April 15, 2010

I recently visited a small school right here in Trenton and saw something that blew me away: a three year old boy writing his name. I have a three year old who, in his own learning environment, is beginning to learn to do the same. But the child I saw, according to the man who runs this school, knows his alphabet and his numbers, and is beginning to read. There is learning going on in Trenton.

Baye Kemit runs the Garvey School, located on Warren Street. He is a Trenton native, educated in its public schools, and has made education his career choice and life mission. The child I witnessed completing the writing exercise was his son, a student at the private school. Kemit says all three year olds are capable of learning and performing just like his son, and the others at his school. They just have to be taught the right way. That “right way”, in his opinion, involves creating and implementing curriculum that will cater specifically to a predominately African American population of students, as Trenton public schools are. Many think it is radical, since there are students of other nationalities and ethnic groups in our schools.

You will see and hear more in this blog space about Mr. Kemit’s ideas, his school, and how he would like public school leadership in Trenton to consider trying a different approach to encourage our young people to learn and achieve in school.

Skip Harrison is an educator, freelance journalist, and parent, residing in Trenton, New Jersey.