Van Hook clarifies 'neo slavery' phrase
One phrase essentially set off a powder keg of discussion at last Tuesday’s Baltimore City school board meeting.
Board member George Van Hook Jr. used the word “neo slavery” in describing the process of closing schools in the city. School CEO Andrés Alonso immediately expressed opposition to the phrase and launched into a speech about the school system’s history of failing to properly educate its students.
A day after the meeting, Van Hook clarified what he meant by using the phrase.
“I am not saying that the Baltimore school system or the school board is promoting slavery,” he said. “What I was referring to was the de facto denial of the opportunity for people to participate fully in the people’s ability to determine the destiny and the outcome and the teaching model for their children. I look at this as being a type of control or self determination. It is subjugating and oppressing people by denying their right to self determination.”
Van Hook said he took issue with the communication process associated with a plan to close a number of low-performing schools. Parents were “confused, stymied, and flustered” by the communication process involved in the recent school closings, according to Van Hook.
“[The process] was something that was hurtful and insulting to a community that thought that they would have more of a voice in the outcome,” Van Hook said. “We did nothing illegal. It is the right of the school board or the school system. [But] I believe we did not go as far as we should have gone in defending broad-based education.”
The board voted unanimously to close the following schools at the end of the academic year: Diggs-Johnson, West Baltimore and Winston middle schools and Doris Johnson High. It also voted to shut Chinquapin Middle, with Hook casting the only vote against its closure. At the same meeting, the board also unanimously approved an arts theme for Booker T. Washington Middle. And the board voted to revoke the charter status of Dr. Rayner Browne Academy, which became the first school in the city not to be issued a charter contract renewal.
“My comments again were really intended to talk about the visceral reaction to a process that really limited or blocked the full participation of a community that wanted to be engaged and had a right to be part of the decision making process,” Van Hook said.
“When I believe that people are hurt and they have been oppressed I speak out about it. That is my responsibility as a school leader,” Van Hook said. “Hopefully we will become better. Next time I hope we will sit at the table early and work with the stakeholders.”
Alonso declined to comment about the term “neo slavery” when I spoke with him Thursday. He referred me back to his transcribed comments from the meeting.
During the meeting, Alonso said he was very disturbed by the phrase "neo slavery."
Alonso added: “Neo slavery is for decades having a school system where half the kids don’t graduate from high school. Neo-slavery is having schools that year after year, after year fail kids; where 70-80% of kids are at basic in state tests that they are condemned for life in some way.
"Neo slavery is walking in a school system two years ago, as I did, and find that less than 20% of the eighth-graders are proficient and above in the MSA. So the recommendation is about what I believe is going to get kids moving as fast as possible.
"And if it takes to be CEO of this school system to get agreement then I am the wrong CEO for this school system. Because (I am willing to entertain it)…because the reality is that the only thing that matters… the only thing that matters is outcomes for kids. And my recommendation is based on finding the best option I believe for the school. Now, if the community truly means what it is saying about what is best for kids in the school, then it is going to do whatever it needs to do to make whatever option that emerges from today’s conversation successful. Because quite frankly, it hasn’t been successful in the past or we would not be at a point where… nobody wants to close a school because it is the hardest thing to do. It is so much easier to just coast, so much easier to coast rather than to have these conversations.
"But 'neo slavery' is what we’ve had here for a long time. What we are proposing….what we are proposing is a school that I believe is the quickest way to get us to where we need to go with our kids. And, it is the responsibility of the community to embrace no matter whatever the decision is, and that’s the recommendation.
"And what I need from the Board, and I have requested this guidance several times, is that if the Board is telling me that next year before I go to the Board with a recommendation that everybody has to be happy then you know we will figure out a way to make it work. But if, what we want from this school system is to move as quickly as possible to move student outcomes, then it cannot be simply a democratic process, there is going to have to be decisions where people are not going to be happy and recommendations will have to be made. … Ultimately, it is the Board’s decision.
"But I think that what we need is to be as respectful of ourselves in the process as we are asking us to be of community. The use of that term is highly objectionable to me. There is a difference in that term and simply making a decision on the basis of what one thinks is good for a group of kids, and then holding the direction and responding to the criticism from the community.
"The movement towards keeping the seventh-graders in the school was a difficult decision, and it was all about listening to the community’s concern about if this was a good school then why wouldn’t it be open to the kids that were already there. So I don’t want to engage in a debate but I have to respond to that term… it is not a term that is acceptable to me.”
What do you think about Van Hook's use of the phrase "neo slavery"? And what do you think about Alonso's response at the meeting?
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Comments
I think we need more money for social studies teaching in the city because these comments show a lack of historical perspective. I think that the Trail of Tears is a better metaphor for what Van Hook describes. And I think Apartheid or Jim Crow is more analogous to the system Alonso describes than slavery. Finally, I don't think you can change the meaning of a historical concept or event by adding the term 'neo' to it. Jeeze guys, get your American History right.
(I'm partly joking, partly serious.)
Posted by: Nadine Von Canstricus | March 16, 2010 1:23 PM
@ Van Hook clarifies 'neo slavery' phrase
The City Schools board members are actually in away victims of school operations officers and staff fabrication tactics. “Yes it’s the reality” The board is not capable of pealing back the layers to expose below the polished clean influence and the dark layers of central office school staffs full year running Expanding Great Options (EGO) head start on the Baltimore public citizens and the local district schools students parents to plan its disingenuous tactics used during this EGO school closing recommendation process. George Van Hook said, “He took real issue with the obvious lack of a viable-two-way- communication process associated with the CEO of City Schools recommendation plans to close a number of low-performing schools. Parents were confused, stymied, and flustered by the non-communication process involved in the second year phase of school closings, according to Van Hook.” Watch for more closings coming next school year in your community area.
City Schools CEO, chief of staff, and central office operations staff do not follow the established state COMAR school closing regulation process procedures. Displaying City Schools operations bogus information power point presentations and in using unchallenged uncertified academic assessment data, using performance measurement statistics, which by way is design over whelm the local city council, state senate and delegates persons, including the 9 volunteer school board members is the aim. The City Schools operations hired staff will win the CEO school closure recommendation process every time. The deck is always stacked against the Baltimore citizens in this type of situation with no allowed reasonable time frames and wherewithal for the public to push back against with ideas and established plan development amid being given less than 90 days to take on the CEO City Schools closure recommendation process.
"Parents in the City better soon wake up and see what George Van Hook sees from the inside that other school board commissioners are scared to publicly orally admit.
Posted by: Interested & Engaged Parent of City Schools | March 16, 2010 1:54 PM
Van Hook handed over the keys to the big house when he signed off on the board's prerogative to oppose Alonso in his contract.
Posted by: Is there a worm in this apple? | March 16, 2010 10:05 PM
@ Alonso
Van Hook shouldn't have said neo-slavery, but he is brighter than Alonso. It's interesting that Alonso condemns the term and then uses it ad nauseum. It's also remarkable how little sense, clause for clause, Alonso makes when he talks. It's Sarah Palin with the accent of Edgar Martinez.
Posted by: a teacher | March 16, 2010 11:20 PM
"Slavery’s Last Chapter " by Wall Street Journal Atlanta bureau chief Douglas A. Blackmon
Excerpt:
Neoslavery is a term to describe a whole range of ways in which all across the Southern United States in the late 19th century and deep into the 20th century millions of African-Americans found themselves in a form of de facto slavery and involuntary servitude. One part of neoslavery, "convict leasing," was the sentencing of prisoners to hard labor or to fine them outrageously, and [then] they were leased out to commercial interests such as farms, coal mines, turpentine production plants, lumber and railroad camps.
Schools are being "leased" out to commerical interest and the students are cash cows for the enterprise.
Posted by: OverTheTop | March 17, 2010 12:05 PM
@OverTheTop
To which commercial interests are you referring?
Posted by: Simon | March 17, 2010 2:45 PM
@Simon - the agencies that are being brought in to run some of these some may be deemed non-profit but that does not mean that they are not income producers. What we are seeing is educational franchises that run schools all over the country but making their money in urban areas. KIPP, for all its good is becoming the Burger King of schools, one in every city. The agency that was asked to run one of the closing middle schools also has locations in other states.
Posted by: OverTheTop | March 19, 2010 2:29 AM
Why is it that in Baltimore County the kids can read? Could it be because in Baltimore county THE PARENTS are invloved in thier kids lives and actually sit down and MAKE the kids do thier homework? Could it be because when a notice of bad behavior is sent home, the parents DO NOT run to the school and ask "Why are you picking on my kid?" Instead, they PUNISH THE KID!! Don't even try to say it doesn't happen, we all know that is exactly what happens the majority of the time.
Posted by: Pirate1001 | March 19, 2010 8:13 AM
Mr. VanHook: See also, Godwin's law.
Using inflammatory talk to make a point during a discussion is a well worn technique. It does little to further the discussion. I appreciate his explanation, but it's hard to unring a bell. I agree with AAA on this one - how long do we accept the poor conditions and allow our kids (yes, I work in a City School and send my kids to a City School) to be set up for failure year after year? When do we say enough is enough? As a Board member he (and the rest) have a special responsibility to ensure that the failure is put in check. Where has he been for the last few years?
Check this out:
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/racialguidelines.php
Maybe the Board should read and agree on some basic rules.
Posted by: Interesting Observations | March 21, 2010 10:08 AM