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The Crisis
and Promise in Black Education: Talkin', Teachin', and Takin'
Care of Business
“Accountability,
Accreditation and Achieving Academic Excellence: Reconstructing
the Scholastic Levee in the Eye of the Storm”
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Under the
ongoing theme "The Crisis and Promise in Black Education:
Talkin', Teachin', and Takin' Care of Business," Rivers Run
Deep Institute (RRDI) in symmetry with the Los Angeles County of
Black School Educators (LACBSE), will host a Conference on
Education at the Los Angeles Black Business Expo and Trade Show
on Saturday,
October 29, 2005, 9 AM - 1 PM Room 306B.
This year’s conference theme,
“Accountability, Accreditation and Achieving Academic
Excellence:
Reconstructing
the Scholastic Levee in the Eye of the Storm” is a collaborative
effort with the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE),
the Western Regional Council on Educating Black Children (WRCEBC),
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) and the Black Community Education Task Force (BCETF).
"Our goal is
three-fold 1) to issue an urgent call to the African-American
community about their morally compelling responsibility to
respond collectively, immediately and effectively to the current
crisis in the academic achievement of African American students
in Los Angeles and surrounding school districts; 2) to assist
the children of Hurricane Katrina to recover and bring back a
sense of stability to their lives, and 3) to come away from the
conference with a collective of teachers, educators,
paraprofessionals, parents and students that will create the
needed processes and structures to ensure the academic success
of African-American students," said Nzinga Ratibisha Heru.
"We must
continue to provide professional development to teachers of
African-American students, sharing the best and most effective
practices that engage and expand the intellect of African
American children," explained Ms. Kifano. Kifano stated, "We
want African-American families to understand that there are
specific things that they can do with their children and
political and social activities they should participate in to
ensure that their children have a quality education. We want to
empower teachers and families with knowledge that will help our
children grow intellectually and spiritually."
In recognition
of the educational needs of our children, The RRDI and National
Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) will collaborate with
State, Federal, local governmental agencies, and private
non-profit organizations who have an educational focus to serve
students in pre-K through grade 16 (higher education). According
to National Board member Dwight Bond, “The education of
children/students and families is a priority in our country, and
an immediate effort to address this need is urgent.” He further
states, “Our children/students need to continue their education
so that they will not suffer a continued loss of educational
advancement in a county that advocates a Free and Public
Education (FAPE).”
RRDI employs
seminars and conferences to raise and answer questions African
American families have about their children's education. RRDI, a
nonprofit organization, was established "to meet the academic
and affective needs of African-American students." Ms. Heru,
RRDI executive director, also serves as international president
of the Association for the Study of Classical African
Civilizations (ASCAC). Ms. Kifano, an elementary school
teacher, is a doctoral student at Claremont Graduate University
and San Diego State University in African American Education.
For more information about RRDI and to register for the
Conference on Education, call (323) 620-1434.
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