Students Your Deliverance Is In Your Hands

[William Jackson]

This new academic year students must understand that there is more to them than just assessment scores. To prove testing scores do not truly represent student achievement this is a time for unification of parents, teachers and administrators. There is no need for blame, demotions, or ridicule; the time now is for unification with a common mission; the education of all our children and to show academic growth not stagnation, decline and denial. Personally I feel our students can do better as a teacher with 24 year. I would like all students who were faced with the dropping of their school or personal grade to know, do not allow your academic progress to be based on one test. Look at your growth in your classroom and continue to improve on AYP (Annual Yearly Progress). Students have an anointing that can overcome any challenge, but in order for this to manifest itself they must believe in themselves. Take the necessary steps to prove you are a success.

Students you have to believe in your abilities and know that Your Deliverance Is In Your Hands.

This blog is motivated by my Pastor and his teaching, Rev. Timothy Cole, Sr. of West Friendship Baptist Church. Students your anointing is not in material things that you have and your purchases. The purchases that you make are allowing others to benefit financially, your success comes from academic growth and not in your outerwear. Showing how much money your parents spend to make other people look good places more value on your outward appearance than your willingness to work hard for academic success. There are too many students who are dressed with expensive clothes, but not on grade level in reading and math. Parents should refocus the value of school not as a social scene, in the immortal words of Carter G. Woodson, an educated man (woman) is a better laborer (worker), than an ignorant one. Parents should focus education as a principal to success in life not as a secondary issue.

Students your goal is to graduate from High School, no matter what grade you are in, no matter your current academic or socioeconomic status. Your Deliverance Is In Your Hands. How is it in your hands, just evaluate your priorities.

My young brothers what are your plans for each day to benefit your success in academics? Are you going to hang out on the corner with your boys wasting another day skipping class? Are you going to smoke weed and get high for the day? Are you going to try and skeet some cat and risk HIV or other STD’s. Do you plan on continuing to waste your life and blame everyone else for your challenges and become a liability for society? My young sister’s is your day any better? Do you plan on demeaning yourself with unprotected sex by men who do not care about you, trying to impregnate you with words like ho*, slut, bit**. Young ladies what excites you today; getting a new weave and new nails? You may look good and smell good, but are you marketable to elevate yourself to get a job, can you enter into higher education (college) with a good GPA?

All these should be taken into consideration my sisters and brothers. Your life needs to be reevaluated so you can change a legacy of potential poverty, pregnancy and domestic neglect or violence and high school dropout.

Young men and women, all these things need to be considered, to value education and truly work to a future in business, finance, education, science, or politics. We are in a global economic society, the sky is the limit, but you first must value yourself and value education. Students should be empowered with the knowledge that no matter the social challenges that they have the situation does not define them. It is not permanent and can be overcome, it takes you delivering yourself through hard work and education just as Principal Maxey of Raines High School has stated many times.

As an educator here in DCPS my responsibility as my peers, administrators and support personnel extends to showing young people their gifts that are ingrained in them. To speak positively in their lives when others curse and demean them. Many young people because of the distractions of music, drugs, sex, and societal challenges sometimes do not recognize what is before them or in them, the power they have in controlling their destinies. We as models for our community must continue to show young people that in order for their gifts to manifest themselves they have to have a vision and faith in their anointed gifts, talents and skills. Our young people must be reminded at the start of this school year not to let situations, circumstances, and small minded people keep them from success. Ministerial leaders must pray over students and anoint them with oil and congregational prayers not just for success on tests, but throughout the school year and through to graduation. Our City Counsel members must put aside their political agendas and encourage the youth in their districts.

The political leadership of our communities needs to talk to our young ladies and men about their futures now instead of waiting for election time to get sound bytes and feel good pictures. Many of our young people claim to want to be in business, scientists, teachers, lawyers, doctors, pilots and enlist in the military, but what kind of people are they hanging out with?

Are they involved with business minded people in groups such as E3 Business Group are they participating in the Boys and Girls Clubs who encourage business growth by partnering with Taco Bells recent Graduate To Go Business Camp. Our young people are the future Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo, Mozilla developers. Students seeking to participate in internships need our local business leaders opening their doors to young people like the ACLU Northeast Florida which encourages internships. Students need to be embraced and mentored as in the case of E3 Business Group, Boys and Girls Club, Bridges of Northeast Florida, ACLU and the opportunities presented to young men ages 11 to 18 in the upcoming Boys2Men Symposium in Jacksonville, Florida that will be held on Saturday, October 2nd 2010. Churches should be making arrangements for their young men to attend instead of claiming monetary challenges, but claiming that faith can move mountains. Jesus feed over five thousand with bread and fish, our churches continue to feed our young peoples minds and intellects by getting involved in community events like the Boys2Men Symposium.

The power of life and death, success and failure is in the tongue, we should build up not tear down our young people with positive and encouraging words. Dr. Amy Lingren a district administrator and former Principal once commented that our students are so capable and talented we as educators need to show them the right way and not to write them off especially when they do not see their own potential. Even up and coming administrators as Mr. Daryl Hill former Behavior Specialist now Vice Principal works tirelessly being a positive force in young people through his community business interests and position within the school system. The commitment resides with administrators who can motivate their teachers, staff and excite parents to learning. The deliverance from academic failure, performing below grade level, academic retention, and dropping out should be a thing of the past. Parents don’t let athletic events be the highlight of the week. Highlight a reading night, a math night, and family night. Plan to attend Open House, School Board meetings, PTO/PTA meetings and School Advisory Groups to have a say in how schools are managed. Students don’t blame teachers, administrators, family or friends for your actions.

Your Deliverance Is In Your Hands. Don’t make excuses because in the middle of EXCUSES is U so move from excuse to SUCCESS. Pastor Torin Dailey of First Baptist Church of Oakland believes in students at his church, and the mission of service. “The Oak” has completed another successful back to school celebration “Youth Explosion 2010” for the families not just of “The First Baptist Church of Oakland, but for all of the surrounding communities. This is a great example of Ministry and service to the community. Many communities’ needs more focused Ministerial leader’s who are willing to come out of their houses of worship, embrace and help those who need help and prayer in our schools.

We must all remember the “Great Commission” is not just in God’s House, but extends out to the highways and byways and even in the hallways of our schools. We can “ministry” education in students at school and “minister” deliverance and salvation in church.

Students – Your Deliverance Is In Your Hands.