Jackson: ‘CPS right to rethink $25 mil on cops in schools’

8^th Million Father March seeks 1 mil dads

 

By Chinta Strausberg

 

Spending $25 million a year to assign cops in schools is not a good investment, and it will not result in reduced violence and disruption, Phillip Jackson, founder/executive director of The Black Star Project, said Monday as he announced plans to have 1 million attend his September 6^th Million Father March.

Armed with more than 400 members, 600 volunteers and hundreds of churches, Jackson responded to a Chicago Sun-Times report saying CPS officials are reportedly rethinking this anti-violence strategy.

Agreeing with CPS’ change of heart of its current security plan, Jackson said his plan would be much more cheaper and effective than spending $25 million a year for the presence of police in schools.

 “It’s a better investment to connect schools with communities and parents than to provide more police protection,” said Jackson. “They should get more community and parental involvement including faith base involvement. Spending $25 million a year on police alone will not give you best results for reducing violence and disruption in schools.”

The schools are not educating their children. We’ve got to take more control of that process.

Jackson announced the Black Star Project is expecting 700 cities across America to participate in the eighth annual Million Father March, which will be held on Tuesday, September 6, 2011.

“This is the first year we are expecting 1 million fathers to take their children to school.” Jackson said the best way to achieve student achievement is by getting parents involved. “It’s the less expensive way,” he said. “We don’t invest in helping parents become the most important people in the education of their children.”

“America is in a global education race and we’re losing bad,” said Jackson.  “Countries from all over the world are doing much better educationally than we are and that is a predictor to the economic status of America in 10-to-20-years,” he explained.

“If we’re in 24^th (educational position) this year, we’ll be 24 economically in 10-to-20 years. This is why we have to change this. It’s about whether America is going to be successful in the future.” “The schools are not educating their children. We’ve got to take more control of that process,” he stated.

In holding his eighth Million Father’s March Day, this is the first year he is paring one church with one school. “There are 650 public schools in Chicago and 125 private schools,” he said.

Last year, Jackson said 609 cities participated in the Million Father’s March where more than 800,000 fathers took their children to school.

“On September 6^, 2011, we want the men to leave their churches in wrapping their arms of protection, safety and encouragement around the children of their partner schools.”

Jackson said his organization would stand in solidarity with 700 cities on September 6^th, which is this year’s official Million Father’s March Day.

To contact Jackson, call: 773-285-9600 or e-mail him at: blackstar1000@Ameritech.net.

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host.