Bakari Sellers: The Greatest Problem We Have in America Is that Children Are Punished Because of the Zip Code They’re Born Into

JENNINGS I don t ░░░░░░░░ they re cutting the ░░░░░░░░ They want to send ░░░░░░░░ money directly to the ░░░░░░░░ O LEARY That s ░░░░░░░░ JENNINGS Respectfully if this ░░░░░░░░ that is in place ░░░░░░░░ at the federal and ░░░░░░░░ level no matter what ░░░░░░░░ you re talking about ░░░░░░░░ re doing such a ░░░░░░░░ up job we wouldn ░░░░░░░░ have these terrible reading ░░░░░░░░ We wouldn t have ░░░░░░░░ terrible math and science ░░░░░░░░ Something is broken And ░░░░░░░░ s one more issue ░░░░░░░░ no one s talking ░░░░░░░░ and that is the ░░░░░░░░ of truancy We ve ░░░░░░░░ 30 plus percent truancy ░░░░░░░░ in some places Not ░░░░░░░░ can these kids not ░░░░░░░░ we cannot even find ░░░░░░░░ The bureaucracy has failed ░░░░░░░░ Allison You know who ░░░░░░░░ a program for that ░░░░░░░░ Harris SELLERS Exactly I ░░░░░░░░ not disagree with either ░░░░░░░░ you all on the ░░░░░░░░ that we are not ░░░░░░░░ our children well enough ░░░░░░░░ LEARY But you want ░░░░░░░░ state to inaudible SELLERS ░░░░░░░░ not And let me ░░░░░░░░ you why I want ░░░░░░░░ to be oversight I ░░░░░░░░ t necessarily want there ░░░░░░░░ be a blow to ░░░░░░░░ but I what I ░░░░░░░░ want is every every ░░░░░░░░ in this country to ░░░░░░░░ an opportunity to succeed ░░░░░░░░ and and let me ░░░░░░░░ tell you the biggest ░░░░░░░░ we have in this ░░░░░░░░ because you said unions ░░░░░░░░ will push back on ░░░░░░░░ and say that the ░░░░░░░░ problem we have is ░░░░░░░░ fact that children are ░░░░░░░░ in this country because ░░░░░░░░ the zip code that ░░░░░░░░ re born into And ░░░░░░░░ you can find me ░░░░░░░░ parity O LEARY Different ░░░░░░░░ Allison No It s ░░░░░░░░ because the school Cross ░░░░░░░░ JENNINGS You can solve ░░░░░░░░ with school choice PHILLIP ░░░░░░░░ on a second Kevin ░░░░░░░░ mean SELLERS The problem ░░░░░░░░ that every choice wouldn ░░░░░░░░ be there PHILLIP I ░░░░░░░░ want to adjust what ░░░░░░░░ is saying okay Let ░░░░░░░░ say that you get ░░░░░░░░ of the bureaucracy at ░░░░░░░░ Department of Education How ░░░░░░░░ you ensure that kids ░░░░░░░░ actually being educated and ░░░░░░░░ they re not just ░░░░░░░░ moved out O LEARY ░░░░░░░░ think at the state ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP No no O ░░░░░░░░ they hate kids they ░░░░░░░░ children PHILLIP No no ░░░░░░░░ they re not just ░░░░░░░░ Allison You think at ░░░░░░░░ federal level they hate ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP that they re ░░░░░░░░ just being moved out ░░░░░░░░ the public school system ░░░░░░░░ it s easier to ░░░░░░░░ them out than to ░░░░░░░░ them O LEARY The ░░░░░░░░ thing about education you ░░░░░░░░ t deny is the ░░░░░░░░ and math scores Unfortunately ░░░░░░░░ is the metric by ░░░░░░░░ we test PHILLIP But ░░░░░░░░ you understand my question ░░░░░░░░ LEARY No I get ░░░░░░░░ It s not dealing ░░░░░░░░ the issue PHILLIP But ░░░░░░░░ you take the lowest ░░░░░░░░ kids and you just ░░░░░░░░ them out of the ░░░░░░░░ guess what those reading ░░░░░░░░ math scores are going ░░░░░░░░ do They re going ░░░░░░░░ go up So how ░░░░░░░░ you prevent school failure ░░░░░░░░ LEARY For them to ░░░░░░░░ up you need great ░░░░░░░░ Allison Well I think ░░░░░░░░ s also a concept ░░░░░░░░ teaching to the test ░░░░░░░░ actually doesn t create ░░░░░░░░ thinking skills to prepare ░░░░░░░░ to go out and ░░░░░░░░ thriving adults You can ░░░░░░░░ have a student go ░░░░░░░░ college and or go ░░░░░░░░ high school or go ░░░░░░░░ grade school O LEARY ░░░░░░░░ hate to tell you ░░░░░░░░ Allison Let me finish ░░░░░░░░ me finish Thank you ░░░░░░░░ just be taught to ░░░░░░░░ test And so you ░░░░░░░░ you know why I ░░░░░░░░ Because I had an ░░░░░░░░ I will never forget ░░░░░░░░ was a teacher I ░░░░░░░░ never forget We were ░░░░░░░░ to take our regions ░░░░░░░░ I we were really ░░░░░░░░ to make sure our ░░░░░░░░ so we were we ░░░░░░░░ teaching to the test ░░░░░░░░ same night I went ░░░░░░░░ and watched the episode ░░░░░░░░ The Wire and they ░░░░░░░░ the exact same thing ░░░░░░░░ they were teaching to ░░░░░░░░ test We were not ░░░░░░░░ my students and I ░░░░░░░░ O LEARY What percentage ░░░░░░░░ your colleagues when you ░░░░░░░░ a teacher you know ░░░░░░░░ How many Allison I ░░░░░░░░ that I come from ░░░░░░░░ family of educators My ░░░░░░░░ is an educator My ░░░░░░░░ was a superintendent My ░░░░░░░░ is a teacher I ░░░░░░░░ teaching is one of ░░░░░░░░ hardest professions O LEARY ░░░░░░░░ agree Allison And I ░░░░░░░░ when you wake up ░░░░░░░░ day and you say ░░░░░░░░ am going to take ░░░░░░░░ of other people s ░░░░░░░░ and try and advance ░░░░░░░░ O LEARY You re ░░░░░░░░ answering my question SELLERS ░░░░░░░░ will tell you this ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ don t think every ░░░░░░░░ no no because I ░░░░░░░░ that it is so ░░░░░░░░ O LEARY They re ░░░░░░░░ just great Allison I ░░░░░░░░ it is so easy ░░░░░░░░ people to be so ░░░░░░░░ to teachers It is ░░░░░░░░ hard profession O LEARY ░░░░░░░░ re not answering the ░░░░░░░░ Allison In every single ░░░░░░░░ there are people who ░░░░░░░░ good and there are ░░░░░░░░ who could be better ░░░░░░░░ LEARY Out of 10 ░░░░░░░░ many sucked How many ░░░░░░░░ of 10 PHILLIP All ░░░░░░░░ let me ask a ░░░░░░░░ Allison: “One, maybe.”