Modesto City School District rejects community group’s 10-point plan

After months of board meetings packed with supporters of an African American advocacy program and an impassioned plea from the leader of the district’s African American committee, Modesto City Schools trustees flatly rejected the program proposal.

The vote Tuesday was unanimous to deny the $99,835, 10-point plan of Advocates for Justice, a community group of African American professionals and supporters. Board President Steve Grenbeaux called the proposal “flawed.” Others said the district already addressed seven of the 10 proposals, though not all seven are yet in place or focus on black students specifically.

The proposal submitted was to provide mentoring services, field trips and family involvement for up to 50 black students. It would have paid for staff to coordinate activities and train mentors, as well as an advocate for families of suspended students who would report directly to the school board.

“There needs to be somebody these parents can speak to,” parent Gena Bowman told the board. “Because the school district is not telling you your rights and your procedures that you need to do.”

Having the board work directly with the group, though, was a problem, said board member Amy Neumann.

“I think there are some really good things in the proposal,” she said, but added she could foresee time delays and privacy issues for the public board. “The law kind of straps our hands on parts of this,” Neumann said.

Following the vote, Advocates for Justice co-founder Jacq Wilson declined to comment, saying he was too emotional and too exhausted.

But Frank Johnson, president of the Stanislaus NAACP chapter, said he was fed up and would take the district’s treatment of African American children to federal authorities. “They’ve opened a Pandora’s box,” he said.

The district is already under state sanctions for too-high discipline rates for black students with disabilities, based on past years’ numbers. This year’s numbers, however, show African American students overall continue to be suspended at more than three times the district average.

There are other disturbing disparities as well. African American graduation rates, while rising, remain 12 percentage points below white graduation rates across Modesto’s high schools. Across the district, black students are more likely to end up at Elliott continuation high school, less likely to join gifted classes or take Advanced Placement courses.

“Even though the graduation rates are improving, one area the district needs help in is with its African American community,” Wilson said in discussion before the vote. “Because when we look at the achievement gap and the discipline gap, that’s where we are missing the mark.”

“I’m going to step out on a limb here and share my heart,” said Darius Crosby, president of the Modesto City Schools Dr. Parker Committee, formed in 2002 to raise graduation rates of black students. “Give Advocates for Justice a chance,” he urged the board.

“There’s this tendency to try to clump everybody together,” said the group’s Wendy Byrd, who is African American. “Black people, black experiences are different. As long as you ignore the cultural relevancy that black families need, you will never make the mark.”

Advocates for Justice offers children role models, including more than two dozen black professionals providing a different view of what is possible for African American kids, said attorney Tahnjah Poe. “We have mentors that every color needs to see,” she said.

“We want to leave a legacy so each of these young people can follow us and do something great,” said volunteer coach and retired educator Rickey McGill.

Board member Chad Brown offered an olive branch.

“I would like to separate Advocates for Justice from the 10-point plan. We need to work together. I am grateful for all the passion and heart and the support for our students in this group,” said Brown, whose February appointment was opposed by community advocates seeking to add diversity to the board.

“I want to see (the board decision) as an opening rather than a closure,” Brown said.

Measures to address the problems were also discussed Tuesday night as part of a public hearing on budget priorities and a draft budget. Plans proposed include ramping up recruitment to have a more diverse staff and to add funding for more field trips and college-planning help for all students.

The district also has plans to create an African American task force to analyze why district numbers remain so lopsided.

“We envision this task force is to bring a group of people together to really look at our data of African American students,” said Ginger Johnson, associate superintendent of educational services.

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Modesto City School District rejects community group’s 10-point plan."