Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Ask members of the Western New York Education Task Force what matters most and their universal answer: The students.
Scandals and missteps by the Buffalo Board of Education play a secondary role in the task force's mission of improving the educational experience for the district's 30,000-plus students.
"We need the community to get more involved," said Janita Everhart, Buffalo Board of Education vice president.
True, the district has been rocked by a series of scandals and those must be dealt with, but the time is now to focus on educational matters.
That's the opinion of Bishop Michael Badger from the Bethesda World Harvest International Church on the city's East Side.
"We are in a crisis," Badger said. "We are graduating students who can't read or write."
With the new school year starting just after Labor Day, task force members say now is the time to focus on the students and not soap operas and controversies like the legal actions filed against Central District board Muki Hawkins over sexual and personal harassment allegations.
Hawkins remains on the board despite calls for his removal.
"It should be about the students," said University District Councilman Rasheed N.C. Wyatt.
The roundtable, put together b community activist Sam Radford, is a cross section of educational interests from both the private and public sector.
And don't under estimate the collective will power of the students, said Pastor James Giles.
Many want to learn but feel handcuffed by outdated educational standards.
"Our students are not idiots," Giles said, "They want to learn."
The WNY Education Equity Task Force focuses on better education in schools
The WNY Education Equity Task Force focuses on better education in schools
