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Is Aldine ISD’s Kujawa a hypocrite?

As I analyzed the April 12, 2004 This Week’s section, in Houston’s only daily newspaper, an article (“Aldine ISD is finalists for national award”), literally jumped out at me. On second thought, jumped isn’t a strong enough word, because it was more like being slapped in the face, or having salt poured into a still open wound to read: “For Nadine Kujawa, closing the academic performance gap between economically disadvantaged children and those of affluent backgrounds counts more than grade-point averages, test scores and college admissions data.”
“As superintendent of schools for Aldine Independent School District, she sees helping the have-nots excel in reading, math and science as a way to upgrade the nation's future work force, strengthen the economy and stabilize families and communities.” Or, perhaps, you’d get a better idea of where I’m coming from if I said the political correct article added insult to grievous injury. But it makes no different how I say it, what it comes down to is that the article made me as mad as hell. And the more I read the it the madder I got, Insofar as a mainstream media’s writer (Ronald Boyce Walker), as usual failed to even come close to mentioning the story behind the story, that surely would have made Kujawa a hypocrite, at best and a damn liar at the very worse.

However, what concerns me-- more than anything else-- is that “whitewashed,” special interest articles, ultimately becomes history for African American’s future generations, because library’s major source of information for historical archives are mainstream newspapers. And the following text is what minority kids will most likely read about Aldine ISD, that is a finalist for the 2004 Board Prize for Urban Education: “Kujawa's hope to see the achievement gap reduced for children on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder was boosted recently when the Aldine Independent School District was named one of five national finalists for the Broad Prize for Urban Education.” I like feel good stories too. Especially when a $500,000 award goes to the winning district.

On the other hand, it’s just downright hypocritical for Kujawa to take credit for making Aldine ISD a District “that makes the greatest overall improvement in student achievement, while closing the achievement gap across ethnic and socioeconomic groups,” or the Houston Chronicle to praise her for doing so, when it certainly knows the story behind the story. Maybe I’m expecting too much from Kujawa, but ideally an objective newspaper is obligated to, at least, mention that Aldine ISD was forced to abide by a desegregation mandate that forced them to provide the best possible education for minority students, after a long and bitter battle of over a quarter of century. Even worse, the high achieving kids that are graduating this year are the fruits of that desegregation plan that Kujawa (at the behest of Aldine ISD) fought like hell to dismantle.
Aldine ISD is guaranteed to receive $125,000 in scholarship money for graduating seniors aside, but I doubt it very seriously that the kids, who made the district a finalist for the 2004 Broad Prize for Urban Education, would have had such a solid foundation if the desegregation plan hadn’t been in place. But, African American News & Issues, as Black America’s watcher on the wall and strongest editorial voice would be remiss not to set history straight. Therefore we offer our estimated 2 million readers this excerpt from an article (“Aldine ISD are citizens draw in the sand”), from AAN&Is Sept. 11-17, 2002 edition, which gives insight into how Aldine ISD became the great district that it has: “Since 1965, AISD has operated under a federal court order requiring the district to desegregate its schools to the extent practicable.”

“During that time a federal court has exercised oversight of the school district’s operations in the areas of student assignment, employment of personnel, faculty and staff assignment, transportation, extracurricular activities, and facilities.” Aldine ISD won when the U.S. Department of Justice, the plaintiff in the district’s desegregation case, gave glowing reports of how Aldine had been in compliance with the desegregation order. Citizens asked a very profound question, however, “If the district is doing so well under this order, why change it now?” That question was never sufficiently answered to satisfy community leaders that rallied in favor of maintaining the desegregation plan.“What will be the improvement by changing this status and what great things are going to be accomplished by this?” asked Rev. Samuel Cosby of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church,” the AAN&I further explained. “Other pastors who came in support of the Chamber Plan (Please visit AAN&Is September 2002 archives to review the Acres Home Citizens Chamber of Commerce’s plan and other details about our battle with Aldine ISD) were Rev. Raymond Hillis of Progressive MBC, Rev. John H. Wilburn of Greater New Hope BC and Rev. James McLaughlin, pastor of Ward Chapel.” Kujawa’s weak response to that persisting question was, “The school district will be able to build schools through the district without going to the court to get a permit.” Ironically, Aldine Board of Trustees that helped Kujawa the most were Black.
Yes, I’m naming and shaming past Aldine ISD board presidents: Emmit Hill, A. W. Jones and Mildred Jones, community leaders Earl Harris and Mary Paul retired Aldine employee from Acres Homes who supported Kujawa at the expense of their own children and grandchildren. And the reason

I’m saying all of this, is to say that I want our future generations, who definitely will be fighting the same battles that their parents and grandparents are fighting today, to be fully aware of the sad fact that some of the very Black folks, who Aldine ISD honored-- by putting their names on some of their schools-- were the Judas Goat, sell-out, Black faces in high places who sold them out and kept their community from controlling its own destiny… that starts with educating our own children.

In other words, I want them to know how a hard earned civil rights victory was down played. I also want them to know that it was not only racist White folks, but also self serving Black folks who’re responsible for their generation’s lack of the same quality education (that the national award winning 2004 graduating seniors got under the desegregation order), when they joined forces to help Aldine ISD return to its discriminating past.