How Marcus Garvey Academy rises above
Family-oriented atmosphere contributes to its success
BY
CHASTITY PRATT DAWSEY
FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER
At Marcus Garvey Academy in Detroit, the week begins with
the recitation of black history facts followed by the sounds
of drummers summoning students to an assembly.
Students sing the black national anthem and recite the school
creed, which starts, "I will have faith in myself. ...
I can learn! I will learn! I must learn!" This is before
any reading, writing and arithmetic.
Garvey
is an African-centered educational environment, and in 2008,
its students outperformed the state average in most categories
on the MEAP. Three other African-centered schools in Detroit
serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade fared
better than the Detroit Public Schools average.
Staff,
parents and students at Garvey credit the school's Afrocentric
curriculum for setting high expectations and instilling the
self-confidence that students need to excel.
Proponents
of Afrocentric schools maintain that these schools represent
a solution to achievement and discipline problems in urban
districts like Detroit Public Schools. African-centered schools
outperform others because of their family-oriented environment,
said Haki Madhubuti, a nationally renowned educator.
"It
is critical that you love yourself. ... If you have humanity,
you don't go out and shoot people," he said.
Afrocentric schools focus on pride
Students
at Garvey must walk on a stripe called the green line to success,
painted on hallway floors. They must stand and say, "Jambo,"
a greeting in kiswahili, to any adult upon the elder's first
visit to their class.
And
every subject and bulletin board includes mention of African
or African-American history or culture.
Principal
James Hearn maintains that the character development, high
expectations and discipline embedded in the African-centered
curriculum and culture at Garvey can transform other Detroit
public schools.
"When
you show them you're not playing, they conform," Hearn
said of students.
Open
to anyone in the Detroit Public Schools district, Garvey has
surpassed DPS and state scores on the MEAP in many areas,
despite moving and merging three times in the last eight years
and high poverty rates among students. More than 86% are economically
disadvantaged.
Educational villages
Garvey
is among five African-centered schools in the district that
serve students in kindergarten through eighth grades. All
are named for African Americans; the others are Catherine
C. Blackwell, Malcolm X, Paul Robeson and Erma Henderson.
Garvey opened in 1991 after research showed the benefits of
an Afrocentric educational program.
All
of the schools except Henderson met annual yearly progress
standards last year, and the Skillman Foundation has recognized
Garvey, Malcolm X and Blackwell in its Good Schools campaign
that awards well-performing schools with grants of up to $100,000.
At the same time, 31% -- or 51 of 163 eligible DPS buildings
-- met annual yearly progress standards last year.
As
DPS faces crippling enrollment declines and the nation's worst
test scores and graduation rates, proponents of African-centered
schools maintain that these schools represent a solution to
DPS's achievement problems. The goal of Afrocentric education
is to infuse pride and self-determination in the students
-- nearly all of whom are African American, Hearn said.
The
schools use the Nguzo Saba -- the seven principles of Kwanzaa,
a celebration of heritage and culture -- and an Egyptian values
system, while also incorporating African and African-American
history into daily lessons. There also are rites of passage
programs that include manhood and womanhood training.
Haki
Madhubuti, a nationally renowned author and educator who helped
train teachers when African-centered schools were being established
in DPS 20 years ago, co-founded four Afrocentric schools in
Chicago. He said the schools work because they are set up
to be an extended family and though secular, they operate
similar to parochial and Jewish-centered private schools.
"We
demonstrate that it is critical that you love yourself,"
he said. "Most certainly, we're not anti-white. We're
not anti-anybody. We're just pro-black people, pro-progressive
people. Some of our teachers are white."
Freda
Dawson, principal at Malcolm X, agreed that the family structure
within the school is paramount. At Malcolm X, students call
the teachers "Mama," meaning mother in kiswahili,
or "Baba" meaning father. Parents sign a covenant,
promising to do three hours of service a month for the school
or in the school; if they fail, the staff can ask their child
to leave the school.
"The
combined efforts of parents, community and staff is definitely
a plus for making our kids successful," Dawson said,
adding that most parents abide by the covenant.
Schools models for others?
Experts
who have studied DPS's educational plans have noted the success.
A
2005 governor's Transition Team report recommended expanding
the use of African-centered education in DPS. And a 2008 Council
of the Great City Schools report on DPS said "the district
has an African-centered program that can be interwoven into
all content areas."
And
now, DPS's newly appointed central administration is reviewing
the schools' curriculum -- amid requests for expansion to
include a high school -- to determine whether it should be
expanded, and whether it is the staff or curriculum or culture
that makes the schools succeed.
Last
summer, when 29 Detroit public schools closed, Garvey moved
to the former Butzel Middle School building and ballooned
from 265 students to more than 700, with 30 to 35 children
in a class. The school's challenges also grew -- there are
now enough special-education students to fill nine classrooms.
In addition, kids from warring gang territories merged into
the school and now sit side by side.
"The
first few months, we were ... constantly breaking up fights,"
said school social worker Ifetayo Chaffin.
|