That comes from Yvette Jackson, head of the National Urban Alliance, guest columnist for the Post’s Valerie Strauss.
From the column:
I wanted to cry when I read about the recent widely publicized report from the Council of Great City Schools about the underachievement of African-American males in our schools. Its findings bear repeating: African-American boys drop out at nearly twice the rate of white boys; their SAT scores are on average 104 points lower; and black men represented just 5 percent of college students in 2008. When I was the executive director of instruction and professional development for the New York City Public Schools, I grew keenly aware of the challenges schools face in educating African-American males. For many reasons, far too many boys don't get the support at home or in the community they need to thrive as adults. Instead, that job falls almost completely on their schools. And that means it comes down to their teachers.
I keep searching for that one “expert” willing to tackle the question of why black girls get the support black boys don’t (and go beyond conventional wisdom, which I think is flawed). Still looking.
On this same topic, here’s some very solid advice and practical advice from Dropout Nation about how to rescue black males.