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Buffalo Urban league tackles education, jobs & crime

WBFO News photo by Mike Desmond

Buffalo's troubled school system is a key issue in dealing with this area's crime and economic problems. That's from the president and CEO of the Buffalo Urban League.

The Urban League held its annual meeting Thursday evening at the Central Library downtown.

President Brenda McDuffie reported progress in establishing economic self-sufficiency for some people. 

McDuffie said the Urban League is working on three inter-related problems; education, jobs and crime, with programs aimed specifically at each.

"We have a means of creating opportunities that we serve through the Urban League," said McDuffie.

At the same time, McDuffie said education is the core of the other problems and the league works with those most in need of educational support.

"Not only in programs that help young people graduate from high school. But in helping those young people who have left high school before graduation. Many times we call them dropouts but they are still a part of our community. And, if we don't make sure that they have access to receiving an educational credential, we know that their opportunities are very limited in terms of taking care of themselves and their families," said McDuffie.

McDuffie said education and jobs issues are why the Urban League is backing the Albany order that city school students from East and Lafayette High Schools be given the chance to study in suburban BOCES programs, whether vocational courses or programs to improve student academic skills in high schools with graduation rates not much above 20-percent.

WBFO News also spoke with McDuffie about the Buffalo Public School District's School Choice plan submitted to the State Education department on student transfers.  The controversial plan could end up forcing students into other school districts.

"We are pro-every child receiving the type of education that will allow them to be prepared for their future. But we know that we will maintain a school district, and we have to make sure that school district provides high quality for those children.  Students and parents need to exercise the options of having them, even if it means going to other schools outside the district, however we still need to fix problems within our district. We really need to make sure the system  responds to the needs of the students who remain in the Buffalo school district.
 

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.