When she was an engineering student in college almost 20 years ago, Martha Bembry faced a challenge as a double minority - black and female. You can only learn by doing, not by watching someone else. But for many minority youngsters, classroom problems aren' t being addressed, education experts say. Almost 40 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led his march for equality, advocates for minority students say more must be done to provide equal opportunity in the classroom. Since 1988, he said, the performance gap has widened or stayed the same for students of color from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Students rise to the occasion.
But it doesn't have to be this way. Officials already plan to implement one change this spring - diversity training for administrators, principals and assistant principals, said Gail Cohen, a district spokeswoman. The committee has proposed changes in curriculum, guidance policies and recruiting and hiring practices. It also wants more support programs for minority students and families. The grant, intended to promote diversity, also supports extensive services for students, such as mentors, intern programs and career-planning seminars.