List the roles of each of the stakeholders charged with educating African American children.

When African American Children cry out for help by failing academically or acting out, who is responsible for them falling through the cracks? If you ask teachers, the parents are to blame. If you ask the parents, teachers are to blame. If you ask administrators, the fault lies with the lack of parental involvement and quality teachers. If you ask the community, schools are to blame. The truth is that it is everyone’s job to effectively guide African American students through their formative years to adulthood. Now ask yourself, which groups should be held accountable? Here is my list:

The Role of Parents

Parental involvement is actually the best predictor of a student’s educational achievement. Parent involvement demonstrates to the student the importance of school, resulting in improved student attitudes, morals, and academic achievement. Parents’ active interest also results in increased attendance, lower dropout rates, fewer discipline problems, and higher aspirations in life. In contrast, children of parents who are not involved in their lives are more likely to struggle academically and experience behavior problems

The Role of Schools

While African American students’ motivation must be cultivated at home, one of the most effective steps toward academic improvement is a positive school environment. Schools can increase student motivation by implementing policies that promote the following:
• Goal setting and self-regulation
• Student choices
• Student achievements
• Teamwork and cooperative learning
• Self-assessment models rather than social comparisons.
The Role of Teachers
Teachers are important to the success of all students. African American children often view teachers as mentors and role models in their lives. Through their actions, teachers send messages to children about whether they are accepted and competent enough to accomplish tasks given and about whether they are true members of the learning community.

The Role of Administrators

Effective school administrators should emphasize the acquisition of basic skills and are actively involved in the development of multicultural curricula that foster cross-cultural understanding. In order to be effective they must support staff by listening to suggestions and being empathetic to their complaints, and they must effective in maintaining discipline and order in the school building.

The Role of the Community

Like the family, the community plays a key role in the development of self-identity. African American communities are frequently viewed negatively by those who live in them and by outsiders who are ignorant of what happens there, but they may house a wealth of resources that African American students can access. In fact, all individuals should take advantage of the many learning opportunities that are available within their communities (i.e., libraries, museums, schools, jobs and entrepreneurial offers).

Role Models

African American role models and mentors can be instrumental in providing consistent help and encouragement to African American children who do not otherwise receive such support. The flight of middle-class African Americans from inner-city neighborhoods and the incidence of high unemployment among those who remain have resulted in a lack of appropriate mainstream role models in inner-city homes, communities, and media.

Interventions designed to modify and prevent behavioral problems and academic failure would be more successful if individuals, especially males, committed to consistently giving children encouragement and help. Mentors and role models don’t have to speak perfect English, have prestigious jobs, or be successful as traditionally defined. They don’t even have to be African American. The most important thing is that these people are respected in their communities and are committed to helping at-risk children reach their full potential.