[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] as an education advocate I represent the
as an education advocate I represent the
as an education advocate I represent the Birmingham Board of Education and in
Birmingham Board of Education and in
Birmingham Board of Education and in that space we probably call ourselves
that space we probably call ourselves
that space we probably call ourselves BCS that’s short for Birmingham City
BCS that’s short for Birmingham City
BCS that’s short for Birmingham City Schools but it also means believe create
Schools but it also means believe create
Schools but it also means believe create and succeed now in that space any urban
and succeed now in that space any urban
and succeed now in that space any urban school system across this nation can be
school system across this nation can be
school system across this nation can be BCS because if we believe in our
BCS because if we believe in our
BCS because if we believe in our students if we create opportunities for
students if we create opportunities for
students if we create opportunities for our students then they won’t succeed now
our students then they won’t succeed now
our students then they won’t succeed now as a board member I’m a lay person I am
as a board member I’m a lay person I am
as a board member I’m a lay person I am NOT a professional educator but in my
NOT a professional educator but in my
NOT a professional educator but in my role is important that I support
role is important that I support
role is important that I support professional educators and there’s two
professional educators and there’s two
professional educators and there’s two things I need to embrace and supporting
things I need to embrace and supporting
things I need to embrace and supporting them that is the deep down optimism that
them that is the deep down optimism that
them that is the deep down optimism that they can be successful in engaging our
they can be successful in engaging our
they can be successful in engaging our students and the second thing is that
students and the second thing is that
students and the second thing is that there are more solutions than there are
there are more solutions than there are
there are more solutions than there are problems in educating our children now
problems in educating our children now
problems in educating our children now what we find in education is we talk
what we find in education is we talk
what we find in education is we talk about a lack of resources but I don’t
about a lack of resources but I don’t
about a lack of resources but I don’t believe those lack of resources are
believe those lack of resources are
believe those lack of resources are limited to human capital nor do I
limited to human capital nor do I
limited to human capital nor do I believe it’s limited to finances I
believe it’s limited to finances I
believe it’s limited to finances I believe it’s the real issue was limited
believe it’s the real issue was limited
believe it’s the real issue was limited to time we don’t spend enough time with
to time we don’t spend enough time with
to time we don’t spend enough time with our children many of us assume the
our children many of us assume the
our children many of us assume the educational issues related to urban
educational issues related to urban
educational issues related to urban school systems across our nation are
school systems across our nation are
school systems across our nation are only from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. but a lot of
only from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. but a lot of
only from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. but a lot of it deals with 301 p.m. to 750 9:00 a.m.
we have to embrace spending more time
we have to embrace spending more time with our children
ten years ago James Heckman said that
ten years ago James Heckman said that the disadvantages or early disadvantages
the disadvantages or early disadvantages
the disadvantages or early disadvantages left untreated will lead to educational
left untreated will lead to educational
left untreated will lead to educational difficulties in later years that as
difficulties in later years that as
difficulties in later years that as advantages accumulated disadvantages
advantages accumulated disadvantages
advantages accumulated disadvantages accumulate as well
many of us may assume that that’s
many of us may assume that that’s related only through K through fifth and
related only through K through fifth and
related only through K through fifth and if we don’t get K through fifth right we
if we don’t get K through fifth right we
if we don’t get K through fifth right we can’t get six through a frame and if we
can’t get six through a frame and if we
can’t get six through a frame and if we don’t get six through eight right we
don’t get six through eight right we
don’t get six through eight right we can’t get nine through twelve right but
can’t get nine through twelve right but
can’t get nine through twelve right but I think it goes deeper than that we have
I think it goes deeper than that we have
I think it goes deeper than that we have to look at what happens between birth
to look at what happens between birth
to look at what happens between birth and five years of age because those are
and five years of age because those are
and five years of age because those are the biggest disadvantages so imagine all
the biggest disadvantages so imagine all
the biggest disadvantages so imagine all of us in this room we’ve just finished
of us in this room we’ve just finished
of us in this room we’ve just finished dentistry school we come home we say we
dentistry school we come home we say we
dentistry school we come home we say we want to open up our own dentistry office
want to open up our own dentistry office
want to open up our own dentistry office in the neighborhood we grew up in we
in the neighborhood we grew up in we
in the neighborhood we grew up in we were the top of our class we have the
were the top of our class we have the
were the top of our class we have the top align equipment and we have the top
top align equipment and we have the top
top align equipment and we have the top of our facility we have the top of the
of our facility we have the top of the
of our facility we have the top of the lunch staff and we’re good at bringing
lunch staff and we’re good at bringing
lunch staff and we’re good at bringing smiles but for the last five years the
smiles but for the last five years the
smiles but for the last five years the people who are in proximity or dentistry
people who are in proximity or dentistry
people who are in proximity or dentistry office have not brushed our teeth they
office have not brushed our teeth they
office have not brushed our teeth they have not floss they haven’t been to a
have not floss they haven’t been to a
have not floss they haven’t been to a dentist’s office they haven’t done
dentist’s office they haven’t done
dentist’s office they haven’t done anything as it relates to their dental
anything as it relates to their dental
anything as it relates to their dental hygiene and so when they walk into our
hygiene and so when they walk into our
hygiene and so when they walk into our office after having done anything to
office after having done anything to
office after having done anything to their own dental hygiene five years
their own dental hygiene five years
their own dental hygiene five years what’s the best we can do that’s the
what’s the best we can do that’s the
what’s the best we can do that’s the frame we have for a lot of our urban
frame we have for a lot of our urban
frame we have for a lot of our urban school systems across this nation that
school systems across this nation that
school systems across this nation that the foundation is not properly set for
the foundation is not properly set for
the foundation is not properly set for our children so none of us should
our children so none of us should
our children so none of us should believe that it’s some big solution that
believe that it’s some big solution that
believe that it’s some big solution that we can’t find it’s actually easy it’s
we can’t find it’s actually easy it’s
we can’t find it’s actually easy it’s called time we have to spend more time
called time we have to spend more time
called time we have to spend more time with our children and we have to invest
with our children and we have to invest
with our children and we have to invest early so imagine
across all the urban areas of this
across all the urban areas of this nation we embraced early childhood
nation we embraced early childhood
nation we embraced early childhood learning centers but we say we want to
learning centers but we say we want to
learning centers but we say we want to engage the prenatal stage we want to
engage the prenatal stage we want to
engage the prenatal stage we want to engage fathers and mothers after their
engage fathers and mothers after their
engage fathers and mothers after their child is born we want to engage families
child is born we want to engage families
child is born we want to engage families prior to their children entering our
prior to their children entering our
prior to their children entering our school systems that the concept of words
school systems that the concept of words
school systems that the concept of words and the concept of numbers is a village
and the concept of numbers is a village
and the concept of numbers is a village project and if we’re going to close
project and if we’re going to close
project and if we’re going to close those disadvantages because we can’t
those disadvantages because we can’t
those disadvantages because we can’t afford for them to continue to
afford for them to continue to
afford for them to continue to accumulate all of our children could
accumulate all of our children could
accumulate all of our children could enter our school systems at grade level
but it’s important to continue on this
but it’s important to continue on this notion of investing and spending time
notion of investing and spending time
notion of investing and spending time more time with our children
180 days in school is not enough it’s
180 days in school is not enough it’s right at six months a half a year that
right at six months a half a year that
right at six months a half a year that doesn’t necessarily work for us as
doesn’t necessarily work for us as
doesn’t necessarily work for us as adults right
adults right
adults right none of us has adults on any of our
none of us has adults on any of our
none of us has adults on any of our professions as a doctor as a lawyer as
professions as a doctor as a lawyer as
professions as a doctor as a lawyer as an accountant and many other
an accountant and many other
an accountant and many other professionals will just take ten weeks
professionals will just take ten weeks
professionals will just take ten weeks off in the summer and then expect to
off in the summer and then expect to
off in the summer and then expect to come right back to work and jump right
come right back to work and jump right
come right back to work and jump right in to where we were or in the case of
in to where we were or in the case of
in to where we were or in the case of schools and a higher grade level so why
schools and a higher grade level so why
schools and a higher grade level so why do we have that expectation for our
do we have that expectation for our
do we have that expectation for our children we have to invest more time
children we have to invest more time
children we have to invest more time with our children and then as we go up
with our children and then as we go up
with our children and then as we go up into high school it’s not necessarily
into high school it’s not necessarily
into high school it’s not necessarily less time is how time is being spent
imagine if we will that education is not
imagine if we will that education is not necessarily limited in high school to
necessarily limited in high school to
necessarily limited in high school to math reading social studies science in
math reading social studies science in
math reading social studies science in English but we want to empower our
English but we want to empower our
English but we want to empower our juniors and seniors to leave high school
juniors and seniors to leave high school
juniors and seniors to leave high school early every day some of us have already
early every day some of us have already
early every day some of us have already know of this and when they actually walk
know of this and when they actually walk
know of this and when they actually walk across the high school stage to get
across the high school stage to get
across the high school stage to get their high school diploma in addition to
their high school diploma in addition to
their high school diploma in addition to put in a diploma in their right hand
put in a diploma in their right hand
put in a diploma in their right hand let’s put workforce certification in
let’s put workforce certification in
let’s put workforce certification in their left hand so they can exercise
their left hand so they can exercise
their left hand so they can exercise options if they choose not to go to
options if they choose not to go to
options if they choose not to go to college or they choose not to go into
college or they choose not to go into
college or they choose not to go into the military they can go into the
the military they can go into the
the military they can go into the workforce
there are more solutions than there are
there are more solutions than there are problems for our urban school systems
problems for our urban school systems
problems for our urban school systems across this nation but we have to pivot
across this nation but we have to pivot
across this nation but we have to pivot as adults from an adult driven culture
as adults from an adult driven culture
as adults from an adult driven culture continuing to do what only works for us
continuing to do what only works for us
continuing to do what only works for us and not works for our children that
and not works for our children that
and not works for our children that means being bold and that means
means being bold and that means
means being bold and that means embracing change and that change starts
embracing change and that change starts
embracing change and that change starts with investing more time thank you
with investing more time thank you
with investing more time thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
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