The Clarke County NAACP Branch 5274-B is creating a Father’s Back to School Challenge where we are inviting all fathers and men especially of all races and communities to participate in this new program. This challenge is a program that is designed to encourage men to get back into parental involvement in the area of education and professional growth as well as sporting activities. Regardless of whether the fathers live inside or outside the home, our children still need our leadership, protection, motivation, guidance, purpose and direction.
As we watch the daily horrific events that are occurring around the world and in our community, it makes us wonder if more could have been done to prevent some of these things from happening. The Bible states the we are living in Perilous of times (2 Timothy 3:1), so we will experience many setbacks. The Bible encourages us to train up a child in the way of the Lord and when he is old he will not depart from it.
As the head of the house we men sometimes leaves the teachings of our children to our wives or the children’s mothers. When God placed us as the head, he placed us in the primary position not only to work and provide for our families but, to be the primary teachers of and trainer of our children. As you may or might not know our school districts have recently received their scores under the School Educational Accreditation Report. The Quitman School District has a C average, while the Enterprise School District an A.
Under the new program Quitman would have had a D and Enterprise would have had a C. This is some very disturbing news for our community in the form of education and economic growth. Since business tend to look at the Education level within a school district before establishing jobs within it. When we look at our crime rate in Clarke County, it is kind of bad for a community its size. Clarke County is ranked 58 out of 82 counties as it relates to economic. Clarke County has an 8% unemployment rate. We have a .31% job growth rate. Over the next 10 years the job growth rate level is expected to rise 32.60%, which would still be considered low. These figures were taken from the Sperling ’Best Places to live report. The figures may have changed slightly one way or the other this year but we assure you they are close.
On a monthly basis we receive complaints that our school in Clarke County are so bad. The reports range from racism, to bad administration, no communication from teacher to parents, bad decisions made from school board, bus problems, school policies and many others. When we visit the school board it strange that there seem to be hardly any men present. If things are so bad, then why do we send our children into the world as unprotected sheep without a shepherd.
The NAACP is encouraging all men to get more involved in their children lives. There are some other school districts that have adopted a father to school on the first day of school and have been very effective. We are encouraging the men of Clarke County to go further. We are asking them to adopt this plan and make it a regular event. Under this plan man will dedicate themselves to not only visiting on the first day of school, but they will develop a personal relationship with the teachers, school counselors, principles and school board members. They will be regular participants at parent and teacher conferences.
Men are being asked to visit your child school board meetings at least 2 or 3 times per school year. Statistics show that when men are in the home or involved in their children lives in more than pleasure and sports, the child will most likely become more successful and less criminal. Remember that these are our children and while they are a child we must be careful what we teach them. A child will most likely be what a child most often see. The Clarke County NAACP would like to thank all men for assisting not only your children to become a better student and citizen but you are assisting the community, state, and country as well.
The NAACP is a organization that serves all of the community, not part of the community.
Lawrence Kirksey
President
CLARKE COUNTY NAACP
BRANCH 5274-B
PO BOX 588
QUITMAN, MS 39355
