More4Mann Weekend Update

Five Parents, One School

At this weekend's Education Summit Rita Green (President of  the Rainier Beach PTSA) taught us about how five parents can transform any school into to a thriving educational space for all students. Ms. Greene believes that parents are essential to the development and sustainability of a high quality school that enables our students to thrive. She gave us numerous golden nuggets of wisdom regarding student success and district accountability.

The school district is big and many parents find it intimidating. It is hard to know where to start, but Ms. Greene gave us five ways that five parents can begin  to hold their school accountable.

1. Ask the school to provide clear data and information regarding all aspects of education in the building. This includes asking about student grades, standardized test, the success of after-school programs, etc.

2. Respond to surveys. Your voice matters and what you think will make a difference.

3. Attend school board meeting, get on the agenda and testify about what you want to see in your school. Be diligent in your attendance and they will hear you.

4. Hold both your student and their teacher accountable.

5. Work with other parents to tell the school what you want to see happen in the school. Different people have different styles of communication. Do not be afraid to use them all!

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Rita was excited to work with Africatown Parent Engagement Action Team to develop a toolkit to distribute to parents and also to help coordinate a monthly potluck event to address issues of black students throughout the district.

Upcoming Events

More4Mann Weekly Meeting

Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 @ 6pm

We will discuss details regarding the building update, program growth and upcoming events. Come and help us continue to develop More4Mann!

Elevate to Educate: Cypher Circle

Date: Friday, October 25, 2013 @ 5pm

Location: Africatown Innovation Center

Local emcees and DJs will gather together in an intergenerational setting to share knowledge through the power of hip-hop. 

• Dr. Umar Johnson in Seattle October 25-26 @ Life Enrichment Bookstore
• Black Student  Education Forum @ South Shore School October 26th, 9am-1pm
• Black Solidarity Day - Nov. 4th
• Puget Sound Equity Summit @ Highline CC - Nov. 8th
• Black & Brown Male Summit  @ Highline CC - Nov. 16th

All City Black Student Union Gathering

Date: TBD

Location: TBD

In early November we will gather together with BSU leaders from the greater Seattle area to discuss building stronger networks that enable us to better serve our community.

Building Update

More 4 Mann representatives received a lease proposal for Columbia Annex from Seattle Public Schools on Friday, October 18, 2013. There are concerns about the quality of space including reports of mold and rodents. The district had originally offered Van Asselt as an interim location but reneged on that location.

We are currently working with the District to ensure that the space provided is one that is safe and allows us to continuing serving our community with innovative and culturally relevant programming. We are thankful for the opportunity to partner with Seattle Public Schools. We look forward to building dynamic educational institutions that empower our scholars to thrive.

Reportback on Banner Drop & Negotiations Update

Last Saturday's Banner Drop-off and community breakfast was a success, drawing a broad base of individuals from organizations including Partnership for Black Parent Empowerment, Creativity not Control,  African American Longshoreman's Coalition,  Umoja PEACE Center, The People's Institute Northwest, No New Jim Crow, Youth Speaks, Occupy/Decolonize Seattle, Food Not Bombs, 206 Zulu, Seattle Community Media Lab, NOVA parents, students and alumni and more to help hold the district accountable to a higher standard in their negotiation process with the community as well as to prevent the attempted displacement of Africatown. The Seattle Public School District has been in conversation with the More 4 Mann coalition since the summer, but has yet to propose a viable solution to the crisis of education for Black youth in Seattle and the Africatown-Central District specifically. In fact, the school district itself admitted that it has no plan to address the unique circumstances and issues of African American students.

Pegi McEvoy w/ More 4 Mann coalition members

Pegi McEvoy, assistant superintendent of Seattle Public Schools dropped through the event around 11am with a letter of intent for the Africatown coalition, and was approached with the sincere concerns of community members around the lack of consistency and transparency in the negotiation proceedings. Although the district has proposed several alternative sites in an attempt to divide and relocate the Africatown organizations that have been operating out of Horace Mann, the coalition holds firm in its commitment to stand together as one and continue culturally-competent, community-led educational programming for Black youth from this site until SPS demonstrates a genuine commitment to children of color in Seattle.

Disparate disciplinary policies as well as the persistent and growing achievement gap were back-burner issues that Seattle Public Schools had no tangible plan to address up until this summer when the More 4 Mann coalition challenged the district for it's lack of real action on the issue. This came in the wake of the federal prosecution of Silas Potter and other district administrators' misuse of public funds which led to the ousting of former SPS superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, the incompetence of current SPS general council Ron English, and a general historic pattern of corruption and chaos in SPS leadership that stretches decades back. The existence and persistence of the Africatown coalition has led to the convening of at least one task force and an advisory committee to examine the issues around educational inequality brought to the forefront by the More4Mann campaign.

As negotiations continue, More4Mann will continue to hold space in Horace Mann School until a definite long-term solution is produced in this struggle for justice. Ultimately, we know we are our own solution, and we are committed to assisting SPS in reaching their own goals of being able to serve every child in the district. Look out for more updates soon to come on the ongoing negotiations, join us at Horace Mann for our Thursday 6pm meetings, and for moment-to-moment updates on the Horace Mann site, follow @More4Mann on twitter. Photos in this post are by Purpelle Tramble @PurpleReels.

More 4 Mann Mural Project & Banner Drop Off Saturday!

Do you believe in justice and equality for all?
Do you believe in equitable education for all?
Do you want to see more effective education for all students in Seattle Public Schools?

So do we! 
Join us 9am, Saturday, October 12th, 2013 at Africatown Innovation Center at Horace Mann, 2410 E Cherry Street.

We are faced with a crisis in Seattle Public Schools! Black children and families across the district are not receiving the education and services they deserve. The opportunity gap continues to grow! Now is the time to bridge the opportunity gap.

The More4Mann Campaign seeks to partner with Seattle Public Schools to assist in advancing the achievement of black children by decreasing and ending the opportunity gap.

We are actively providing culturally relevant education for black children and families.

The More4Mann Campaign is working to maintain the AfricaTown Cultural Innovation Center in the Horace Mann School on 24th & Cherry. The Central District of Seattle is an historically black neighborhood and Horace Mann is an historical landmark.

WE NEED YOUR HELP.

We are still working with Seattle Public Schools to achieve an agreement that benefits both the district and the community. This plan will:

1) Provide accessible and comparable space to continue providing the vital programming to assist our youth until the completion of the renovation on the Horace Mann School.

2) Ensure equitable participation by African American contractors and jobs/training opportunities in any renovation/construction.

3) Honor the districts commitment to future space for Africatown and partnership in the Horace Mann School to address crisis of our students post the completion of the renovations.

4) Work with community to honor the African American cultural legacy at Horace Mann in the redesign/renovation.

5) The project will be a community-led community-based partnership that will assist the school district in achieving it’s goal of decreasing and ending the opportunity gap.

We are asking organizations in support of the Campaign to:
1) Invite your constituents to the Mural Installation this Saturday, October 12th @ 9am. Seattle Public Schools invited us to design, paint and install murals at Horace Mann to beautify the space for renovation.

2) Send a member of your organization with a banner that has your name and/or Logo OR send members of your organization to the event to create a banner. These will be hung on the building as a public display of the organizations that are in support of the More4Mann campaign.

We will provide breakfast and family friend activities.

We need:
1) Art supplies
2) Paint & Spray
3) Banners
4) Ply wood

If you have questions please email us at:
More4Mann@gmail.com