FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- 2/29/2008
Contact: Rev. Reginald Early – 540-687-8230; rgnear@aol.com
The Loudoun County Branch of the NAACP is pleased to announce its new partnership with the Howard University Department of Education to assist Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) in eliminating its minority student achievement gap.
Howard University, located in Washington D.C., is the number one producer of African-American PhDs in the US, as well as Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright Scholars, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and numerous other academic notables. Faculty members participating in the NAACP/LCPS project from this premier university include: Lois Harrison-Jones, EdD; Aaron B. Stills, PhD; and Dawn G. Williams, PhD. They will be working closely with Loudoun County NAACP members: Rev. Reginald A. Early, President; Bill Sweeney and Pam Taggart. Early, Sweeney and Taggart are also members of LCPS’ Minority Student Achievement Committee (MSAAC).
Dr. Harrison-Jones visited the February 21, 2008, MSAAC meeting and made a brief presentation to the Committee and LCPS Administrators, including Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick.
Dr. Stills, a psychologist, plans to present a proposal to the MSAAC and LCPS for cultural competence/diversity training for LCPS personnel in the near future. On February 6, 2008, Superintendent Hatrick agreed to implement a MSAAC Steering Committee recommendation to make this training mandatory for all licensed personnel. Dr. Hatrick has said that mandatory training will begin with the 2008-2009 school year.
LCPS has instituted many programs directed toward eliminating the minority achievement gap during the years that the Loudoun County Branch NAACP has also been working on this issue. No one in the NAACP doubts the sincerity of the majority of LCPS administrators and the School Board in these efforts. However significant gaps in reading scores at the elementary and middle school levels--as well as in graduation rates from high school--remain. Noting that the ratio of minority students to the overall student population far exceeds the ratio of minority teachers to the overall faculty numbers, the partnership hopes to increase the hiring of minority personnel in addition to the mandatory training.
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