Addressing Violence In Springfield Schools: We Cannot Allow The Death Of Rev. Theodore N. Brown To Be In Vain - Softcover

Swan, Talbert W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0971635501 ISBN 13: 9780971635500

Publisher: Trumpet in Zion Publishing, 2002

Synopsis

The book features photos capturing key moments in the aftermath of a school tragedy and twelve chapters that speak plainly about the status of public education and the need to discard politics in the interest of safeguarding our schools. A Foreword by School Superintendent, Dr. Joseph P. Burke and an Afterword by School Committee member, Robert E. McCollum, give insight from professionals who work within the school system. This book will provide you with valuable research information and inspire you through candid conversation calling for immediate action toward addressing youth violence. The book encapsulates research, insightful thought, and provocative conversation.and is a living legacy to a man who dedicated his life to helping and inspiring our youth,

About this title

About the Author

Rev. Talbert W. Swan, II is a pastor, activist, author, columnist and radio talk show host. He is the Senior Pastor of the Solid Rock Church of God in Christ located in Springfield, MA. Pastor Swan holds a Master of Arts in Urban Ministry from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and is also a graduate of Hartford Seminary and Harvard Divinity School.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The pattern is often similar: extreme anger, no skills to vent the anger or ease the pain, no trusted adult to turn to, and accessibility of firearms or other weapons. The results are also similar; dead and wounded students, faculty, or staff at schools in all parts of our nation. Such may have been the rationale when 17-year- old Corey Ramos allegedly stabbed Springfield High School counselor Rev. Theodore N. Brown to death on December 5, 2001.

Needless to say, violence in our schools - whether it involves threats, fistfights, knives, or firearms - is unwarranted and intolerable. Students, teachers, staff, and visitors deserve a safe setting to learn and work in. Springfield, like other communities deserves safe schools that educate our children as the future leaders of our country. For too long, violence in schools has been low on the list of priorities of those in authority in the Springfield Public Schools. Needless to say, Rev. Brown's death should have pushed violence prevention to the top of the agenda. Sadly, at the time this book is being published, approximately one year after the untimely death of a fellow clergyman and school counselor, the push for safer schools has already slipped down the ladder of priorities.

In alarming rates, our youth are turning to violence to resolve their problems and to criminal activity as a lifestyle choice. There are many theories about why youth choose violence. Some theorists suggest that children learn from their environment -- be it the influence of a crime filled neighborhood, an abusive home, or an isolated rural area where support services are minimal. Whatever the reason, we must find it out and deal with it. No longer can we sit idly by and wait for a tragedy to occur before we act on matters of such grave importance.

In today's knowledge and information age it is imperative for the Springfield Public Schools to develop or implement an existing model of education that will better serve the present generation of students. Outdated educational philosophies may actually be causing more harm than good for today's students in the long run.

With an overwhelmingly non-white student body, Springfield must be willing to adapt cultural and curricular changes that will better serve its current constituents. I am suggesting that Springfield take a good hard look at the Talent Development Model of education developed by the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR). This model of education seeks to do the following:

Encourage the use of multiple approaches to teaching and learning;

Foster academic supports such as mentoring programs, peer-based initiatives, tutorial programs, and school-to-career programs;

Offer professional development for teachers, staff, and administrators; and

Utilize national and locally tailored program models to educate, train, and empower family members.

Based on the success this model has had in other systems, it is expected that it will produce improvements in the following areas:

Student academic performance;
Attendance;
Social competence;
Classroom climate;
Teacher effectiveness;
Family and community involvement in students' education, and;
Student exposure and connection to postsecondary options such as college, technical training, employment, and entrepreneurship.

It is also expected to result in improvements in students' standardized test scores and attendance as well as increased family involvement in students' school and home learning experiences.

While safety is a major concern, it is one of a plethora of problems that plague public education. To make Springfield schools safer and more effective in educating our youth, everyone can and must pitch in - teachers, parents, students, policy makers, law enforcement officers, business managers, faith leaders, civic leaders, youth workers, and other concerned community residents. Everyone can do something to help address the problem. And it's a problem that must be addressed.

Edition details

• Publisher: Trumpet in Zion Publishing
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0971635501
• ISBN 13: 9780971635500
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 148