Apparently Hamlet had been very successful at this, but now there are questions.
I’ve also received calls from a few people, both inside the PPS and outside, who feel Hamlet deserves a chance to defend himself, and prove he can do the job. They say that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and all they are doing is tearing down another Black man. They feel that nationwide it has been proven that traditional methods are not working for the majority of Black youth, especially the Black males, so something different has to be tried.
I agree with having to try something different, as long as we don’t lose the other students who are use to the traditional education. Every child learns differently and it has been proven time and time again males and females learn differently as do Blacks and Whites. But this is not all. That is why every student needs to be individually evaluated with this in mind to find out which system is best for him or her.
As for Hamlet? What is best for him may not be best for the school system. He definitely deserves the right to clear his name not only for this job but also for future jobs. But do the students have time? The new school superintendent needs to be transitioning now, to be ready when school starts in September, not to mention summer school.
I’m trying to understand why the Palm Beach Post decided to investigate Hamlet’s record after he left his Palm Beach position instead of while he was there. Something other than his resume had to have stood out in order for him to hold the position he held in Palm Beach and for him to be singled out by the Pittsburgh school board.
Until I get more information I can’t decide which side of this issue I’m on. I understand the leaders position about the children. But I also understand a man’s life is on the line as well. Something has to be done soon. But right now I stand with the elected School Board. We elected these people to office to make these decisions I think we owe it to them to hear what they have to say after a quick investigation. None of the voices speaking out against Hamlet are elected officials.
Some say that the new person should have experience as a superintendent, but just because a person has great credentials doesn’t mean he will be able to do a great job.
The bottom line is we must do what is best for our children. Maybe I’m naïve, but I believe the Board will make the best decision for our children. Just remember, Bill Cowher, Chuck Noll, nor Mike Tomlin, had been a head-coach before the Steelers hired them. The Steelers were looking for fresh young minds.
***
A funeral fit for a king was the general consensus by all who observed the farewell to Muhammad Ali.
Not only did the people line the streets to get one last look, but also the buildings were packed at both services for Ali. One was a traditional Muslim service and the other more like a non-denomination service where all believers and non-believers in God could attend and speak. And some of the biggest entertainment, sports, and political figures in the world attended and spoke. It was like a who’s who event that will never be matched again.
Ali deserved it all. He lived his life entertaining others while giving all he could give in and out of the ring.
There were millions of people who hated him; there were also millions who loved him. Which side was the largest nobody knows. But one thing is for sure; the ones who hated him didn’t hate him because of anything he had done to them. It was his stand on Vietnam, his stand on racism in this country and throughout the world, but most of all because he dared to be a handsome Black man who shouted out how great he was, how pretty he was, how intelligent he was, how he could whup any man at a time, the 1960s, when Blacks were being told how how ugly we were, how dumb and stupid we were, and how inferior we were to the White man.
Yet here comes a brash young man who turns all that negativity around into positives.
Yes Joe Louis was great, and Blacks all over the country loved him, but Louis was great primarily in the ring. He didn’t have all the qualities, primarily the outgoing personality that Ali had. Ali did it in the ring and out.
Farewell Ali. Thanks, for all the good times.
(Ulish Carter is the managing editor of the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
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