Kimber Swings Back At School Critics

Rev. Boise Kimber has heard your concerns about his plan to start an all-male charter school. He has a lot to say in response.

Kimber, minister of Newhallville’s First Calvary Baptist Church, has played a prominent role in New Haven politics for three decades and in recent years became a vocal presence at Board of Education meetings. He came under criticism at this week’s Board of Ed meeting and then in the comments section of the Independent after he presented his plan to launch the all-male C.M. Cofield Academy (named after the revered late Rev. Curtis Cofield of Immanuel Baptist Church).

If approved by the Board of Ed, the school would operate as a locally controlled charter. It would begin with 60 – 80 students, starting at sixth grade, in as-yet-unidentified rented space. It would be modeled on New York City’s Eagle Academy for Young Men. The Harp administration has blessed the project; mayoral education liaison Jason Bartlett has worked with Kimber to develop it, as have members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Some of the criticism this week has focused on Kimber’s role in the project. But more of it touched on the broader national debate over how best to improve urban schools, a complex subject with few simple answers. Kimber welcomed the opportunity to respond to those concerns during an appearance on WNHH radio’s ​“Dateline New Haven.” A partial transcript of that conversation follows; you can hear the full episode by clicking on the audio file at the bottom of this story.

“Let’s Not Divide”

Kimber: We have to close the achievement gap with our young men. Especially at an early age. We’ve got to try to save them. This school is open to any young men. It doesn’t matter what ethnicity you are, what color you are. You can be part of this school.

WNHH: The goal, though, is an identified challenge in the black community, correct? People growing up with a lack of role models?

Kimber: I do not want to focus primarily on the African-American community. There are challenges in the white community also. Let’s not divide where the challenges are.

WNHH: You don’t see white families clamoring to have an all-boys school, correct?

They have them in this state, Paul.

I’m just saying that when we talk about this issue in New Haven, there has been a concern in the black community.

There has been a concern.

Not just in New Haven. You’re associated with the Eagle Academy in New York City.… Is it also true that sometimes girls mature faster or for whatever other reason are getting the attention? Is that some of what is at play here?

I’m almost sure that it is. But I don’t have the data. Nor have I done the research on who matures first, whether it’s a boy or a girl.

So for ten years, Rev. Kimber, you’ve been trying to put together a school. Why didn’t it happen before? Why is it happening now?

Timing is important. It depends who’s in charge, and who sees what needs to be done, and who wants to leave a legacy during their administration.

So in other words, [former] Mayor [John] DeStefano didn’t make it happen, and Mayor [Toni] Harp did?

Mayor Harp did. She made it happen because she believes in helping our youth. she believes in advancing our youth. And she believes in YouthStat — you’ve had her on here to talk about YouthStat.…

This is the first African-American boys of color [school] in the state of Connecticut.

I thought you said it’s not an African-American school …

No, I just said, ​“African-American boys of color.”

“African-American boys of color” … As opposed to? You’re saying it’s not a school with a racial focus. But it’s an ​“African-American boys of color” school …

Yes. Boys of color. Let’s be realistic, Paul. You know and I know that it is African-Americans and Hispanics who are dealing with the brunt of education at this particular time. And so when I say, ​“African-American boys of color,” I mean African-Americans, Hispanics, and any other ethnicity group that desire to be a part of this male — it is open. But we’ve got to target [the need].

Who Pays

By [the school] being an interdistrict charter, that means that our tax dollars that would normally pay for those students to go to a public school — how is it going to be paid for?

The money follows the kid, just like a regular charter school. It is not taking taxpayers’ money and starting a new school. The money is following the kid.

So that money comes out of the general education fund?

It automatically comes out of the general education fund. So if 60 kids came from four schools now in New Haven — the money to pay for those 60 kids would come from those four schools to go to the charter school?

It would follow the kid. If the kid stays there, the money stays there. If the kid moves to the interdistrict charter school, the money would follow. It’s just like with Common Ground. It’s just like Amistad. It’s just like Elm City Montessori. The money follows the kid.

Why a charter school?

Interdistrict charter school. Let’s be clear. We’re not applying for a state charter. This Board of Education will be the primary source of monitoring this school.

Will kids from the region go? Or just the City of New Haven?

Anybody. We introduced it last night at the Field House, when they had all of the schools there. People were coming up. They were interested in it. You can’t enroll in it yet. We’re hoping to be open this August when everybody else goes back to school.

Why a charter as opposed to a conventional public school?

First of all, no one has brought this idea to the forefront. Nobody. Nobody has spoken about an all-boys school.

But why a charter as opposed to a conventional public school?

Well, I felt that if we had an interdistrict charter school, the money would follow the kid, instead of us doing a conventional public school.

Why can’t the school district do it?

They didn’t do it. You’ve got to ask them.

But why should they be chartering an independent school instead of [running it themselves]?

It is not an independent school. It is an interdistrict charter school that will have public school teachers there. We met with the union, the teachers union. It will be teachers that are already teaching. It will be teachers that are part of the union….

When a suburban kid comes to the school, will New Haven taxpayers be paying for that kid?

No, no, no. The money will follow the kid. Just like it does for the magnet schools. They’re coming from outside into this district.

Magnet schools get state funding. Is this getting state funding?

No. I’ve got to raise money for this.

So if a kid comes form Madison or Hamden, we can’t charge tuition to the Hamden school district.

No.

So New Haven taxpayers will pay for that kid to learn in New Haven.

If they come into the magnet school, then I’m sure they could probably transfer money over from the magnet to this. I don’t know how they’re going to do that.

I don’t think you can transfer a state magnet grant …

Paul, they want to come, let them come. We’ll figure it out. Paul, stop talking about the New Haven taxpayer!

Why?

First of all, we are paying for Creed School in North Haven. … We’re paying over $1 million to rent a school in North Haven when this district should have built a school over 20 years for this school.

You’re changing [the] point here.

What point?

When a kid from Hamden goes to a magnet school in New Haven, that magnet school gets state dollars. [Note: New Haven can’t charge the towns for tuition.] When a kid from Hamden goes to your school, New Haven taxpayers will be paying for that.

Paul, I don’t know that. Maybe you know that. I don’t know. I can’t answer that question.

Kimber’s Role

What’s your role going to be in this?

I’m not in a paid position there. I just brought people together. I will work in a position in development, try to raise some money so we can meet the needs of the young men who are coming to this school.

Are you on the board?

I’m not on the board.

You’re not going to be a consultant?

I don’t know what I’m going to be. I will let the board decide my role in it. But I know I need to raise money for this school so we can do the necessary things.

How much are you looking to raise?

I really need to raise a million dollars. I want a teacher and an aide in each class. That’s number one. Number two, I need a family resource person. I need a dean person. I need an after-school coordinator. Those are the things that we see right now that we need.… We’re not asking to build a building.…

Paul, you’ve covered me for the last 31 years.… If a reporter knows me, you know me. My point is to you and to listeners, why beat up on a person that is doing something positive in the community? This is positive for the community. Just because I am the visionary person for this does not mean that I am the ruler of it. I am not the ruler of it. There are many, many smart, intelligent men.

In the end, do you think you might be the chairman of the board?

I don’t know what I’m going to be, Paul.

Will you ever be making any money on this?

I don’t know that.

So you might make money.

I don’t know that. All I know at this present time is what I want to do.

Let me say this, Paul. You cannot expect for a person to work on a project for ten years, to drive this, to sit back and not reap some of the benefits from this. I’m not saying this is from taxpayers. I have to go out and raise money. I will never be on the tax payroll from the Board of Education — like some charter schools are in this district right now, that people don’t know. Some people that started charter schools.… They are on the payroll.

If they can be, why can’t you?

I don’t want to be that.

So you’re saying you’ll be on the payroll with the money you raise… 

I didn’t say that. I said that I will raise money for this school. And if the board sees fit for the money and the energy and the time that I put in, why can’t I be compensated?

Let me see this though. I read a comment the other day that I don’t have the qualifications to do this. I have a BA from Johnson C. Smith University. I have a master’s from Hartford Seminary. I have a doctorate in ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. I am now working on a masters in sacred theology from Yale Divinity School. So for people who are out there saying, ​“you don’t have …” I’m overqualified for anything that I desire to do. …

After Sheff

Why don’t we take the conversation away from Rev. Kimber …

Please do so.

… and about the merits. So let’s look to what some people have been objecting to [in] this proposal. Let me read you one: ​“After all the sacrifices people of color and their allies made to desegregate schools for the right reasons, we now have a proposal to resegregate the schools. Instead of a massive fight to fully fund and ensure the highest quality teachers, provide all the resources they need, focus to make sure every student succeeds, we have people promoting dis-integration as the solution. The state of Connecticut, one of the richest states in the richest country in the world, is still out of compliance with required desegregation in Sheff v. O’Neill — 27 years and counting.” What do you think about that?

Paul, I can only speak on the fact that when I was coming up, I for the first four to five years, I went to an all-black school. In that all-black school, the teachers were from my community. I felt as though they nourished me. They cared about me. They were concerned about me reading and writing and being able to do math. They took the time.

Today, right now, you could hardly find a teacher that lives in the community where their students live. They drive in. They drive out.

So you’re saying black students deserve to go to a school where there are black teachers form their city. But I thought this wasn’t a black school.

I’m saying that black kids and Hispanic kids all should be able to be where they can get the most out of education. Whether it’s in a public school. Whether it’s in an interdistrict charter school. Whether it is in a separate school …

A lot of people agree with you. There’s a whole effort to recruit black teachers. But I thought this isn’t a black school.

Paul, why do we continue talking about ​“a black school”?

We’re responding to this statement. He says you’re re-segregating schools. You said earlier you’re not.

Let me say this. Who gets arrested the most in our community? I want to put it out there. Who gets arrested the most in our community?

African-Americans.

And Hispanics. Who is the most unemployed in our community?

African-Americans and Hispanics.

Who is the most likely to move forward, a New Haven kids versus a Madison kid?

A Madison kid, [in part] because of the schools.

So. Why don’t we try to have a level playing field here? Because the field ain’t level for blacks or Hispanics.

Another commenter wrote: ​“New Haven needs more charter schools like it needs more froyo shops. Stop diverting resources from our already crowded, underfunded public schools. If you care about African-American boys then invest in our public schools. Mentor there. Promote training, hiring, and retaining more African-American teachers. Then make Higher Ed affordable. Then make local jobs accessible. At every step of the life cycle we are failing African-American males and people of color in general.” So I think this commenter is saying: It’s already a majority-minority school system.… That’s the problem some people say they have with charters: They drain resources and cream motivated students and families and leave a largely black and Latino school system behind.

Here’s what you’ve got to look at it. You’ve got to look at the fact that the state will put out an application for 20-some charter schools this year. Who will be applying for those charter schools? It will not be mostly African-Americans or Hispanics, because I do not know but one chartered school in this state that is run by an African-American individual. Well, two … you’ve got Steve Perry who is doing one in Hartford, and Booker T. Washington … where is the cry? If you don’t want taxpayers’ money to go to charter schools, why have we allowed the state to say that we will put 20 schools or better out for charter application? That means you are taking away from the public school by segregating charter schools from interdistrict schools….

President Trump is trying to move this secretary of education, this DeVos, who has a terrible record, who really doesn’t know anything in reference to anything that is going on.

She loves charter schools.

She loves charter schools.

You love charter schools.

Well, I love schools.

OK. Let me give you one more, Rev. One commenter wrote: ​“If you need a school specifically for boys of color, then why not one specifically for girls of color as well. Or, why not INVEST more in the existing situations? Why another school? There is so much more that could be done, yet it’s being ignored in order to satisfy the selfish need to stay in charge.”

I’m grateful for people to get on the bandwagon, to get on the horse that we are riding. Because this vision took place ten years ago. If you want to start an all-girls school, let’s do it. But right now our focus is on young men. I believe that 70 percent of young African-American men and Latino men who are in our community are in a home without a father. In a home without a father. Most mothers can handle their daughters. Most, I say. But these young men need to know how to become men.… We have a major crisis within our community, and here we have the naysayers concerned about who is doing it.

Who’s going to step up?

I stepped up.

Click on or download the above audio file to hear the full interview with Rev. Kimber on WNHH radio’s ​“Dateline New Haven.”