Educational Malpractice

Greetings of Yem Hotep, as we have been discussing the educational responsibilities of coming forth by day and transforming into a practice of cultural excellence, it should be apparently noted  that the rhetoric from excellence in speech must be coupled with the reality of excellence in action. To reach external professional standards of excellence in practice, we must internally be cognizant of the fact that in the professional domain of titles, degrees and certifications outside the field of education, there must also be valid and authentic evidence of excellence within the practice of that profession. Yet in the field of urban education, children are routinely damaged as by-products from the professional practice of mis-education, often times in absence of consequence or cause. These children representing the missed educational system, are then given the professional labels of being low-performers or under-achievers who didn’t study hard enough, were remedial or just not developed enough in their talents to be at grade level. The traditional practice is to then further project blame and victimization on the students and parents by developing a laundry list of all of their educational defaults, deficits and deficiencies. But as we are very much aware in this society, everything that glitters is not gold and everything that is said is not always a true indicator of what is real. The real deal reality is that there are still those few in the profession of teaching who call themselves educators, without really teaching or educating children. Their university degrees and state certificates say one thing, but there inabilities and oppositional actions truly suggest something else. But in contemporary urban educational circles, we know for fact that they are not excommunicated from the practice and continue to be rewarded through tenure and recycled throughout urban school districts across the country. Yet in other professional industries, if someone is injured through professional mis-practice, it is referred to as malpractice. But only with the “ghettoization” of urban inner city school systems can the failed practice of non-professionalism continue. Ironically enough these same children now being victimize, represent the direct descendants of emancipated slaves who too were victimized by a no-education system. Now here we are 500 years later and we see the continued damage of the adjudicated victims in a post-segregated low-level dis-educational school system. In proper context this means that the social rupture and cultural damage from the Maafa is still alive and well, existing deeply within the core of the urban public school systems. These Maafa remnants are still inflicting educational and emotional injury by the perpetuation of mental mindsets that produce low expectations, non-professionalism and basement standards considered as acceptable norms. As the Afrikan proverb teaches, “No one rises to low expectation.”Anyone can practice the art of mediocrity, but only those who truly strive for excellence will be recognized as true authentic masters in their discipline and exemplifiers in their practice. Regardless of title, position or responsibility as teacher, paraprofessional, maintenance worker, food service, administrator, secretary, security or support staff, scholar, parent or community member we must return back to the timeless Afrikan non-negotiable standard of becoming a professional through the excellence of practice.  Remember, we are still bonded by the same oath of professional excellence taken by Imhotep, thousands of years ago as he deeply pondered on the logic and algorithms that caused him to be internationally recognized as a standard bearer of professional education and cultural excellence. We must realize that we are now the new generation of Sankofa professionals, who will re-commit to excellence in profession and practice.