ASK DR. DELORIS 

Dr. Deloris Brown grew up in an era when the rule for children was, "a child should be seen and not heard." At that time, educators believed a child was an empty vessel waiting to be filled by teachers. She remembers the desire to be expressive, bursting with brilliant and creative viewpoints. Today, as a public school administrator, she has built a remarkable career in education by making her students partners in their community of learning, a practice stemming from the agonizing enforced restraint of her own adolescent years of feeling voiceless.

Dr. Deloris, as we fondly call her here, began her teaching career in the New York public schools in special education at the primary level, and then moved on to teach English at Roosevelt High School in the Bronx, a school with more than 4,000 students.  She quickly became one of the lead teachers in an English department with over 30 teachers. As was typical of master teachers, many of the tougher at-risk students were assigned to her, and Dr. Brown taught some of the toughest.

Remarkably, her classes were noticeably the most attentive, which she attributes to her ability to connect with students and create community inside the classroom. Her success was measured and proven by the progress of her students, many of who, before her class, had never read a book through from beginning to end. To her credit, many came to develop a love for literature along with a greater level of self-awareness.

Throughout a very impressive journey, with credentials ranging from  a bachelor in English Literature, and Politics and Public Affairs to a Masters in Public Administration; a Masters in Education Administration and most recently a Doctorate in School Leadership, Dr. Deloris has developed her philosophy through "action research," not in theory, but by practice. Her passion is instructional leadership with a holistic approach that builds and commits to community. She emphatically clarifies the difference between leadership and management, which is very important to her, "a leader takes full responsibility of laying out the plan, and takes each step demonstratively - as a mentor; a manager, on the other hand, simply tells people what to do as an overseer." This segues into one of Dr. Deloris's key beliefs, that EVERY child needs a mentor.

Dr. Deloris has practiced and mastered the steps as teacher, assistant principal, principal and administrator - and here helps us sort through the best options for our children. As we continue in partnership to redesign the education system for every child, we are delighted to engage in dialogue with our passionate expert, Dr. Deloris, and our community of teachers, students, parents and leaders through the Harlem Torch on the world wide web.

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Keira's Added 

2-Cents

 The execution of Stanley “Tookie” Williams, in 2005, pierced my heart, to the lament of my very soul. To think that the right intervention or a word from a caring teacher, an administrator or a vigilant counselor when he was just a child, could have changed the course of his life. 

Tookie’s childhood, fear-driven and darkened by misinformation from an oppressive system, caused him to turn his ingenious capacity to a barbarian level of self-preservation. And the thought of his coming to the knowledge of the truth, too late, is gut wrenching. As the final days of Tookie’s execution story unfolded in the media, there stirred up an uneasiness within me, which seemed to draw close to our home of Harlem. I could not see him as the founder of the Crip gang, but as a scared, misguided child, pushed aside and disenfranchised, left to make sense of the world around him, alone. I have seen this child in our Harlem schools. 

We hold precious lives in our hands, with the power to transform them or further injure a child’s human dignity, weakening his/her ability to fight against the odds. I am opposed to the punitive system of detention, without first exercising more edifying behavior modification techniques. The transformation of students who come from disadvantaged conditions, overwhelmed by disappointment will not occur through more disappointment or repressive penalty, but by the offer of hope. 

It was my privilege to have learned a great deal as an activist in the New York public school system, and I have particularly embraced many components of the Boys Choir of Harlem philosophies in education. Boys Choir of Harlem was founded with a vision to empower children within a system that seemed to be failing young minority men in the inner city. 

The Boys Choir of Harlem system worked by lifting disadvantaged students to a standard that prepares them to compete at the mainstream level by re-igniting the will to achieve. For the typical student served by Boys Choir of Harlem, a type of student who has used individual gifts, genius and ingenuity for survival of the basic needs, there must be a motivational design to redirect the focus. These transforming techniques boost self-esteem and assuredness that follow students in the classroom. Success is then a combination of factors: discipline, stamina building, and exposure, driven by artistry and the influence of excellence through a taste of celebrity on a world stage. This model is an inversion of the current penal modification practiced, of fear and punishment that we see in the current urban education system with detention, suspension, and deprivation. 

My desire is to get back to the “it takes a village” concept and internalize that no child is a hopeless case. There is a root cause to every behavior problem and in most cases, children desire to be able to express themselves, learn in a way they understand, and find acceptance. Last summer, one of the former students of the Boys Choir of Harlem’s Choir Academy who worked as a Summer Music Institute counselor, reached back to some of those old school principles and visited one of our student’s homes. He wanted so badly to reach a young man that he went the extra mile and got to the root of the problem. 

I remember growing up watching my father, an educator and civil rights leader during that era, making those same efforts. He purposed to never lose a child. The reciprocal rewards from his passionate servants heart were far-reaching, exceeding his imagination – and he never lost a child. *

ASK DR. DELORIS

Name: Crystal

Question: Dr. Deloris, I am a senior at Choir Academy of Harlem and I was just wondering what were your reasons for leaving? You were and excellent principal when I was in the ninth grade. 

Dear Choir Academy Senior, 

I would like to congratulate you for persevering through high school! Being the principal of Choir Academy of Harlem (CAH) was an awesome experience. Getting to know the students and their parents was one of the assignments that I valued most. 

The students at CAH were among the most exceptionally talented and honorable young people that I have ever encountered. However, a time comes in every principal's life when they must make tough decisions about their future when faced with circumstances that are beyond their control. Sometimes when making those difficult decisions, they must let go of people and places they truly believe in and value. These extremely tough decisions are made in order to continue the work that they do; "advocating for what's best for kids in education." 

In short, that is what I did. I made a decision based upon a variety of circumstances that were beyond my control. However, please know that I will always treasure the time spent with "my choir students." 

Best Wishes for a successful senior year!

Name: Al M.

Question: My son has spent his school years in private school. We are now in the process of looking at high schools in New York City. What high schools do you recommend?

Dear New to Public School Parent: 

It is difficult for me to recommend a school because so much of finding the right “fit” for your son will depend upon a variety of variables. These variables usually are a mixture between your parental educational expectations for, your child, the school system; and what your son thinks high school should offer him. 

Since it would take a thorough assessment of the aforementioned items, I can only share some helpful insights that other parents have found useful. As you search for the “best” school that will prepare your son for his post high school graduation endeavors, you will probably have to do some basic research. 

Seek professional guidance from your son’s guidance counselor. Be sure to ask the counselor to inform you of the NYC high school application process, and the specific deadlines. Since your son is attending private school, you may have to contact the Department of Education (DOE) directly if the counselor does not provide the information that you need. If that is the case, you should contact the DOE right away to learn more about their schools and the admissions process. When contacting the DOE you may want to inquire about ascertaining the following resources: 

NYC High School Directory High School Applications (Deadlines may be as early as March 1st) Dates for High School Fairs Dates for Parent Workshops Dates for School Tours For additional enrollment information go to: http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/NewStudents/default.htm 

Some questions that parents have asked of social workers and guidance counselors include the following: 

1) What are the admissions requirements, if any? 

2) What kinds of facilities does this school have? Are they adequate for my child's needs? 

3) Does my son feel comfortable in a large high school or a smaller one. 

4) Does my son want to travel outside of his community or remain close by? 

5) How many students who start at this school graduate on time…and what are the percentages going on to college, vocational schools, military, or the workforce? 

6) Does my child have a special talent or desire to explore a particular area of study like; the Arts (music, drama, dance, visual or graphic arts etc.); Technology, Engineering, Math, Social Justice Issues, Writing, or Science, etc. 

7) What type of environment best fits his personality…a highly competitive Specialize School where high achieving student are admitted after successfully passing an academically challenging entrance exam? Or, 

a) a Small Learning Community or Small School where under 400 - 500 students interact with one another in a close knit community with a specific mission? 

b) Career and Technical Education School where he is placed on a particular career path that prepares him to enter the workforce or continue his studies at the college level etc. 

For a fuller understanding and a more detailed explanation of each type of school choice available, go to: http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/High/Choices/default

Finally, all public schools publish a school report card. This report will provide valuable information on the following: 

School’s Mission, Special Academic Programs, Extracurricular Activities, Student Population, Number of students involved in Police Department Incidents, Profile of Entering Ninth and Tenth Graders, Students Plans after Graduation, and most importantly, School’s Accountability Status; which simply reveals if students in this school Met or Did NOT Meet Academic Yearly Progress (AYP) based upon a statewide formula that measures progress through specific items including State Regents exam results and high school graduation rate etc. 

To find a School Report Card you will need to know the region and district for the school in question, then go to: http://schools.nyc.gov/daa/SchoolReports

Name: jerlene 

Question: How does it benefit the children when they take their citywide exams so early in the year when they are really not ready???  

Dr. Deloris's Answer:

Jerlene, You did not state your connection to the children so I hope that the information below is not redundant but thorough enough to assist you: 

Tests are benchmark assessments. They are designed to measure student progress at a specific point or grade. Through them, feedback is given regarding progression towards specific learning goals / standards mandated by the government in any given content or grade. 

Tests also provide feedback to parents and educators regarding the quality of the curriculum and instructional delivery. They measure the quality of the "teaching" or instructional delivery that takes place in the classroom. 

For example, if you were taking a 2-year class to learn how to speak Chinese, the only way to know how well you are learning the language would be to assess your progress at the end of each year or semester. Since you will be instructed by 2 teachers, one for each semester, an assessment or test should be given at the end of each semester. The test will let both you and the instructor know if you have mastered Chinese 101 and should go on to Chinese 102. This process would be repeated at the end of each semester whether you are ready or not because the learning goals were established before you started the class. 

These learning goals stated that you can master Chinese in 2 years. You will be a certain point by the end of year 1 and should master Chinese by the end of year two. Thus, your progress must be measured through a test at the end of year 1. The test will: 

a) let you know what you've learn and; b) let your instructors know if what he/she taught in the classroom worked. So when you take your assessment for Chinese 102 at the end of year 2, your test not only measures what you have learned in year two, but also what you have learned in year one.

Overall, the concept of using tests to measure student academic progress basically comes from the business world. Corporations consistently design ways to measure their progress towards their goals. In other words, student test results should provide feedback regarding the student’s mastery of specific academic knowledge they should know by a certain time in each grade. 

The tests that your student is taking in the 5th grade measures and provides feedback regarding the academic achievement of the student.....AND whether or not his/her teachers were successful at getting him /her to learn the K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and part of the 5th grade curriculum. So contrary to popular belief, the 5th grade citywide test (or any other test) is not only testing 5th grade knowledge, but knowledge that should have been acquired in previous grades. 

Finally, it is important to note that the tests are aligned with New York State Learning Standards. Also, the curriculum taught by the teacher is approved by New York City Department of Education and should also be aligned to NYS Learning Standards. For additional information regarding what students should learn and be able to do at each grade level go to:

1. New York State Learning Standards: 

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nysatl/standards.html 

To learn more about NYC curriculum matters; what is taught at a specific grade level contact: 

2. Teaching and Learning Division of NYC Department of Education 

Deputy Chancellor Dr. Marcia Lyles 

Email: mvlyles@schools.nyc.gov 52 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007 (212) 374-5115 phone (212)374-5588 Fax