What is the crisis

The dismal conditions common in many large cities provide limited opportunities for enrichment in culture, reading, science, music and the arts. Students attending large city schools also experience higher teacher absenteeism, limited resources, overcrowded classrooms and are more likely to experience school failure, excessive school suspension and an overall poor quality of education.

As a result, they are less likely to receive a high school diploma and go on to college. Young people from urban neighborhoods often receive insufficient support at school or at home to prepare them for a successful academic future. The New York City Public High School graduation rate is currently at 50% and as low as 17% in many minority communities. Most of the students entering the Eagle Academy come in at level II or III, requiring substantive remediation to bring them up to grade standard.

The problem at hand cannot be blamed solely on our children. With more than 50% of marriages failing in today's society, children lack the support and guidance that the family structure once provided. Single parent homes have become the norm in today's inner city communities, with the sole parent oftentimes being the mother or grandparent. A drastic change is needed to overcome the problems faced by our children living in these communities. The problem of inadequate male leadership plaguing our inner-city communities has a ripple effect in the labor force where females currently out number males at
a ratio of 17 to 3.

For many young men, coping with the challenges of negative peer-pressure and basic survival often takes precedence over the values required for success. It is sobering and alarming to note that young men of color are more likely to be in prison than in college. Collectively, these factors present a formidable challenge for students, teachers and school administrators in cities across the country.

A decade ago, girls were seriously lagging behind boys in science and math. Today, girls have caught up and are out-performing boys. However, boys are falling further behind in reading and writing. The gender gap in literacy is even more dramatic when it comes to young men of color.  Data from the Department of Education and the State Department confirm this trend:

  • Boys receive 70% of D and F grades
  • Boys account for 80% of high school dropouts
  • Boys cause 80% of classroom behavioral problems
  • Boys represent up to 70% of children diagnosed with learning disabilities
  • Boys represent 80% of children diagnosed with behavioral problems
  • Boys lag behind girls in reading and writing  skills on average by a year to a year and a half
  • Boys represent up to 80% of children on Ritalin and other medicine used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • Boys represent less than 44% of America's college students

The crisis facing young men is very serious and very real!