CROSSROADS NEWS — Parents, grandparents and anyone raising school-age children, as well as property owners in DeKalb and across Georgia, can find out about the new national education law – Every Student Succeed Act, or ESSA – at a Black Parents’ Town Hall Meeting on Educational Excellence on Oct. 23 at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
The law, which will impact how children are educated, takes effect in 2018, but while Georgia completed its 112-page State Plan on Sept. 18, there has been little conversation in our communities about the plan.
The town hall panel of experts includes Georgia PTA President Tyler L. Barr; Patrice Barlow of the Atlanta NAACP Education Committee and an Urban League of Greater Atlanta education advocate; Deborah Gay, Georgia Department of Education deputy superintendent for Federal Programs and Special Education; and Dr. Knox Phillips, DeKalb School District’s executive director of Research, Assessment, and Grants.
It takes place 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and is hosted by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, “The Black Press,” as part of a national public awareness campaign to heighten awareness among African-American stakeholders about opportunities presented by ESSA, which President Barack Obama signed into law to replace the No Child Left Behind law.
Parents and other stakeholders will get to ask questions and get clarification about how they can best advocate for their children under the new law.
Dr. Elizabeth Primas, NNPA’s ESSA program manager, said that education has been a bridge leading to upward mobility for African-Americans in the United States even before emancipation.
“Now, more than ever, it is important that we ensure our voices are heard to ensure the academic success of our children,” she said. “ESSA prioritizes high quality education, equity, and closure of the achievement gap. By raising awareness of ESSA, we are seeking to empower stakeholders to advocate for such policies.”
The meeting is hosted by Atlanta’s black-owned newspaper publishers, including CrossRoadsNews.
Jennifer Parker, CrossRoadsNews editor and publisher, said the town hall meeting is a great opportunity for parents and stakeholders, including homeowners, to find out about the law and what is coming.
She said that even homeowners who don’t have children in the school district should attend, because the quality of our schools directly affects our property values and they too can be advocates for quality education.
“People buy homes in counties with quality schools, so this affects all of us,” Parker said. “And parents with kids in school need to know how to navigate the law to get the best resources for their kids education.”
Dr. Benjamin Chavis, NNPA’s executive director, said NNPA is asking church leaders across Atlanta to announce the meeting at services and send emails to their congregation.
“Moral leadership in education is paramount,” said Chavis, a former NAACP executive director and civil rights leader who at age 24 was sentenced to 34 years on arson charges with the Wilmington Ten.
Chavis and the other nine members walked to their freedom in 1980 after the federal appeals court overturned the convictions. They were pardoned by N.C. Gov. Beverly Perdue on Dec. 31, 2012.
The Black Parent Town Hall Meeting takes place in Ebenezer Baptist Church’s Martin Luther King Sr. Community Resources Complex at 101 Jackson St. N.E.
Free parking is available behind the Community Resources Complex; across the street from Ebenezer’s sanctuary; and in the National Martin Luther King Center’s parking lot off Irwin Street.
For more information, call Jennifer Parker at 404-284-1888.