Parents, members of community organizations, the media and the community at large are invited and encouraged to attend the Concerned Organizations for the Quality Education of Black Students meetings.
GOLIATH J. DAVIS, III, Ph.D. | Contributor
PINELLAS COUNTY — COQEBS (Concerned Organizations for the Quality Education of Black Students) resumed its community meetings on Nov. 6 and will continue to meet with the community and school district on the first Wednesday of each month from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. S, except for January, which is scheduled for Jan. 8. Meetings will continue each month through May with a break for the summer and resume in September of 2025.
Parents, members of community organizations, the media and the community at large are invited and encouraged to attend. COQEBS is the court-appointed organization responsible for monitoring the Pinellas County School District’s progress toward closing the achievement gap between Black and white scholars enrolled in Pinellas County public schools.
Currently, Black scholars as a group are not performing well and continue to be non-proficient when measured against indices of academic proficiency. In other words, as a group, Black students graduate far too often with concordance diplomas due to their failure to meet state requirements. Additionally, some Black scholars fail to meet requirements for a standard or concordance diploma and receive, instead, certificates of completion.
Working with the Pinellas District, COQEBS and district administrators developed a court-approved mediated Bridging the Gap Plan with six major goals and related strategies and objectives designed to close the gap between Black and white scholar achievement. The six-goal areas include:
- Graduation Rates
- Student Achievement
- Advanced Coursework
- Student Discipline
- ESE Identification
- Minority Hiring
The Bridging the Gap Plan has been in effect for the last seven years, and neither COQEBS nor the district is satisfied with progress to date. Serious, thoughtful work remains if we are to realize real, meaningful change. If we are to be successful, all relevant parties must do more. Parents and scholars are essential to success, and the African-American community must do what our ancestors did: value education and insist that our scholars perform. Integration has not been the answer and is not a substitute for hard work.
The district must ensure that all involved in the education enterprise, teachers, principals, coaches, etc., understand they must educate Black scholars. The problems are not relegated to the Transformation Zone. Black students in fundamental schools, “A,” “B” and “C” schools are failing as a group. Regrettably, some parents with children enrolled in these schools — north and south of Central Avenue — think all is well because their children are attending a “good school,” and some leaders and educators at these schools do not feel compelled to address failing Black students because of their schools’ letter grades.
I insist we all must do more. Parents, scholars, preachers, retired educators, fraternities, sororities, little league sports and cheerleader coaches and all the other thoughtful and caring individuals in our communities are encouraged to get engaged. While some of our scholars excel, the vast majority are not proficient.
Please join us at the COQEBS community meetings with district educators as we discuss the future of our scholars.
Dr. Goliath Davis is a former St. Petersburg police chief and deputy mayor who advocates for education in Pinellas County, focusing on Black student achievement.
