As a PS to my long manifesto…
After writing a mere six pages and barely scratching the surface of my Lankershim Experience, I really had to pare down some of the stories, One of big ones was a student named Felton who was a down right hellion on A track. He was so memorable that I named a huge stuffed animal after him- mostly because I couldn’t believe that someone so caustic could have “Felt” in their name. And because in my first few years of teaching, I couldn’t believe someone would name their kid “Felton.” Of course, that name turned out to be totally mainstream…
In any case, I took an interest in little Felton, watching him go from 1st to 3rd grade. He was a curious boy, with enough anger to form a Sith Lord, and in 3rd grade, his teacher, Sue Reynolds and I did all we could to help him out. He had a little sister, Felicia, who was as mean as a junkyard dog, and looked JUST like him. He left Lankershim after 3rd grade, and I often wondered what happened to him. This story was going to be left out, until yesterday, when I read in The Sun newspaper that he was shot and killed walking down Baseline Road in San Bernardino.
Bicyclist shoots two San Bernardino men, killing one
By Melissa Pinion-Whitt Staff Writer
Posted: 06/02/2011 03:14:09 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO - A gunman on a bicycle opened fire on two men early Thursday, killing one and wounding the other.
Felton Strong Jr., 19, and Kevion Barnes, 21, both of San Bernardino, were walking in the 100 block of East Base Line at 1:10 a.m. when two boys on bikes approached, authorities said.
One of the bicyclists shot at the victims, hitting both, said San Bernardino police Lt. Gwen Waters.
"There is no indication that this is gang-related," Waters said.
Paramedics took both victims to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where Strong died.
Barnes, who suffered more than one gunshot wound, is expected to survive, Waters said.
Police arrested two boys - ages 16 and 17 - on suspicion of homicide and attempted homicide.
Investigators say the 16-year-old pulled the trigger.
The teens were booked into San Bernardino Juvenile Hall.
Their names were not released because they are minors.
A motive for the shooting is not yet known.
It really is a shame that Baseline Road has become so dangerous at 1:30 am.
Which leads me to my next tragic story, eliminated to “keep things light” but now, unfortunately, has become relevant.
One of the things NEVER discussed in education reform is the influence of the parents on the students. When begging for money or educational reform, Parental Involvement is rarely, if ever factored in to the equation.
A few years ago, a quiet, shy 5th grader arrived as a new student to Lankershim right after testing. Mynisha was placed in a class with one of our stronger upper grade teachers into a tight-knit group of students who had know each other since kindergarten. (As a side note, Lankershim has a high transient population, and classes that stay together this long are rare.) Mynisha was overweight, liked “Spongebob,” academically low and absent quite often. One day the class misbehaved and the teacher kept them after school for 15 minutes. The classroom door was locked and parents and siblings waited patiently for the students to be excused for the day. One woman, tired of waiting, began to violently bang on the door and yell. Incredulous at the ruckus at the door, the teacher opened the door, to which the woman threw it open all the way, entered the room and began screaming.
When she returned the next day, her classmates EMBRACED her. They understood her pain and embarrassment. From them on she was included in recess activities, lunch table fun and class groups. EVERY student felt her embarrassment and instead of shunning her, they took her in as a friend. She was only at Lankershim until the end of the school year (about 6 weeks totally) but the heartwarming story of Mynisha at Lankershim is truly a testament to the sweet nature of that class. Unfortunately, the story does not end here.
A few months later, I was getting ready for school when Michelle told me that the news was reporting that a girl had been shot and killed in San Bernardino. Expecting to see another tragic story, the news was reporting that Mynisha was shot and killed in a drive by shooting. Her family had just moved into a new apartment that was previously occupied by gangsters. Evidently the rival gang had not received the forwarding address and decided to pepper the apartment with bullets. The family was sitting down at dinner and took cover when they heard the shots. Mynisha had just gotten up to get seconds from the stove.
The community was outraged. The newspaper and TV news stations carried the story for weeks. But not ONCE was Mynisha’s school mentioned. In fact, the paper said they couldn’t confirm which school she went to. I was curious. I wanted to talk to my colleague, the PE teacher at her new school. I wanted to help in any way I could. The first thing I did when I got to school was tell the principal. Surely we would need to get some counselors available for her former classmates! Our Principal was unconcerned- no counselors necessary. Next I checked Mynishas enrollment and found out she had not been enrolled in school since she had been at Lankershim. Her new “home school” (meaning school within her home boundaries) did not have any attendance for her. A little more research showed that her parents had kept her home to BABYSIT her little brothers and sisters! Moreover, her frequent absences at Lankershim were FOR THE SAME REASON! While Mynishas death was truly a tragedy, it is, in my mind, almost overshadowed by the tragic circumstances in her life.
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