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NAACP takes issue with Youngstown distress commission chairman’s vision
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The chairman of the city schools academic distress commission and the NAACP’s Youngstown branch agree the city schools aren’t producing equal educational outcomes for all students, but disagree on several other points.
“The commission and the new CEO have a sincere desire to work with all stakeholders,” said Brian Benyo, chairman of the city schools academic distress commission. “The state is looking for Youngstown to solve this problem, and it’s trying to give us the opportunity to do so. It’s up to locals to make this work.”
Email volleying began last weekend when George Freeman Jr., NAACP Youngstown president, distributed a message to media, school personnel, community leaders and ADC members.
The message, titled “NAACP Youngstown Branch Perspective on ‘VISIONS’ that do not include Black African Descendants,” announces what Freeman terms a civil-rights meeting at 6 p.m. June 30 at the NAACP office on Fifth Avenue.
The five-member academic distress commission last week appointed a Chicago school administrator as the Youngstown schools’ first chief executive officer. Krish Mohip begins the job June 29.
Freeman references a May 1 Vindicator column by Benyo, where he lays out what he envisions for improvement for the schools.
Freeman writes that Benyo is asking that the black community not have a special self-interest, not take issue with the Youngstown Plan and not be “suspicious and distrustful of the use of ‘State” power – which has a documented history of duplicity when it comes to African Americans.”
Benyo responded Wednesday.
“As for the ‘state’ taking over the schools, I find the continuation of this line of discussion disrespectful to myself and the other members of the ADC who are serving this community as members of the community,” he wrote in an email. “We have received no direction or agenda from anyone in Columbus and do not expect to. The ‘state’ is hoping that this community can start to work together and solve its own problems, as do I.”
Freeman’s initial email says the commission led by Benyo “has made it clear that Mr. Benyo’s ‘VISION,’ and that of his other Commission members, is not to address ‘SPECIAL INTERESTS’ – such as those of the 63 percent African American students who, historically, have been discriminated against by State law and with no redress. However, the Commission will address and pay more money to the special interest group of [unionized] teachers.”
Benyo called that a misinterpretation.
“It was meant to address the fact that, all stakeholders [teachers, administrators, classified employees, parents, community advocates, etc.] need to recognize that their first concern needs to be towards the greater purpose of fulfilling their role in the education of the students of the city of Youngstown. And yes, that is all the students of the city of Youngstown,” he wrote. “Change will be part of the process of improvement and those who are unwilling or are unable to change will be confronted. If your interests are truly about the education of all the students, the majority of which are African American, then I do not have an issue with your goals.”
The CEO will work with all stakeholders as he develops an improvement plan for the schools.
In a second Freeman email sent Wednesday, he wrote that he appreciates Benyo’s commitment to all city schoolchildren, adding that the NAACP has spoken up for all city school district students as well. The black community, though, has a responsibility to ensure that black children and families are addressed in the plan, he wrote.
“You have the luxury of having privileges that most African Americans do not have,” Freeman wrote in this week’s email. “African Americans must be reminded of the past, or we will allow those who have brought the past to the present to rule the day – and that is unacceptable.”
Benyo will be out of town and unable to attend the June 30 meeting.
“In closing, I believe that we are in agreement on at least one point. Which is that the current system is not delivering an equal level of educational outcome for all students and this needs to be changed,” the commission chairman wrote. “I hope that we can work together in building a dialogue around this point.”