Kids’ Lives Matter

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the New York Amsterdam News. We continue to publish a variety of viewpoints so that we may know the opinions of others that may differ from our own.

Armstrong Williams

In 1997, Albert Shanker, then-president of the American Federation of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said, “When school children start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of children.”

In today’s world, a somber reality has emerged: That shocking and self-centered quote by the head of the AFT now appears to have taken root within his organization’s progeny. A glaring illustration of this can be found in the Baltimore City Public School District, a focal point of extensive scrutiny and a years-long investigation that revealed some of the most disconcerting, shocking data ever revealed about a public school system in America.

Just imagine the heartbreak of discovering that your child’s test scores in mathematics were not at a proficient level. This would undoubtedly be a devastating blow for any parent. However, what if you learned that your child was not the only one struggling in the classroom?

In fact, it was discovered that every single student in the school was not proficient in math.

But now imagine even that an entire school system could not say it was exceptional in that regard, as an additional 22 schools within the Baltimore City school district also reported zero students with math proficiency.

This staggering statistic is hard to fathom, but it is an indisputable fact. Even more concerning is that a further 20 schools in the Baltimore City public school district had only one or two students who were proficient in math, while the remainder fell short of this benchmark.

The catastrophic result of greed and a lack of appreciation for the crucial significance of education has now materialized, brought about by the reprehensible actions of union leaders who manipulate and disrespect our young students, treating their noble profession as just another job and prioritizing their own interests over the future of our nation.