The "Atlanta Public Schools Miracle" - Wide Spread Cheating Scandal Comes To Light

The Bottom Falls Out In The Atlanta Public School Cheating Probe

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• Governor releases report on Atlanta Public Schools investigation
  
• Parks Middle School In Southwest Atlanta - A Template For Cheating & Corruption
• Unethical Behavior At Every Level

The academic state of the  Black public school student is likely one of the biggest political pawns in America, challenged only by the elderly in America and the criminally incarcerated.

Yesterday Georgia Governor Deal (R-GA) released the findings of a wide spread investigation of alleged cheating on the standardized CRCT over the past several years.  This drew to a close the "discovery phase" of a large political flame up that drew charges of corruption, racism, and an attempt to discredit Black leadership by some circles.

Some of the major players were:

• The former Atlanta schools superintendent Hall - who's contract recently expired after 12 years
• The Atlanta school board which had a recent history of infighting for its top 2 leadership posts, resulting in a lawsuit
• The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) the accrediting agency that has lurked in the background - holding the threat of loss of accreditation as the means of forcing the school leadership into action and compliance
• The powers of the Georgia governor Nathan Deal, recently emboldened with more power to remove individual school board members who's actions have proven to be out of line with their mission of educating children
• The Black Civil Rights Pharisees of the "Concerned Black Clergy Of Atlanta" through who's vision was the sight of a "White Republican assassination of 'Black leadership' power' " on their way to reasserting their supremacy.  Atlanta is merely the latest target of SACS following their handling of other majority Black school systems in Clayton County and Dekalb County
• The Atlanta Business Community - fearful of how the loss of accreditation of APS would impact the attractiveness of Atlanta as a home for businesses, chose to do an intervention as a means of preempting greater intervention by the state.
• The local media.   One faction accused of fanning the flames on behalf of the state powers.  The other using this example as evidence of the corrupting nature of standardized tests - advocating that they be dispensed with in order to identify a less racial and class based discriminatory means of assessing academic performance.  Additional help for struggling schools, not punitive recourse should be the policy.  They argue that the cheating was done to avoid sanction.

There you have it.

A swarm of adults standing between the young school students and their academic development as the affairs and agenda of the adults take hold.

The Atlanta Public Schools are in truth two systems.  A high performing system for solidly middle class families of all races on the north side of town.   An academically struggling system for the solidly poor classes of students in certain known hot spots in Atlanta.  

From the outside looking in - there appears to be some mutual agreement to allow these stagnating areas of Atlanta to be brought up to a certain level in which education, crime, and social services provided are managed with the goal of preventing a potentially boiling pot from spilling over.  These areas will neither produce the Black replacement for Clarence Thomas, firmly grounded in the struggle after receiving a sound academic preparation nor the next social justice riot in which structures burn down as the means of speaking truth to power about the oppressive conditions for intellectual development.

Take a map of the areas where I call the "Black Equal Ballot Harvesting Orchards" and cross reference it with the problem plagued schools - and there will be an exact match found.  

Underneath the mechanics of testing corruption is a larger problem - THE LACK OF PURPOSE FOR THESE KIDS.

While the diversionary struggle is focused on the "Jim Crow" court house and prisons - full of Black inmates and jail employees - the real problem is that the prevailing power overlay WITHIN the Black community is functionally incompetent in their ability to connect the resources of the schools, the "favorable political person" in power over certain institutions and - MOST IMPORTANTLY - challenging messages to the Black Rank & File as to what THEY MUST DO REPETITIVELY so that their actions will sufficiently provide the foundation of support for whatever run up to POWER that is planned.

The Need For A Fight With Classic Enemies Without  Consciousness About The Organic Scaffolding Made Of Bamboo That Is Necessary For People To Assemble Around

Those with the transactional view see this mess with metro-Atlanta education (for Black kids) in the light of the standard Southern struggle over race and power.   They dig into the trenches that now have a historical marker from the "Civil War Historical Society".   

The truth is that the Atlanta metro is in a state of massive change and evolution.  The Atlanta "Black Mecca" which triggered pride at the sight of Black Leadership is now challenged to have these symbolic figureheads produce results as expected from any other predecessor.  

Atlanta is far ahead of other places as we have arrived at the point where - beyond the sentiment of the person in power or the whispered threat that "the last Black mayor" is at hand unless we vote......the politician in office is just a politician in office - warts and sheen just like any other - regardless of his race.  The progressive Black leadership can now be seen cutting government workers pension benefits, laying off employees and raising taxes on those who are struggling absent the image of a "Son Of Confederate Soldier" to attach their own opposition battle flag to as a means of retaining the loyalties of their Black base of voters - wealthy and poor.

Move away from the centers of power and go into the communities.   The disconnection is clear.  The once dependable base of foot soldiers who could be counted upon for "struggle" today are largely consumers - trapped in their own world - the music from their smartphone piped through some ear buds providing most of them with the necessary contentment. 

It is NOT time for a "Revolution" in the way that those who still have memories of Selma and Montgomery would have them to enlist in.   The present status of Morris Brown College - once a full service academic institution is a symbol of the challenge and their inability to see it.

A march - a "Struggle" requires a burst of passion from the masses.  The sight of a mass of people proves to be synergistic.  Those who gather will remember the moment for years to come.

The Black community faces the challenge of erecting a more STRATEGIC agenda by which our:

• Relationships & Culture
• Academics
• Business and Retail Base
• Community Governance Rules

all come together to express the desired end.

Today's biggest OPPRESSOR is the lack of conscious VISION to even see the need for a greater vision.

The scandals on how to "baby sit Black school kids" has no winners.   The cycle of the rise in standards by external forces and the rebuff of those standards by those who claim to have the interests of these kids pervert the truth of the issue.   The external standards are ultimately IRRELEVANT to those who's existing standards far surpass the menial standards provided by the state.  

THIS IS THE PROBLEM.

Those who are most responsible for the congregational blindness are also the biggest provocateurs.   They are more interested in keeping Black people ideologically unified, tightly packed in a struggle than they have shown competency in their ability to erect the scaffolding - telling Black students about  how their studiousness and compliance to community rules are needed at this time.  This being the most POLITICAL statement that can be made at this time.