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Hope online as a last chance

Saturday, April 21 at 12:01 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

By Rev. Reginald Holmes, Fidel "Butch" Montoya Co-Chairs - Community Coalition for Access to and for Quality Education

Senator Windels, We are appalled at the blatant statements you made in an email to a Community Coalition member on April 13 regarding the students and parents of HOPE Online. It is simply outrageous that you would feel free to degrade the honest and sometimes difficult decisions parents and their children must make about the lack of educational opportunities in the public school setting.

You are absolutely correct when you say children who are considering dropping out see Hope Online as a last chance. And there is nothing wrong with students knowing they do have a second chance at getting a good education. We would rather have children looking for second chances rather than just dropping out. HOPE Online offers that opportunity.

However, when you make what we consider a stereotypical and historical racist remark like, "Kids who are struggling or lazy see online as a "quick, easy" way to get a diploma without having to put in all the seat-time and effort," we need to call things as we see and hear them. We will not fear to be politically incorrect in our accusations, particularly around the racial tone of your comments.

Are you insinuating that HOPE students and parents are taking the easy way out because public schools have been so challenging and academically rigorous? When you openly declare our children are lazy, we don't have to remind you that a majority of the children in HOPE Online are African-American and Latino children. Your statement referring to our children as lazy or struggling has crossed the line of civility, and we cannot remain silent and not call you out for making such an irrefutably patronizing statement.

Students struggling in school are children who do not want to give up or drop out. They are not looking for a "quick, easy way to get a diploma without having to put in all the seat-time and effort." How dare you make that comment calling our children "lazy" and looking for a "quick easy to get a diploma" when all they want is an education that will provide them more opportunities in the future? In fact, no HOPE student can graduate needing remediation.

They must test out and be college bound.

Unfortunately you have not focused on the real problem with education. Public education is a mess without any accountability or quality benchmarks that demonstrate success. In many cases, the schools are simply providing a day care center for children who should be challenged and motivated to learning. It is tragic that you are so limited in your vision for innovation, that are you are attempting to limit the possibilities and accomplishments of others.

Yes, we have heard the comment about parents needing to get involved. Senator Windels that is exactly what is happening with HOPE Online. Children are being motivated, challenged, and are learning. In many cases, parents are holding their children accountable for putting the time and effort to succeed through HOPE Online. HOPE Online is not a free ride and your insinuations our children don't want to put "in all the seat-time and effort," are plainly the words of an elitist who does not understand the reality and need for innovation in education. The fact that parents are voting with their children and moving to HOPE Online is a clear indication that they seek better educational options for their children.

We simply cannot allow you to vilify African-American and Latino parents, along with their children in such an insulting and cruel manner. Your comments in the email show your prejudice and lack of understanding regarding educational concerns our children often face in the public schools. To validate that statement, one simply has to look at the drop out rates for Latino and African-American children and see the results of a system that is clearly broken.

Lastly, you criticize HOPE Online for being trendy and the fact young people love new things. Yes, we will agree with you in that HOPE Online is a new innovative program to reach students who are failing in the public schools. In fact, your statements demonstrate quite clearly your aversion for online education and that you stand for the status quo. The fact that HOPE Online is new should excite you as a legislator involved in education issues. In all reality, the state audit stated there is no other educational program in the USA like HOPE Online. Two other education online commissions have stated basically that HOPE Online is the trend setter and it is clearly the way of the future. Nothing wrong about looking at innovation with greater expectations as a better way of teaching our children We can tell you very openly we are disgusted, resentful, offended, hurt in our soul, and downright stunned that you would use such hateful words to describe our parents, teachers, mentors, and students. Your comments are simply out of touch with reality and they illustrate that you could care less about African-American or Latino children learning and experiencing success through HOPE Online.

It truly is a sad state of affairs, when a legislator feels it is okay to malign our children in such a reckless and distasteful manner. In fact, it is our opinion you too should resign your position as the Chairperson of the Senate Educational Committee, perhaps even withdraw from the Colorado Legislature.

READER COMMENTS

Just call them a racist and it will make you look good, right Holmes, Montoya??

Everyone is getting tired of the old minority chant....racist...racist..

Time for all of the minorities to stand up and be acountable for their own action/inaction.

Listen to Bill Cosby for a change.

Go ahead...Call Bill a "racist' too.

Posted by gary on April 22, 2007 06:06 AM

Could it be that Mr. Bleeding heart for the illegals..Butch Montoya is again..just pandering to the illegals? The anchor babies and their parent? Why all of a sudden is Butch,Pastor Lopez,Ex-Mayor Pena,Lisa Duran, etc, etc, all the bleeding hearts allof a sudden concerned with the education of "latinos and african-american"
when here in Denver we've had the same problems ALL THRU the years,education and gangs....None of you all hispanics ever
lifted a finger to help your own Americans-from spanish decent. The real 'hispanos"
Now the recent inflood of Mexicans (illegals"
Now you want funding to accomadate to THEIR needs. Maybe a few of our chicanos and african-american kids will get a few crumbs,(a piece of the rock).....Thanks to the wave of illegals flooding our schools....Otherwise Butch and his ontorage
of bleeding hearts wouldnt do anything. Now you're calling for someones head,someones livlihood, maybe Sen Windels thinks that they're
getting a diploma without knowing english?
Why wasnt the hispanic community concerned about the african community till now? At least our american--african americans will get the support they deserve'out of all this.

Posted by on April 21, 2007 08:41 PM

Sue Windels has been a knee jerk opponent of anything that challenges the public school monopoly or demands accountability from it. I'll never forget the town meeting she held several years ago during her first term in the legislature. One citizen mentioned the importance of accountability for the money we spend on public education. He hadn't even finished his sentence before she began vigorously shaking her head in opposition to any mention of accountability.

At that same meeting she also said that there is no difference in standardized test scores between public and private high schools. That was before standardized testing was required and only about 2/3 of public high school students took the ACT or SAT tests while at public high schools it is normally 99%. Participation bias made it appear as if the public high schools were performing on a par with high schools like Regis, and Windels who probably knew better was eager to spread this deceit.

Does Windels really think that laziness among students began with online learning?

Most of all I have to wonder why Mike Merrifield sent Windels an e-mail claiming that "There must be a special place in Hell for these Privatizers, Charerizers, and Voucherizers! They deserve it!"

Merrifield knows that she is a kindred spirit, that's why.

It's long past time that Windels reactionary nature is exposed. Sunlight is a great thing.

Posted by Dean Schulze on April 21, 2007 08:12 PM

Ahhhh yessss, the two racists are at it again. DON'T DISPARAGE THE BLACK AND LATINO CHILDREN!!!!
Please spare everyone the theatrics. Haven't you realized by now that educated people understand online education programs are not a valid alternative. If the children using these programs are so motivated to learn online, then they certainly would be motivated to do so in school. If they are socially maladjusted then perhaps you should institutionalize them.
Either way, stop attempting to access public funds for your boondoggle. Perhaps you two individuals should stop pretending to be leaders in community devoid of them. You shamelessly use "the children" to further your cause....which is the same garbage spewed by Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. Save us the rhetoric gentlemen and go away....far away.
Believe it or not there are many of us (the protectors of public funds) that will quietly fight you at every turn.

Posted by Peter Brown on April 21, 2007 01:10 PM