PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL 33310
PERMIT NO. 1179
NEW COMIC ON PAGE 2 VOL. 47 NO. 27 50¢
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2018
Preparing Our Children with Autism, ADHD, And Other “Special Abilities” to Transition into Middle School
10 Tips to Help Your Child Head Back to School
District Statement Regarding Court Ruling to Release the Collaborate Educational Network’s Report regarding Nikolas Cruz
PAGE 3
PAGE 11
Read full release online at THEWESTSIDEGAZETTE.COM
Feeling the pain
A M E S S A GE F ROM OU R PU BL IS H E R
We Must Reform Obama’s
School Discipline
and moved to do something about it
Policies for the Safety of Our Children By Kay Coles James
By Nichole Richards Parkland continues to draw national attention as parents of two slain Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students vie for the School Board of Broward County’s District 4 seat, occupied by Abby Freedman since 2012. Lori Alhadeff and Ryan Petty, parents of 14-yearold daughters, Alyssa Alhadeff and Alaina Petty respectfully, are running on platforms focusing on school safety, accountability, and transparency. Motivated
by the tragic loss of their daughters, who were among the 17 students and staff killed in the mass shooting on Valentine’s Day, both candidates hope to shield other parents from future tragedies by allocating resources to ensure schools remain safe spaces. Unfortunately, it seems only wealthy, predominately white Parkland may benefit. “There is a focus on Parkland and safety, but we have over 40 other schools in our district without the resources Parkland has.” (Cont’d on page 11)
I’m sure President Obama’s heart was in the right place. A few years ago, his Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, studied school discipline data and came to a troubling conclusion: African American students in the 2011-12 school year had been suspended or expelled at a rate three times higher than White students. This news sent shock waves throughout the community and government. Here were already concerns of a “school-to-prison pipeline” that funneled disadvantaged children to jail. Now, there was renewed agreement that things had to change. And so, in 2014, the Departments of Education and Justice put public schools on notice. If they suspended or expelled students of any racial group more than any other, they could face a federal investigation. In place of discipline to punish bad behavior, they were urged to use positive reinforcement instead. As the grandmother of five school-age kids, I watched this closely. And as one of the Black students who integrated an all-
“The link between suburban school shootings and gun violence on the streets” Fred Smoot
Education issues debated at town hall forum
By Dorany Pineda Contributing Writer
CENTURY CITY — An over-reliance on technology, the one-size-fits-all mentality of education, and a lack of parent engagement and curriculum diversity are among the key education issues minorities face, said panelists June 26 via a Los Angeles satellite viewing of an education convention. Angelenos participated by Skype in the second annual (Cont’d on page 7)
White Richmond, Va., school in 1961, I was hopeful. I hoped this policy would lead to safer schools. I prayed it would help students get a better education. And I felt confident it would open the door to a brighter future for our kids. But like so many other parents and grandparents, I was wrong. The federal government’s warning had an immediate impact. Schools across America quickly changed their discipline policies and reduced their suspension and expulsion rates. In doing so, they avoided the investigation threatened by the President. But at the same time, they put our children at risk. Today, kids who bully and assault their classmates too often do so without fear of punishment. They know teachers have lost control. And they realize they can get away with behavior that never used to be tolerated. As a result, when this summer is over, many students will once again face the fear of going back to school. That’s a tragedy! Schools should be joyous places where learning takes place. That’s what my (Cont’d on page 4)
History-Making Nuclear Scientist, FAMU Grad Mareena Robinson Snowden Delivered Summer Commencement Speech
By Brandon Desent MSD Though I now live in Parkland and attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas, this past Valentine’s Day was not the first time that I was exposed to gun violence. I grew up in the city of Lauderhill where gun homicide rates often fluctuate. There I heard my first gunshots when a police officer was shot right outside of my neighborhood. When thinking back to those events, and relating them back to what happened at my school, I came to a few conclusions: We grow to be very angry during our years of youth. Whether that’s a result of racism, bullying, parental neglect, stress relating to
academics, peer neglect, jealousy, conflicted sexual identity, depression, being poor in a consumerist society or the inherent ignorance of the world around us, each generation has faced its own set of challenges that revolve around similar matters. But what’s so different about mine? How big is the generational gap between my generation and my
Read full article online at THEWESTSIDEGAZETTE.COM
This past year, Florida A&M University alumna Mareena Robinson Snowden, Ph.D., made national headlines after she became the first African-American woman to receive a doctorate in nuclear science and engineering from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). On August 3, Robinson Snowden returned to the “Hill” to share her history-making journey with approximately 400 graduates during the University’s summer commencement exercise, which will take place at 6 p.m., at the Alfred L. Lawson Jr., Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium, located at 1800 Wahnish Way. Her doctoral research at MIT focused on the detection (Cont’d on page 2)
The Ripple Effect
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:40 (NKJV) By Bobby R. Henry, Sr. It seems like election time always brings out the worst in people or so it seems. To give the benefit of the doubt, perhaps it has much to do with taking a personal inventory and a self-perspective on what have we done to make other people, the less fortunate, lives better. Have we done all that we could to help improve situations where we could? I know that the Word says, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” The Message explains it this way: “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road(Cont’d on page 4)
92°
Thursday Aug 9th
T-Storms
Sunrise: 6:50am
Sunset: 8:01pm
Fri
Sat
Sun
Mon
Tues
92° 76°
89° 78°
89° 78°
90° 79°
90° 78°