she started as a student, she's counting the the 12 years she was a student.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that part, that part, yes.
SPEAKER_01Since I've started teaching her too, yes, because she's a genius, that is why she is principal of the year. That's exactly why.
SPEAKER_03Across across the entire region, yes, yes, yes, and and I want to tell you Rancier Middle School with 16 points in accountability this year. We are like at the cuff of being a B school, but you know, one or two points.
SPEAKER_01I don't know which way it'll go, but the growth was important because we wanted because Rancier used to be close to the bottom.
SPEAKER_03Were the bottom?
SPEAKER_01I was trying to be nice. I yes, I know when I moved into the community, I was like, no, we don't want to go, we don't want to live in this place that we that's cool, yeah.
SPEAKER_03But but it's just about believing in our kids, and like uh somebody said about having those high expectations. I think it was you, I'm having those high expectations for our kids, it makes all the difference, they'll rise to those expectations. You just have to set them and believe in them. Okay, Mama Toya, any last words?
SPEAKER_02I just want to say thank you because I mean, this was an amazing event for for for the parent, for the teacher, and the principal and the guidance counselor and and Chris. I mean, like the stuff that you do is amazing because our kids are going through trauma. Okay, you know, try they're they're going through it and um helping them work through it, I think is um what's needed for our children. I just want to say thank you, Aya. And if you want to go over anything else or um have a podcast talking about the black agency parent, I could get the doctor who wrote it to come on your show. And um well, let let's let's let's let the two of us do it with the with that because I had never heard of that book.
SPEAKER_01And that sounds like something that would be a great oh, I mean, he has an amazing story.
SPEAKER_02If you hear his story, you're gonna probably want to talk to him. You know what I mean? He was it's it's he's a product of the 80s, and and yet, and he was homeless and yet became a doctor. So um, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I gotta say this one last thing for for the audience that is still sticking around. You know, part of what's going on in this country is this um anti-black agenda, let's just call it what it is, and of course, right now, really focused on the an anti-immigrant agenda. And I could not help but notice, Dr. Mohammed, you sharing that you were raised in Trinidad and Tobago, and nonetheless, what what was the recognition you received again for those who didn't hear it at the beginning? Tell us, tell us all the awards that you just got. I got principal of the year for the state of Texas Middle School for the state of Texas, yes, all the millions of students that we educate across the state. I just wanted to highlight that because there are some of you who are going to watch this, who are listening to this, who still in your minds have an idea of who can quote unquote be successful, who can contribute, and who can't. And this country, because it refuses to teach proper history and refuses to acknowledge the roles that all kinds of people have played in making this country to the extent that we can it can claim any greatness, the great nation that it is, that that was built on the backs of a lot of different kinds of people. So when you see a Dr. Mohammed who some just like me may see on the street, and oh, she's not like you, and yet she is here busting her butt for all of our kids, making a difference and doing it at such a level of excellence that in the entire state of Texas, Texas, which is bigger than many countries, she is the principal of the year. Y'all need to quit with your with with the ignorance and quit voting in people who don't want us to learn our history and who don't want us to see our common humanity because that's even everything we've talked about in terms of having a village, it's about having all of us as a community saying we want every child to live up to their highest potential, and your child cannot live up to their highest potential if they're in an environment where other kids are being pulled down. You better believe it. They may have some successes, but they too will be impacted, and you too will be impacted. So let us come together as a village for the good of all of our of our young people and ourselves. All right, y'all. Well, thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have an open door, you can come back anytime. You can set the agenda and say, Hey, this is the information we want to give out. Um Mama Toya, yes, put it in the um description. If there are other grandmothers who are inspired by what you're doing and want to find out what's the template, is it okay for them to reach out to you?
SPEAKER_02Yes, please, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01Because you're based in Philadelphia, but grandmothers are and grandmother.
SPEAKER_02No, this is what it is. Yeah, I mean, I just I've spoken to other Nubians, you know, who want to start a grandmothers for literacy in their stating home. And it and it's all it's our voice, it's who we are.
SPEAKER_01And for those of you who are saying for those of you who are saying she's speaking to the Nubians in Africa, no, there is a group here in the United States. If you join Narrative with a case, I v e dot com. There is a group within narrative. Um, the the social media part of it is Nubia, where there's a lot of education going on, a lot of people coming together and building and trying to find ways to impact their the community and the world um in a positive manner. So that's what uh Baba Toya was was um referring to. So yeah, please come if you are serious about our common humanity, black people getting this, getting true liberation. That is a space that you might want to visit. Thank you for for bringing that up, uh Mama Toya. All right, anyone else?
SPEAKER_05All right, thank you, thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_01By the way, Dr. Mohammed, and I know we're still live, we have a mentoring group, um, intelligent and talented girls. So I'm gonna be calling you to figure out if um if because because right now we're thinking we started at South Belton Middle School, and then we branched out into the wider community, but right now we're thinking about going back to having three or four schools where we go into the school weekly and work with with the young girls.
SPEAKER_02Um, so you know that's I know that's funny. That's what Grandmothers for Literacy that's one of our pilot programs, is what we do is we crochet with girls, right? For like or boys for like 45 minutes, and then we we interject reading into it and we read out loud. So um, yeah, everybody, so long, just do the work. That's what we should say. Just do the work.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, y'all. And to our viewers, click like, share, subscribe, you know, the notification bell, all of that kind of stuff, and come back next week because it'll just be our young people and see what they have to say.
SPEAKER_03I can't wait to hear what they have to say.
SPEAKER_01I know my I know my son had a lot. He was like, Are you gonna have a student? Are you gonna hear from the youth?
SPEAKER_03I said I'll be listening, I promise.
SPEAKER_01Yes, they're they're ready. All right, y'all. Thank you again.
SPEAKER_03Okay, all right.