Nyberg comments on Wylmarie Sykes letter to Proviso Herald

Dr. Wylmarie N. Sykes, Chairman, Operation Safe Child, sent the following letter to the Proviso Herald.

I've added some commentary.

This community is suffering from a failure to take control. We are suffering from a failure to take control of the behavior of our young people.

Do successful communities aspire to control their young people? And is it young people that are screwing-up our schools? Or adults who are considered respected members of the community?

A few days ago, I drove into a gas station at First Avenue and Madison Street. Many students were coming out of Proviso East High School . School personnel were standing on the northeast corner keeping order as the students streamed past them. On the south east corner, where we were getting gas, I saw two policemen apprehending someone. Then we pulled out of the gas station and turned onto Madison going west. At Second Avenue and Madison, we almost ran into many Proviso East students running and fighting in the street. Approximately 75 students were spread out between Second and Third Avenues, fighting, congregating, and blocking Madison Street so that cars could not pass in either direction.

Sykes runs an organization supposedly focused on children, right? Is she concerned about the welfare of the students involved in the fight? Or is she more concerned about whether vehicle owners can drive on Madison?

This is outrageous and intolerable. The students appeared to be out of control. They did not seem to have either the intelligence or the values to step away from violence.

Stepping away from violence is often easier to preach than to do. Do you think Proviso East students would choose to attend a violent school if they had a choice in the matter?

Something must be done.

Let me guess, Dr. Sykes thinks giving her organization more money would help.

The school officials were out on school property keeping order. The police were out and present but were busy apprehending other criminals.

Everyone apprehended by the police is a criminal? "Criminal" is the word Sykes uses to describe the young people on the scene?

The schools and the police cannot do everything. The community and the parents have to take control and responsibility for the behavior of the young people of our community.

And having bougie Blacks scold the hoi polloi has been so effective at getting people to treat each other with more respect in Proviso.

Operation Safe Child attempts to teach Maywood students how to be safe, to use good character habits, and to have good attitudes about being law abiding citizens. But, we are only able to work with 700 fourth and fifth grade students. That is only a drop in the bucket of what is needed. This program is very effective, but it needs to be expanded.

Yeah, she wants our money.

But in the meantime, the community and the parents have to take control and responsibility for the behavior of the young people of our community. I suggest that parents be fined for the misbehavior of their children. When older students are picked up on the streets for fighting and other misbehavior, the parents should be fined. When younger students are caught fighting or misbehaving in school, again, the parents should be fined.

Does Sykes know that the police do write tickets for minors that break the law and the parents (guardians) do have to pay? If the self-styled leaders of the community don't know how basic law enforcement works....

Going further, we would not have such low performances in our schools if our students were all doing their homework. If parents properly supervised their children’s homework, achievement scores would rise.

Aren't the local elites responsible for electing screw-ups to the school boards? Aren't the local elites responsible for putting incompetent cronies into education administration? No, the teachers and local elites blame the students and parents.

If Proviso Township just had the students and parents that River Forest has, all the incompetent cronies could still get jobs at the schools and the parents would make sure the students were educated. And no one would realize that the schools are run by a bunch of screw-ups. And the local Black elites could still be paying themselves the big salaries and nobody would complain. Because the students would be getting good test scores... and more importantly, not obstructing Dr. Sykes' car.

Therefore, if a student does not bring his homework to school, the parents should be fined a few dollars.

How about we fine every person suckling at the government tit--including at grant funded non-profits--making over $45,000/year until we have competent governance of our schools?

If this were done consistently from Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade, positive changes would soon occur.

I'll bet fining the people with power would produce results faster than trying to collect $5 from single parents working two jobs without benefits.

With more parents supervising and controlling their children, we would soon have some of the best schools in the area.

If Dr. Sykes thinks that the only problem facing the schools is unruly students and disengaged parents she hasn't got a clue.

More students would go on to college, thereby, earning more money. These higher wage earning graduates are our community’s greatest promise for economic development. Best of all, student behavior would improve.

Doesn't it seem like Sykes could live with Proviso students getting an unsatisfactory education as long as misbehaving students didn't offend or inconvenience her?

Taking charge and encouraging parents to provide more control and supervision of their children is a win-win situation for all concerned.

Fixing the schools would be a win-win for the community too. But it doesn't happen.

Anybody know how many of Sykes friends and relatives have been on payroll at the high schools over the years? Wasn't there a Rev. Sykes on the school board in the 1990s?

[UPDATE: It was Dr. Wylmarie Sykes who was on the school board, not Rev. Sykes, her husband. And Dr. Sykes says Operation Safe Child does not get any grant funding.]

[UPDATE2: This is Wylmarie Sykes' response:

Dear Mr. Nyberg:

This letter is in response to your comments in the Proviso Probe.

Like you and many of your readers, I, too, am disappointed in many things that are happening in our high schools. However, one must pick and choose which battles to fight. My particular concern is for the students who are not receiving the discipline that they will need in order to graduate, to go on to college, and to become laws abiding, productive citizens. Students who do not have the wits to stay out of mob actions risk arrest and jail records that may hinder them from getting good jobs.

The students engaged in the mob action two blocks away from their school would be much better off if they displayed some common sense ethics. Common sense ethics for our young people is something that we all should be working toward.

As I said before, Operation Safe Child is working toward common sense ethics for our community’s children. Many community volunteers, as well as the Maywood Police Department, the School District #89 Administration, and the Maywood Village Administration are cooperating in this effort. However, contrary to what you implied, we are not receiving any grants for this work.

We do have a sincere concern to provide 700 fourth and fifth Grade students with information and activities that teach them good character habits. We also teach the students to think critically about illegal drugs, to avoid gangs, to avoid abduction, to know the consequences of crime and to value being law abiding, productive citizens.

But, we know that what is done in school needs to be reinforced at home. Parents who will not discipline and control their children’s behavior are doing irreparable harm to their children. As a matter of fact, undisciplined children are often doomed to a life of poverty. Is that what you want? These undisciplined young people will not go on and finish college. These undisciplined young people will not become, as you said, “Bougie Black,” or the “Black elite.” Is that what you want? However, we know from U.S. Census data that people that go on and graduate from college bring, on average, $2,100,000.00 back into the community. This is tax-lowering economic development. This and the welfare of the students is what we all should be working for. Let us not waste time and resources on name-calling.

It is noticeable that you referred to River Forest parents. You said, “…the parents would make sure the students were educated.” That is all I am asking for, that this community’s parents make sure their children are well educated. Unfortunately, it takes more than asking. This community must provide structure that informs parents about what to do and how to do it, and then encourages parents to do the right things for their students. If parents were fined for their child’s misbehavior or failure to do their homework, these infractions would soon diminish and, thus, allow more time for academic development.

Is it safe to say that we all want improved Proviso schools? Then let us work together for that.

Incidentally, there was a Sykes on the School Board in the 1990’s. That was me.

Dr. Wylmarie N. Sykes, Chairman

Operation Safe Child

[End update2]