Baptist group plans to help schools

By Denise Dick | May 22, 2011 at 12:10a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Multifaceted problems led to the decline of city schools so it will take a multifaceted solution to address it, says the president of the Baptist Pastors Council of Youngstown & Vicinity.

The Rev. Henry McNeil, associate pastor of Elizabeth Baptist Church, said the group decided it wanted to help upon learning about poor academic performance in the schools as indicated by state tests.

Responsibility for the problem is shared by school personnel as well as parents, he said. Pastors share some of that responsibility too.

One way pastors can help is through working with parents, instructing them about appropriate behavior, the Rev. Mr. McNeil said.

“We recognize too that some children are being raised by children,” Rev.McNeil said. “If you’re a 13-year-old and have a child, your parenting skills are going to be limited.”

He has requested data from the school district including test scores and suspension rates district-wide as well as for gender and racial groups.

School district officials have been amenable to working with the council although no meetings have been set up.

Lock P. Beachum Sr., school board president, said the board is open to help from any organization as long as it’s “for the betterment of students and the improvement of the school district.”

Some problems in the schools may be rooted in cultural differences between students and teachers, Rev. McNeil said.

“In one sense, there’s a feeling in the black community that if you look at suspension rates, there will be a disproportionate amount of students suspended because of this,” he said.

He advocates training in schools regarding cultural differences.

It’s going to take all groups involved working together to improve the schools, he added.

“Let’s get the teachers in line, the parents in line and get everybody on board and start pushing this cart down the road,” he said.

“That’s the pastors’ concern that students are not being adequately trained. They have to be trained to go out and compete with the rest of the world.”