One student was in a language arts class. Another was in a history class. Another was in special areas. Each in turn was called out by their teacher and told to go to the cafeteria Friday at Bunnell Elementary for a presentation about raising their test grades. Nothing unusual about that: schools organize all sorts of assemblies to guide and encourage students to do better.
But not like this. Never like this. What these students had in common was one thing, and it wasn’t even low test scores. It was their skin color. They were all Black students. Only Black students.
They were summoned in two separate assemblies at Bunnell Elementary, one for fourth graders, one for fifth graders, interrupting their classes. They were told that if they clowned around, if didn’t perform well, they could miss out on college. They could end up shot or dead.
They were shown a five-slide PowerPoint that told them that “AA have underperform (sic.) on standardized assessment (sic.) for the last past (sic.) 3 years.” AA are African Americans.
Astonishingly, with three errors in a single line, whoever wrote the PowerPoint would fail a basic English test: the problem at the school appears to start with its faculty, not its students.
Students were told that “We only have 32% of our students who are at a Level 3 or higher for ELA/Math.”(ELA is English Language Arts.) “We are supposed to have at least 41%.” The presentation’s “Solution” then commands the students to meet certain benchmarks.
Some of the better-performing students were paraded on stage as examples of what the others should aspire to. Before they were sent back to class, they were all paired off in a bracketed competition, two by two. They were given no choice about “competing against their opponent in both ELA and Math” (a poorly conceived competition that seems to perpetuate the message the presentation was ostensibly trying to address–that even at school, there are winners and losers). Eventual rewards were dangled before them: McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A.
Their parents were never told. Not ahead of time, not afterward, either. Some of the parents found out by reading about it on social media, then asking their children about it.
“It’s kind of really upsetting to me,” Danielle, one of the children’s parents–who asked to be identified only by her first name–said today in an interview. “It’s hurtful. And I don’t think that a lot of people are aware of it. I feel like they should be made aware of it because this can’t happen again. It doesn’t matter which group. You could’ve taken all Hispanics, or just all the whites or Asians. You just don’t separate the kids. You know, it’s it’s outrageous to me.”
Three Bunnell Elementary parents interviewed about Friday’s assemblies say they were stunned, outraged and disappointed by the assemblies, and were left bewildered how a school in this day and age could single out students exclusively because of their color, regardless of the rationale behind the assemblies.
There appears to be no malice or ill intentions so much as clumsiness and sloppiness behind the assemblies, which were led by three school staffers (Mr. Hines, a certified teacher who is an “interventionist” and Exceptional Student Education faculty member, and Ms. Steed, a 3rd grade support facilitator, both of them Black. Inexplicably, intimidatingly, the person in charge of in-school suspensions, Mr. Gabriel, was also part of the introductions.)
The idea, according to some of the parents who spoke with administrators, was proposed by Hines and approved by the principal–an extremely good-hearted, well-liked and new principal, Donnelle Evensen–who was in at least one of the assemblies briefly. The method and message of the assemblies, however, shocked parents and led one of the students in the assemblies to tell his mother, when he came home: “This school is racist.”
Evensen–who cheered on the assembly’s organizers in a Twitter post that day and drew sharply worded rebukes from commenters–did not respond to an email before this article initially published, nor was the PowerPoint presentation shown students provided, though School Board Attorney Kristy Gavin said it would be as soon as it was provided to her. Superintendent LaShakia Moore addressed the matter in an interview late this afternoon.
“Though the intention of the assembly came from a positive place, we could have done better with the delivery and some other things we could have put in place” ahead of time, Moore said. She stressed that it was more a matter of misjudgment than malice, and that communications with parents would explain what took place.
Bunnell Elementary is a C school, and is at risk of becoming a failing school if it does not improve. It is not a failing school currently, the superintendent said. Nevertheless, “the concern across the district is the performance of our students with disabilities and African-Americans. They are a subgroup we must continue to monitor and must continue to improve in,” she said. “We monitor our data on many different levels and we also monitor many different subgroups of students, so as Bunnell Elementary was reviewing their subgroup that’s African American, that subgroup has not been improving at the rate that was anticipated or expected. So the teacher came to the administration with the idea of an assembly. (Moore said she was relaying information as she knew it right now. She spoke moments before meeting with Evensen.)
Earlier in the afternoon, a district spokesperson said Moore “understands the moms’ concerns about this,” adding: “Could that have been handled better? Most certainly, but from what she understands, this was good information.” In a statement Moore issued on Tuesday, she acknowledged the school’s serious misstep and summed it up with succinct elegance: “sometimes, when you try to think ‘outside the box,’ you forget why the box is there.”
If parents found out about the assemblies, they did so on Flagler Schools Parents, the Facebook page. The three parents interviewed for this article had spoken with their children independently. They relayed almost identical accounts of what took place.
“My daughter came home on Friday, like she normally does and you know she kind of mentioned, Oh, all the African American students had to go to the cafeteria today for an assembly,” one of the parents said. (She asked not to be identified.) “My ears went up because that didn’t sound right.” She started asking her daughter questions. Her daughter is in fifth grade. She’s a high performer, a 4 across the board (standardized tests are scored on a 1-5 scale, with 3 considered proficient, 4 considered high-performing, and 5 considered exceptional.) She’d been in the middle of class when her teacher called out her name. In the cafeteria, “she said it was all black students. There was no white students at all.”
They were told, as a group, that their scores were too low, with some specific percentages, that they had to get their grades up, and that they’d be challenged between each other to get better scores.
“It was mentioned that people of our color, if they’re not successful, you know, they get killed and go to jail,” the parent said. “This is things that are being told to these children. It was not a part of the PowerPoint, which was confirmed by the principal. She had no idea that it was said. It wasn’t what she approved.”
Then there was the parading: “They actually had children, including mine, with scores of 4 and a 5. They brought six kids on stage in front of all the other kids and pretty much said, they need their test scores to be like their classmates. So that is a target for being bullied. Kids bully kids for being smart, or thinking they might be better.”
When Nicole’s son got home, she’d heard about it and asked him. “First thing he said was, yeah, Ma, that school is racist.” He thought all Blacks and Hispanics were taken out of class. Her son told her he remembered the presenters saying that if they underperform, “they won’t go to college and if they don’t go to college, then there’s a good chance that they’ll end up killed, shot or in jail.” But if they did perform, they’d get McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A. “I honestly couldn’t wrap my head around it. I kept asking him, Are you sure?”
Danielle learned about it from another parent who wanted to know if the same thing happened to her child. It did. Danielle’s daughter is in 4th grade–and passed all her tests last year. She was pulled out of social studies. “I asked her, I said, Well, were there any Hispanic people there? Any white people there? And she said, No mom, all black people.” The 4th grader is of mixed race.
“She said that they also said if you act like a clown and you don’t do good in school, you’re more likely to be subjected to being a victim of gun violence. Being in jail or in a grave, in an early grave,” Danielle said. She doesn’t dispute the higher proportion of Blacks as victims of violence, but very strongly disputes the school’s decision to impart that message to elementary age students, without their parents’ knowledge. And the reference to “clowns” is something else entirely–an evocation of offensive stereotypes that hark back to Jim Crow.
“I’m Black and I’m white, and we don’t really do the race–we don’t separate and identify people by their skin color,” Danielle said of her family. “I don’t feel even comfortable doing that in my own home. So I would not expect the school to do it at all, but which they did.” Danielle was even uncomfortable asking her own daughter about the day’s development. “I really wanted to keep it minimal. I don’t ever want her to start separating people by anything. I teach my kids everyone is a human being, everyone is to be polite and kind to each other.”
But she felt she had to speak to her daughter about it. “Unfortunately, actually. We had to have a conversation,” she said. “I felt like they were segregated. You literally took all of one race from 4th and 5th grade and took them away from their classmates and peers to have this conversation about them not doing well as a whole, when honestly, I pulled my own statistics, and there’s plenty of other kids from other races as well who did not do well. The parents should have been notified that this was going to happen, because they notify us for everything.”
But not this, which suggests that the presentation may not have been sufficiently vetted, tripping up a new principal in her first weeks on the job (though she’d been assistant principal there for a while). “Now the other kids who are sitting in the classroom, they know what’s going on,” Danielle said, “so what if they come back to class today, today’s their first day back and someone’s like, oh, well, you know, you’re not smart enough or, you know, you have to go to that meeting because you’re African American. It just raises so many red flags. It just was not well thought out. There was so many other ways that it could have been done, and they just dropped the ball.”
Most certainly, Danielle’s daughter will not be taking part in the “competition.” She, too, had requested the PowerPoint, and was denied it by the administration–on the inaccurate claim that it was not a public record, since the matter was “under review” by the school board. In fact, it is only under review by the district–the school board has no role in the matter, not unless and until it meets and discusses it publicly–and the PowerPoint is not exempt from public disclosure.
But Danielle was otherwise very complimentary of the principal. “I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about her and I was really excited for her to be the new principal and she and talking to her she seems like still a great person,” she said. “Honestly she understands, I do feel that she understands that it was completely wrong in retrospect, she she knows that it probably should have been handled in a different way. But for me, again, a mixed race, I just don’t feel really confident that it would not happen again. ” She added with some perplexity: “I just don’t understand if you can bring this to a group of teachers, how no one could have thought like, hey, this might not be a good idea. These are very smart individuals. They’re all teachers, they’re principals. They’re very smart. They’ve educated themselves, they went to school, so that is what is kind of baffling to me. Because as soon as you tell anyone, like as soon as I talked to my mom about it, she was, like, are you kidding me?”
Dennis C Rathsam says
Sounds like a case for Mike C ( sorry cant spell that long italian name) P/C finest attorneys.
Melly c says
I hope some of the parents lawyer up, this is disgusting! The people responsible for this must be fired NOW.
Concerned Citizen says
Sounds like the new principal needs to remove her hood. And administer fairly.
Singling out students based on race went out a long time ago. You got caught doing something stupid and now I want to see how you justify it. Don’t blame an ethnicity for your school’s poor performance. Sounds like the school needs new leadership. And since we have a new Superindendant maybe she will make swift changes.
I also expect charges to be brought against any staff that alluded to violence. Our esteemed Sheriff does it all the time with students. Faculty should be held just as responsible.
Deborah Coffey says
Okay. Enough! Call in the Feds and fire every person involved in this…stat. I don’t care what the motive was, the stupidity is worth jail time.
Gerald Jacobs says
If it was my child I would ask the NAACP to please send their Lawyer’s. And sue the pants off the school and All of Flager school board. We are better than this HELP. National News we need you now.
Lance Carroll says
I failed tests on purpose. I urge all students to fail tests on purpose. Passing a written test, by students, is a money game. I recommend a pop quiz for educators!
Karen Bivone says
Really Omg…
Fernando Melendez says
Very poor judgment on staff’s part for singling only one group out. I think some training is in order. First challenge for Ms Moore.
jake says
This doesn’t pass the smell test, and if it does, where is LaShakia Moore the prospective superintendent in all of this.
Mr Wong says
This is an outrage. You shouldnt be telling these kids the truth at such an early age. Try building them up with false narratives about their history. Sure that hasnt worked yet, but being so bold as to just hit them with the facts is shocking.
Skibum says
“Bunnell Elementary is a C school, and is at risk of becoming a failing school if it does not improve” says all that needs to be said about the horribly misguided and mishandled messaging from the bumbled effort by supposedly educated staff members at Bunnell Elementary. This whole unseemly episode smacks of the school administration over-exerting their power and authority they have over the school kids because these adults know how bad their school is performing and it may lose state funding or at least be put on the FAILING list for all to see if the school doesn’t quickly address its low performing status. So who better to coerce than a bunch of young, elementary aged children for the failings of the adults who work within the school. And for the school staff to pull the race card and target only the black kids, because in their minds the white kids must be so much smarter just because of the color of their skin, so they could not possibly be including in the low test score problem? Despicable! Who is in charge of that school… descendants of the racist Alabama Gov. George Wallace Jr? The grade Bunnell Elementary School deserves for this miscarriage of education: F
JimboXYZ says
Uggghhhh, Bunnell, where the world is still flat.
Edith Campins says
What were they thinking? This is bullying, How is it going to help their confidence to be singled out like this? Someone needs to sue them. What do the members of the school board have to say about this?
JimboXYZ says
While excellence is generally rewarded with grants, you did nothing but hurt the cause of raising the bar by intentionally failing the tests. Urging others to follow suit, are you going to live their lives trying to overcome poor grades of underachieving/underperforming. At a certain point in anyone’s life ego needs to take a back seat for being offended and buckling down to learn to be the best is in everyone’s better interests. These kids get one shot at K-12 to be the next generation of human beings. Encouraging them to be less than what they’re capable of is poor advice.
I’m not big on paying more taxes for schools that hire teachers & administrators that underperform. Mom & Dad sat us down and went thru our report cards like it was the periodic performance appraisal it’s intended to be. where there was room for improvement that was the plan going forward. Any child hat doesn’t wan to be there to learn needs to dismiss themselves and stop wasting everyone’s resources. You’re either improving mankind or you need to find a new career. That’s the deal going forward, they’re either on board or they’re not. No tax increases for those not challenging themselves to be the best students.
Adolf says
Before she became a teacher, Evensen spent 10 weeks backpacking with her husband around nine countries in Europe, including Spain, England, Germany, France, Austria and Ireland. The experience was a life lesson for her.
“I learned just how much we tend to take for granted in our ways of doing things,” she said. “I also learned how important a sense of home is, and being in Germany and walking in places that persecution and discrimination was so prevalent inspired great reflection as to how we treat those around us and the true value of all lives.”
She said she hopes her colleagues can see her passion to meet her students’ needed every day.
Lil birdie says
Yep, this is good ole Bunnell.
I bet DeSantis has a big ole smile on his face while reading this one.
This warped behavior will only get worse if the MAGA cult gets their way.
Take a Good Look says
It appears as though an innocuous attempt of black to black empowerment from educators to students obviously did not go as planned. I understand the goal to motivate and facilitate a desire for positive change in underachieving students, and perhaps even how the students may be more likely to listen to and be inspired by their connection to others whom they may be able to identify with of their particular race. But this is NOT racist! Please do not take the definition of racist out of context. Nowadays people are so quick to apply the concept of racism where it clearly doesn’t fit. PLEASE look up the definition of racist. I can’t help but wonder if this would even BE an issue if this empowerment “pep rally” had occurred with educators and students who were the same, but of a different race. Fundamentally the intention behind it all was GOOD! Let’s focus on that. Let’s not misconstrue things people! How very very sad.
Ed says
Just asking, is this CRT?
Teaching children that skin color puts them in a different reality and the system is systematically racist? Get on board or you will be put in jail or die….
Mr Wong,
If this is a truth, why is 10-11 years old too young? Some “woke” believe that a kindergartner can choose their gender and change it.
The division in America continues to widen.
Anonymous says
If the students are failing, we should take a look at the teachers. They should’ve held an assembly for them to talk about better teaching methods. How would they feel if we took all the black teachers and put them in one room and told them it’s their fault the students are failing. This is another example of how we are failing our future.
Kayla says
Let’s compare test scores from those in the assembly to those not in the assembly. Is it at all possible that the kids who were called out are actually failing and just by coincidence happen to be all of a certain skin color? Telling a group of kids who are failing that they need to do better isn’t wrong. Using the fact that they are all of a group of people who have, for centuries, been both literally and perceived, treated differently and associated with a certain lifestyle (which maybe the people who spend every day with these kids see things we as news article readers do not, a trend, perhaps, amongst this group of kids) that will in fact get them caught up in the wrong lifestyle in a heart beat and using past examples is not a bad thing in my opinion. It all starts at home though, so the parents should have 100% been involved.
Angela Gray says
Sad in the thought of these suppose to be educators now coming in the classroom and being placed in higher office with racist demonic thoughts. Even if if this school is a C school it can become an A school tomorrow they still want it closed, if that’s their aim. And will try to find any faults to accomplish this closing.
Toward our children being black, white. Asian, any ethnic group, especially black stop playing the race card which the world try to put it on when from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Verbalizing stupidity over color shows your growth and maturity level. It’s time for these strongholds to be torn down. Parents take over. All our children are not aimed for destruction and no one has that authority or authorization to claim or speak demonic thoughts over our children.
No justice. No peace.
Eileen Curran Bennett says
As a former teacher and union rep I can attest to the immense pressure teachers go through to get ” high test scores’ That directly reflect their evaluation and their paycheck. Teachers sit in may many meetings and PLC’s ‘analyzing” test scores of all sub groups AA, ESE and ESOL. They are ASKED ‘WHAT CAN YOU DO TO RAISE YOUR TEST SCORES OF THESE STUDENTS?”
It sound to me like these employees, while it was NOT A SMART way to do it, felt that putting that pressure back on the students might increase their test scores. They sound more desperate than racist. And since Im retired I can say this now…… If asked that question WHAT CAN YOU DO TO RAISE ALL SUB GROUPS of your student score…after coning in weekends, working before and after school, missing your lunch for a crying kid or an irrate parents, standing outside in the thunder and lighting for car riders after teaching all day …You know what MY answer would be…..The DE SANTIS Answer…..Give them vouchers because they need Jesus.
Ban the GOP says
Probably has nothing to do with the fact that republicans love to hate on all minority groups. Not all republicans are white nationalist but all white nationalist are republicans.
Steve Canyon says
Flagler Live: This article should be sent to CNN and other national news networks.
concernedaboutthis says
Also, I saw on facebook about a VPK teacher who was arrested in 2010 for child abuse who is at Bunnell Elm currently teaching there- Pierre look into that please. Her name is Jennifer Phillips according to the FB posts. And she is currently teaching VPK what is happening at Bunnell Elm
James says
McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A?
Honestly, it seems like these folks really are just trying to make the national news. And at the expense of the mental health of the children involved.
Outrageous in my opinion.
Doreen says
This is so wrong in so many ways… Prejudice and bullying to mention just a few things. A new administration is needed in this school. I feel so sorry for the black students in this school! The parents need to stand up for their children and hire a lawyer to end this policy.
For Real says
When the Goveror of his own states constantly discriminates against all but his political donors what do you expect. Whoever said this they need to be fired immediately.
DeathSantis has destroyed the Education system in Florida. Instead of running for President he should change professions and go be a teacher somewhere in the middle east.
Ben Hogarth says
I’m at a total loss for words. Sometimes language can’t possibly communicate or invoke the same response warranted for this sort of insanity.
For anyone confused as to what would possess someone in an administrative capacity over these children to commit themselves to such an act. I think the answer is they normally could or would not, but these are not normal times in Florida. Each transgression is a step in a long line of a creep in this racist narrative.
We are already keenly aware of the Florida Legislature shifting (siphoning) public tax dollars for private charters as part of the giant grift in Tallahassee, but the real reasons behind these moves are perhaps far more insidious beyond personal bank accounts. These legislators know that you cannot reintroduce segregation into public schools, but they CAN make siphon away the more affluent (white) families to their own private schools. So, in a way, Florida has reintroduced segregation de facto. This invariably makes the public schools less desirable for teachers and students alike, while concurrently hurting the educational value of those who still attend – giving the affluent, mostly white students and their families a legacy of aristocracy that cannot be touched.
Clever – I’ll give them that.
Mellisa Cheves says
The thing that people are failing to miss is African American students are apparently testing low all over the county.Why is that not the bigger conversation? Why are we punishing people or outraged that people made an attempt to motivate black students and actually make them fell seen? We can be as outraged as we want but why are Flagler county African American students not testing well. There’s a bigger conversation here that’s being ignored. So now what is Flagler county going to do to help those students test better? Nothing now? There’s a real conversation here that needs to be had.
Ron says
Why are African American children in Flagler county testing low? I think that should be the main headline.
D says
How ignorant of these people that are called “Educators”. The people involved in this injustice need to be relieved of their duties and shamed for their ignorance, compliance, and lack of compassion.
FlaglerLive says
The charge was dropped.
James says
Give them a POSITIVE future outlook and a path to follow to that future… not a negative one.
And this isn’t just a problem with minority students, it’s a problem with ALL students.
Al says
Believe it or not everything is not political…….DeSantis, Maga have nothing to do with this issue.
Sarah says
As a former teacher I can attest that they did not single children out. Test scores are based on race you don’t like that. Then there’s another conversation to be had.
justin case says
The article indicates that it was actually black staff members involved. So, are you assuming that these black teachers are white nationalists, and republicans? Let me guess, you read the headline, but not the whole story. Your comment only helps to widen the divide. I read the article a second time. Still don’t see any mention of politics, from either of the 2 major parties. Not every bad choice is related to politics. We all need to just be better humans.
Rita Thompson says
WTF!! I was born in this county and went to this school way back when and didn’t even have that back then. There definitely needs to be a change in the school system leadership!!
Shark says
The truth hurts. The parents just let their kids roam the streets at night and could care less about them, Sit their asses down and help them
DontsayRon says
no this isnt CRT this is a teacher being racist.
CRT was only ever taught at the collegate level and offers insight as to why the government enforces discriminatory practices even though they target specific groups. The academic understanding differs from representation by “conserative republicans”. An example would be single family zoning restrictions that prevents the building of affordable housing in advantaged, mainly white neighborhoods and thus stymies racial desegreation efforts. Another example would be disparate rates of incarceration on a multitute of issues. ie crack penalties are far more severe than cocaine penalites even though they are nearly the same substance. black americans were found to have higher possesion rates of crack hense the increased penalties.
Intersex people are real and are human beings just like you or I , just because you dont like someones choices doesnt mean you have any right to tell them how to live their one life. No matter how you feel about it those decisions should be made by the person, their parents, and medical professionals. Not racist ron and his ignorant followers.
Division will only increase. good thing the R’s want to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion you know the things Jesus talked about.
Atwp says
Are the teachers wrong? Tell the students the truth. In my opinion the teachers told the students the truth. Why are you all upset with the teachers? An early grave, no college if the grades are not good, isn’t that the truth. Am glad the teachers said what they said. People we are talking about young Black People. You all know how this country is towards Black Folk with an education, it is harder without an education especially bring a black male. Good job teachers. Continue to tell Black Students the truth. They need to hear the harsh realities of no education. Some of you white folks are saying crazy things, which one of you will be willing to help a young Black Man when get into trouble years down the road because he doesn’t have a high diploma. This system is stacked against Black Folks not being educated dosent help. The students hear all kind of crazy stuff why not hear about the consequences if the education isn’t obtained. We need more teachers like those teachers because this American System will do little to nothing to help our young Blavk People.
Why am I not surprised? says
It really is parent’s rights ONLY for straight, white, faux-Christian parent’s with hate in their hearts. I’m so shocked….
Laurel says
DeSantis wants to replace teachers with soldiers. Those vouchers are paid for by the public. If you want Jesus in your school, go to private school and pay for it yourself.
Deborah Coffey says
Oh, my! One can only hope you’re not a parent or a teacher. Try failing at your job; it’s there for you only to make money…for someone!
Laurel says
Melissa: Did you not read the article? The group included high preforming students. The common denominator here was they were all African American heritage students. Are there no low performing white kids? In Bunnell? No problem there? The kids were pulled out of class because of skin color. What the hell was admin thinking, if thinking anything at all? No excuse for this. Chick-fil-a and McDonald’s for reward?
Plain and simple: The staff is blaming the black kids for school failing. Clearly, staff ain’t all that smart.
Laurel says
Re-read the article.
Nancy N says
It literally says in the article that not all the kids pulled out of class were failing – and that kids of other races who actually are failing weren’t called out of class to take part. But nice attempt to justify the unjustifiable…it’s amazing the logical knots people will tie themselves into (and the facts they will ignore) to pretend a racial wrong hasn’t happened.
FormerFlaglerTeacher says
Call in the Feds, press charges, contact the national news, summon the Pope to exercise demons! Which of these strategies helps the kids? Oh, that’s not what you’re worried about. The fake Concern of keyboard pirates would be laughable if it weren’t so disgusting. Were missteps made, absolutely. Do the parents of the BES children have a right to be concerned? Of course they do. The HUMAN educators delivered an unintended message when trying to incentivize some of their students to do better but that message went off course. I see quite a few outraged people who should march right down to the GSB and sign up to volunteer at BES. However, you must leave your burning sage at home, it’s bad for the kids with breathing issues (and any demon/possessed people on campus).
Eileen Araujo says
How dare these “educators” be allowed to even present a program like this to children. They should be fired immediately. Life is tough enough for any child. Now you take children of color and single them out. Racism will never end with people like this.
OMFG says
I am calling CNN, and all of the Orlando news agencies. The NAACP, the Rev Al Sharpton will be here by the end of the week.
Hope you have a backup plan
Boobycuse says
That’s funny but it’s the truth and you can’t handle the truth
Sarah T says
Ask students need a positive outlook, negativity is much too common in all students.
However, traditional explanations like black poverty, racial segregation, and inadequate funding of black schools have not fully explained the gap. Even affluent black families’ children lag behind white children from equally affluent families. Other factors like genes, the culture of poverty, and single motherhood also don’t fully explain the gap. New directions in understanding the gap may focus on psychological and cultural influences, such as how family members interact with one another and how black and white children respond to the same classroom experiences.
https://edopportunity.org/discoveries/white-black-differences-scores/
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-black-white-test-score-gap-why-it-persists-and-what-can-be-done/
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/sat-math-scores-mirror-and-maintain-racial-inequity/
https://www.jbhe.com/2021/10/black-students-scores-on-the-act-test-continue-to-fall-and-the-racial-gap-widens/
Mrs. Kenny says
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs clearly outlines what human beings require prior to being able to thrive academically. These needs cross all racial and socioeconomic lines. This was an egregious assault on civil rights of innocent children. Appropriate authorities have been notified. Well done launching the story.
Patricia Gleason says
Yes!
At some point we have to stop using stupidity as an excuse for common sense. These might be “highly educated” teachers, principals, etc, but that doesn’t mean they are smart. It would of been so easily done as a whole 4th and 5th grade assembly. Even go ahead and acknowledge well performing students. But with their permission requested only after speaking with their parents. These are 9 and 10 year old children folks. But all students of all races included. And for God”s sake, please never use fear to inspire achievement in children. What were they thinking? And the platitude about thinking outside of the box…. Please. Parents stand up. And NAACP get on this one of please.
Shark says
Anyone who relies on fakebook for their news is misinformed !!!
GT says
As sad as that message is it may be the truth some of these kids will be fighting a uphill battle their hole lives because of the environment they are growing up in. I think that anything we can do to help them is something we should do.
FlaglerLive says
The commenter is misinformed. While test scores are broken down by numerous criteria for analytical purposes, including by race and disabilities, concluding that because a certain group in the aggregate has lower scores than another does not mean that all students considered part of that group are low performers. The school misused the aggregate numbers to erroneously direct its message to the group as a whole. Incidentally, had the school called out disabled students, who–as a group–also have lower scores, the scandal would have been magnified considerably.
Barbara Carswell says
I’m appalled at why would they have a so-called assembly to belittle 4th and 5th graders how do they get away with that in 2023 yes they need lawyers lots of them I went to that school this morning I had been there much prior to school starting back didn’t get a good vibe so guess what my great-grandchildren don’t go there if you guys read this statement. I’m angry I’m upset I’m tired of the racism if they’re teacher the teacher is supposed to teach the children that means they’re not doing their job you have fail those students…
Stephen says
Why did the school board ban all the books the students wanted to read?
James says
“Are the teachers wrong?”
My initial response is yes.
But I’m not a native Floridian, and I’m not black.
From my experiences here I’d say ANYONE can “fall through the cracks” and eventually end up in a bad way. So perhaps by Florida standards you’re right.
Perhaps this isn’t the kind of place where average folks (of ANY color) get “second chances.”
James says
It takes time and sometimes a monumental effort on the part of the individual, but I’m a firm believer that one can make a positive change in one’s own life.
Then I realize, this is Florida.
Pissed says
You had your chance in the article to express your views. It’s not your place to comment on someone else’s views and comments. That is not journalism….
Janet Scott says
Obviously
You don’t have Jesus in your house
…sad
There was nothing’ in the article that alluded to DeSantis or God in schools..
It was about test score and trying to
Keep the school afloat…
Obviously the situation was handled wrong
And those in charge should be reprimanded..
BUNNELL Is a small town and no doubt the school is equally a hArd place to have A+ teachers ( lack of pay)
But I totally agree this was not the smartest move on the staff ….
I don’t think any attorney should be called
I don’t think it was raciest…
But I would if I was in charge have the WHOLE staff
Call all the school kids and their parents together for an apology to EVERYONE!
They Owe it to them all for the way it was handled
Then.. I think some staff should be moved to different schools or
Be asked to resign
NOT FIRED !!
Then they could collect unemployment….
Very sad from someone who grew up here since before integration took place in our town..
All are equal in GODS EYES
and it should be in everyone’s eyes…
Informed says
Why? you’re going to sue because the AAs happen to be the lowest testing people in school? That is exactly what the school was attempting to address. All these parents are jumping to conclusions, saying that their kids will be singled out because they’re not up to par. I think the kids that were singled out are now going to single out all the kids who are up to par. I don’t see this being detrimental to AA. What is detrimental is the school test scores. These parents who are so up in arms about what transpired, they always have the option to homeschool. Which you can tell is not happening because the children are consistently low in test scores. They didn’t sing about whites or Hispanics or Indians , because it isn’t whites are Hispanics are Indians that are having the issue. And I went to Bunnell elementary school. I rode the buses. And to be quite frank, the only group that really jumped around and acted like fools were the AAs. Because they were Going home to themselves. They had older brothers and sisters that would watch them and no other supervision in their homes. They were used to walking around the streets but now stealing from the stores. Now you can try to negate that, but I was there. Just like I’ve been here since 1992. And, all the people claiming racist rhetoric, the principal was actually a black man, named Mr. holder, and when I went to college in 2008 and graduated from ATC, Mr. Holder was the superintendent there as well. So, come on with it. Everybody’s just looking for someone else to blame. You can’t blame anyone but yourselves. Also, if you pay attention to that picture that was apparently posted on Twitter by one of the school officials, you can see that the people taking place in that are AA themselves. Are you trying to say that AAs don’t see what other AA are capable of or in this case, not? And before you go, spreading that I am some kind of racist, know that I have a daughter who is mixed, I am an immigrant myself, so English is not my first language and both of my grand children happen to be African-American.
Laurel says
GT: The word is “whole.” How would you help?
There’s a lot of smug going on here. If our grandchild *of color* was pulled out of class because of her color, *for her own good* the shit would hit the fan. I don’t give a damn what color the teachers were. No sir, the walls would come tumblin’ down.
Not A Unicorn says
What?! Third and fourth graders don’t make these decisions. Is it beyond you to use critical thinking to comprehend that not every child even has a family that cares about them? You seem unable or unwilling to understand the systemic and societal issues that perpetuate poor performance in school. What you describe is typical for an authoritative, dictatorial parenting style that doesn’t teach How to think but What to think and ends ultimately with crime such as what happened on January 6. People that can’t learn to make their own decisions let dictators do it for them. We’re more than tired of this racism, ableism, sexism, and xenophobia. Ya’ll have the nerve to call yourself “Christians” while you lack empathy for anybody who is not just like you. We won’t be silent and will stand up for what is right. Pay attention.
FlaglerLive says
Facts are not a matter of “views,” and this site may not be used to spread disinformation.
Concerned Citizen says
You never single out a group based on race. That’s called racism.Likewise you’re admitting that that tests are racist. No I don’t like it. I’m an older white male happily married to an African American woman. She has had a successful medical career that she fought hard for. We’ve both experienced racism in our lives. And I don’t tolerate it.
All students should have been involved in this so called pep rally. Or do you wear a hood as well? Your attitude comes across as supporting this ignorant action.
David Schaefer says
What does this issue have anything to do with Jesus not a damn thing. All these clowns need to be fired including the head of Flagler schools allowing this crap to happen in the first place.
Palm Coast Citizen says
The problem is that underperformance isn’t caused by their race. There were also high scoring students who were called to attend this assembly and there were also underperforming students who were excluded from this assembly.
This was a traumatic thing to do to young children. The causes for their low scores are not caused by them being black children. These children were sent to this assembly because they were black, regardless of their individual academic successes or lack thereof. The statsistics may show a a concerning higher percentage of them scoring lower, but taken out of context and out of the bigger aggregate sum of underperforming students, the data doesn’t implicate their skin color alone as the cause for this–let alone the fact that high achieving students were also called to the assembly because they were black. Whatever is the cause for low test scores will not be solved by pulling black children into a segregated assembly and threatening them with death and jail and rewarding them with McDonalds.
This action was a poor decision, and it will have a devastating impact on these students’ interactions in school, their self-esteem, and their trust in the school.
Roy G. Biv says
Here are a few inconvenient facts:
These assemblies were created and presented by “AA” college-educated professional educators and approved by “AA” college-educated administrators. Those adults chose to segregate students by race. Those professionals created the PowerPoint slides (with numerous spelling and grammatical errors). They also used scare tactics and chose to pit students against each other to win fast food.
There is no excuse for the racist policies of Governor Desantis. There is no moral high ground for any white nationalist.
And there is no excuse whatsoever to continue to employ teachers and administrators who hide behind “good intentions” while choosing deliberately harmful practices.
Deb says
Why wasn’t this obvious to the “educators” running the school?! They need to learn the reasons why this was a violent and egregious abuse of children. The harm caused is immeasurable.
DdDeborah Reilly says
Maybe there a member of the alternate facts party.