Education reformer brings message to Shreveport

Originally published in the Shreveport Times on October 21, 2011

Education reformer brings message to Shreveport

Written by: Mary Nash-Wood

Full article available at: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110210309

Characterizing the country's education system as a crisis situation, education reformer Geoffrey Canada addressed a sold-out crowd in Shreveport on Thursday, calling for a better solution for the hundreds of thousands of children not receiving the education they deserve.

Canada, who has been named one of Time magazine's most influential people in the world for 2011 and is featured in the education reform documentary "Waiting for Superman," made his comments during a luncheon sponsored by the North Louisiana Community Foundation.

Canada is the president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, a project in which staff is charged with the task to do whatever it takes to ensure that its children graduate from college so they can be prepared for the tomorrow's job market.

It achieves that goal in part by addressing the needs of children at each stage of their development from infancy through the college years in hopes of strengthening the families and community in Harlem.

"There's a conversation taking place in America, and it is becoming more apparent that we are losing a generation of children, and we are losing them at such high numbers that unless we do something critically different, we are going to lose our standing as a first-rate nation," he said.

He said high poverty rates coupled with failing schools and rising standards is not something tied solely to Caddo Parish Public Schools or even Louisiana schools, but rather is an epidemic infecting every corner of the nation.

"For every brand name city like Detroit or Chicago, there's 100 smaller cities and towns facing the same thing, and the country doesn't have a strategy to face it," Canada said.

Canada said communities have to face the fact that to change their situation, uncomfortable and drastic changes may need to take place.

"There is no plan to fix this," he said. "If you want to fix it, it may get uncomfortable. It will require thinking outside of the box to try something you and no one else may have tried before."

Canada's ideas include additional hours for teachers and students with more days of the week spent educating and longer school calendars, reaching out to the community to buy in and raising the expectations of what is possible for every child.

"This is one of the situations where I say it's best to think like a rich person," he said. "You may laugh, but if you were rich, would you give a second thought to your children going to college? No, you would expect all of your children to go to college. Why should those expectations be any different for the children in your class than they are for your own children?"

Rather than raise the bar beyond the status quo, Canada said it is often easier for educators and community members to play the blame game as to whom should take ownership of the problem.

"As an educator, once you can push the blame onto the fact that it's the parents or the home life, you no longer have to take ownership of the problem," Canada said. "This is one of the only professions where you aren't held accountable for the results you get."

Paula Hickman, executive director of the Community Foundation, said Canada's comments must contribute to a discussion as to what Shreveport will do to address the needs of its children.

"While we know that we can't just take the Harlem Children's Zone and plop it down in Shreveport and make it work, there are steps and pieces in how he was able to transform his community that I think are things we as a community must begin to look at and discuss," she said.

Ruth Ray Jackson, associate professor and chair of education at LSU-Shreveport, said Canada's message was a call to educators and community members that the times have to change.

"It's a challenge to all of us to be a more active part of the education of our young people," she said. "His words are inspirational and his story is remarkable, but it is due to the fact that he went above and beyond for every child in his community."

Canada's speech was made possible through private donations, as well as contributions from the Davis Family Foundation, the Beaird Foundation, the Women's Philanthropy Network and the Alliance for Education.

"This is one of the situations where I say it's best to think like a rich person," he said. "You may laugh, but if you were rich, would you give a second thought to your children going to college? No, you would expect all of your children to go to college. Why should those expectations be any different for the children in your class than they are for your own children?"

Rather than raise the bar beyond the status quo, Canada said it is often easier for educators and community members to play the blame game as to whom should take ownership of the problem.

"As an educator, once you can push the blame onto the fact that it's the parents or the home life, you no longer have to take ownership of the problem," Canada said. "This is one of the only professions where you aren't held accountable for the results you get."

Paula Hickman, executive director of the Community Foundation, said Canada's comments must contribute to a discussion as to what Shreveport will do to address the needs of its children.

"While we know that we can't just take the Harlem Children's Zone and plop it down in Shreveport and make it work, there are steps and pieces in how he was able to transform his community that I think are things we as a community must begin to look at and discuss," she said.

Ruth Ray Jackson, associate professor and chair of education at LSU-Shreveport, said Canada's message was a call to educators and community members that the times have to change.

"It's a challenge to all of us to be a more active part of the education of our young people," she said. "His words are inspirational and his story is remarkable, but it is due to the fact that he went above and beyond for every child in his community."

Canada's speech was made possible through private donations, as well as contributions from the Davis Family Foundation, the Beaird Foundation, the Women's Philanthropy Network and the Alliance for Education.