116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Home / Opinion / Letters to the Editor
Black families are leaving public school system
Gary Ellis
Jul. 22, 2024 5:00 am
The National Home Education Research Institute reports the following shocking statistics:
- In 1998 Black children made up 1% of homeschoolers
- That rose to 1.9% by 2010
- In 2020 the number rocketed to 16.9%
Black families report these reasons for homeschooling their children:
47% provide religious or moral instruction
38% accomplish more academically
35% transmit values, beliefs and worldview
28% customize or individualize the education of each child
A little internet research reveals more shocking information regarding schools in predominantly Black neighborhoods.
- 40% of Baltimore high schools did not have one student proficient in math using state exam reporting
- In 2023, 67 schools (predominantly in Chicago) not a single student tested proficient in math and 32 schools had no students proficient in reading.
No doubt Covid has something to do with the results, but it's clear public school systems are not performing at a high level. Instead of focusing on basic academic performance the public is confronted with loud cries for indoctrination in progressive gender ideology and racist Critical Race Theory. This is a crisis where public schools need to buckle down and focus on both academic performance and recovering lost education for our youth. Reading, writing, math, science history and reasoning.
Cedar Rapids needs to have a clear debate on where education dollars are going and ensure that academic performance is the number one priority. Right behind that is civil behavior and security. That is the best career formula.
Gary Ellis
Cedar Rapids
Opinion content represents the viewpoint of the author or The Gazette editorial board. You can join the conversation by submitting a letter to the editor or guest column or by suggesting a topic for an editorial to editorial@thegazette.com