Teachers Not to Blame
In response to Attica Scott's [Aug. 1] column on failing magnet schools: As a parent of children in the magnet program since its inception and a volunteer mentor/tutor in several inner city schools, I would like to offer a perspective that is often overlooked.
It is convenient to blame the teachers for their students' lack of achievement on standardized tests, along with the "excuses" Scott mentions: inadequate funding, poverty, domestic problems, etc., which are certainly contributing factors to a complex problem. But one of the greatest obstacles that inner city teachers face, and one that is rarely mentioned, is that a large percentage of their students are already lagging far behind when they enter school—and unfortunately, many will spend the rest of their school years struggling to catch up.
Teaching a class of 15-20 underachieving students, many with behavior problems, with little classroom assistance, and trying to bring them up to grade level in one year is an overwhelming task for any teacher—even one with 10 or more years' experience, the standard which Scott maintains will help solve the problem. When you factor in other issues prevalent in the inner city such as a lack of parental involvement and one or more of the concerns mentioned above, it is no wonder there is little improvement in the test scores of magnet or other inner city schools. (Only a small percentage of total students in magnet schools are enrolled in the magnet program. Most are students with the same issues mentioned here.)
There is no argument that experienced teachers are needed. And many more of them, as well as reduced class sizes and a concentration on early childhood development. But given Knox County's low priority on educational spending along with its anti-tax mentality, it is unrealistic to expect such change anytime soon, if ever. Meanwhile, the children suffer, test scores remain low, hard-working, dedicated teachers are blamed, and tongues will continue to wag about the sad plight of our inner city schools.
There are organizations such as Knoxville's Promise and Project Grad that are committed to improving education in the inner city, but they rely heavily on volunteer tutors and mentors to work one-on-one with children in need. Unfortunately, this is one area in which the "Volunteer State" is sorely lacking in volunteers. If making a difference in the state of education in Knox County is important to you, consider giving up one lunch hour a week to read with a child.
Sue Ladish
Knoxville
Just Say No to the VMC
We are writing in response to the Insights column [Aug. 15] regarding the proposed relocation of the Volunteer Ministries Center (VMC) to Broadway near 5th Avenue. Let us start by saying that we applaud the important work that VMC performs in helping the homeless and hope they continue to provide these services. However, with two large homeless service providers already in our neighborhood, and the negative impact such organizations can have on surrounding communities, we believe it makes more sense to locate VMC somewhere other than Broadway.
You wrote "...the presence of the VMC on [the 100 block of Gay Street] represents a deterrent to the realization of the block's full potential..." Hmmm. If that's the case, won't moving VMC to Broadway deter the realization of its full potential? Gay Street is not the only place people are trying to revitalize, and concentrating numerous homeless service providers in one small area makes it very difficult for the surrounding business and residential communities to thrive. We are in the Empowerment Zone and are actively trying to draw businesses to the area.
You also wrote that the proposed relocation site "is desirable from every standpoint—security, transportation, provision of services, and health of the surrounding area." We beg to differ. Broadway already suffers from security problems such as drug trafficking, prostitution, loitering, littering, and vagrancy. Those hardly seem like ideal circumstances for homeless people trying to get back on their feet. Furthermore, the surrounding neighborhoods already have issues with transients and property crime that may be linked to the existing homeless shelters.
Concentrating homeless facilities in one place, and particularly on Broadway, which is a main thoroughfare and primary access to downtown for adjacent neighborhoods, is a bad idea. Perhaps the VMC can relocate to an area that is already revitalized and can therefore better absorb the impact of a homeless shelter in its neighborhood. Again, we support the provision of services to the homeless, but we are already home to several such organizations and believe we have reached a saturation point.
Tina Rosling, President 4th & Gill Neighborhood Organization
Tomica Miller, President Old North Knoxville Neighborhood Organization
Beating UT into the Dirt
A few words regarding the Gamut article "Everything you need to know about UT..." by Amy York in the Aug. 15 issue: I am not a Tennessee native, and even I took offense at this article. Ms. York obviously has no regard for the thousands of people she attempts to ridicule in this article. In a time when people are struggling to pull together in the name of patriotism and worrying about what the next target of senseless terrorism might be, this article takes the already diminished morale of our campus community and attempts to beat it even further into the dirt.
I am frankly appalled that Metro Pulse supports this view by giving Ms. York a three-page spread to voice her distorted opinion. Don't the people of Tennessee have enough negativity to deal with without trying to give the wrong impression to incoming college students? I realize that this article is simply a bad attempt at taking certain facets of the UT community and making fun of them, but I am embarrassed for Ms. York for even putting her name on the article.
I have a good friend that always reminds me to look for the best in a situation. The glass is half full, Ms. York.
Barbara J. Craddock
Research Assistant, UT
Equal Time for KARM
Your recent [Aug. 15] article on the Volunteer Ministry Center was enjoyable and informative. I am truly pleased to see them seek to expand their services and wish them success in this endeavor. I thought that the description of Knox Area Rescue Ministries was somewhat incomplete, and believed that you might appreciate a more detailed summary of all that we do for our community.
While we do offer safe overnight shelter to men (Samaritan Place) and women (Hope Haven) every night, we do so much more—in programs and services that are designed to restore lives shattered by alcohol and drug addiction and afflicted with mental illness and poverty. We operate several programs, including Serenity Shelter (a residential treatment program for women fleeing domestic violence and/or struggling with alcohol and drug addiction) and Lazarus Hall (our residential recovery program for men). New Life Inn, our recovery program for families struggling with addiction, is the only shelter in Knoxville that allows families to remain safely intact while mothers and fathers address their substance abuse issues. We have over 150 beds dedicated to long-term recovery and treatment, and nearly 200 for overnight care, with the ability to expand if necessary.
New Direction Recovery Center, also located on our Broadway campus, is where we provide alcohol and drug counseling, group therapy, case management, vocational training opportunities, parenting skills, and other services. These are designed to help people rebuild their relationships with family, restore their physical, emotional and spiritual health, and revive their ability to gain and successfully maintain employment vital to their long-term success. We also serve about 700 meals a day to men, women and children, and in a unique partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Knoxville, provide nearly 1,000 meals a day for children in their programs.
As you mentioned in your article, we not only meet a critical need for overnight care—we also offer hope, realized most effectively through opportunities for a more successful life through our programs and witness to hurting people. The face of homelessness is changing: it is not primarily the bent and broken man, stumbling down the sidewalk, but rather the frightened and hungry faces of children, parents who are overwhelmed with how to cope with crushing poverty and addiction while adequately caring for their children, and desperate women seeking refuge from violence and degradation. Forty percent of the homeless population in Knoxville consists of members of a family unit, and 25 percent of the local homeless population is comprised of single women.
Thank you for bringing attention to the continuing plight of the poor and needy—and especially the homeless—in Knoxville. Our community is fortunate to have many organizations that are actively pursuing alternatives to homelessness and creating environments for effective and long-term success.
David F. Bryant
Director of Development
KARM
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