CALLING ALL S.O.L.D.I.E.R.S.!!!
THE S.O.L.D.I.E.R.S. CLUB is a high school male leadership and mentoring program developed by Mrs. Burney to decrease the student drop out rate; decrease youth violence and empower male students to unleash their inner greatness through literacy and leadership development. The program is currently active at three high schools in Jacksonville, FL. The S.O.L.D.I.E.R.S. club empowers young men with strategies that build and reinforce academic excellence, self confidence and community service.
Administrators of the New Town Success Zone Initiative, JCC’s Family Involvement (FI) staff members, recently engaged and interviewed approximately 500 New Town residents. They were assisted by 10 William M. Raines High School students, also known as SOLDIERS. The SOLDIERS were inspired by Duval County School Board Member Betty Burney, District 5, to serve as leaders on their school campus and within their surrounding community.
Interviews and focus groups with New Town residents are designed to learn more about the needs of families. FI staff members were paired with Raines SOLDIERS. They were charged with talking with residents at their homes, visit barber/ beauty shops, and go to places of worship.
Following the community engagement process, JCC will worked with other funding organizations and non-profit providers to intentionally link services that insulate families living in the New Town neighborhood (i.e., Census Tract 28.02). Services are offered to families from the time a child is conceived until they complete college and/or enter the workforce.
If you are interested signing up a young male age 14-18 that is currently enrolled in high school and on the verge of failing or at-risk of drop out, please complete the form below and one of our representatives will be in contact with you.
BETTY BURNEY SUPPORTS URBAN DEBATE IN JACKSONVILLE
According to Betty Seabrook-Burney, Honorary Chairperson of the School Board, “DCPS is eager to bring the private sector to the business of helping provide a challenging, standards-based public education to the hundreds of thousands of youth in Duval County. the Duval Urban Debate League is a model program in this regard, and we are expecting very positive outcomes from this newly expanded partnership-based program.”
JAIL TALES: AIM TO HELP READERS GET INVOLVED
Three years ago, Betty Seabrook Burney took on the job of finding mentors for jailed juveniles.
But one day, Burney realized they needed more than mentors to guide them. They needed their voices to be heard — and understood.
“I was at court one day, and this kid was trying to get his point across to the [assistant] state attorney,” said Burney. “But he couldn’t express himself well… all the while, the chains he had on were clanging.”
That gave Burney, now a member of the Duval County School Board, the idea to find a way for more of the troubled youths to express how they allowed criminal behavior to stunt their progress before their lives even got off to a real start. She did that by visiting them in the Duval County jail and chronicling their stories in a self-published book titled If These Chains Could Talk.
The book is a compilation of stories from teenage felons discussing the conditions and attitudes that contributed to their drift toward criminality. It also includes their advice to youths, parents and others, and space for readers to write down ideas to deal with the problem.
Full story – If These Chains Could Talk
ELIMINATING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Betty S. Burney serves as key workshop facilitator at the Black Educators’ Alliance of Massachusetts.
Purpose:
It is the mission of the Black Educators’ Alliance of Massachusetts to provide support to Black Educators and to improve academic performance of all children, but particularly, students of color. Through various professional development opportunities, BEAM promotes excellence in teaching, leading and in student academic proficiency by sharing and modeling best practices in education.
This conference “Eliminating the Achievement Gap: Education is a Civil Right” is designed to remind us of the crucial role that education has and continues to play in our progress and advancement as African Americans and how much sacrifice was made by our forefathers and mothers to ensure we had equal access to a quality education. It is also intended to inspire us to dream bigger and achieve more at this historic moment in our history as we witnessed the swearing in of our country’s first Black president, Barack Obama. But most importantly, we want conference participants to be spurred on to take what they learn and act on behalf of Black and Hispanic students to eliminate the inequities that perpetuate the gap between them and their White and Asian peers. Conference presenters will challenge us to abandon deficit ways of thinking about student capabilities and provide historical perspectives and insights and strategies for using students’ cultural and linguistic assets as foundations upon which to strengthen their literacy skills.
Building on last year’s theme, conference presenters will also highlight effective data practices that both inform instruction and help teachers know whether student achievement is improving. Ultimately, our hope is that conference participants will emerge from these thought-provoking, culturally relevant and engaging workshops motivated and armed with effective classroom and school strategies that will yield better results for their students.
Click below for Conference Program >
http://www.beamass.org/2009ConferenceProgram.pdf
URBAN LEAGUE TO HOST TEEN MOTIVATION PROGRAM
Published Tuesday, February 7, 2006 | Jacksonville Journal
The Jacksonville Urban League, in collaboration with Duval County School Board member Betty Burney, will host a program titled “If These Chains Could Talk” at 6 p.m. today at Second Missionary Baptist Church, 954 Kings Road.
A free reception and book signing will follow the program at the Jacksonville Urban League at 903 W. Union St.
This program is for children and families and is based on Burney’s book of the same title in which juveniles try to motivate, educate and prevent their peers from making bad decisions.
For information about the program and registration, call Erik Dawkins at the Urban League at (904) 366-6484 or call (904) 366-6481.
SHERIFF DONATES $25,000 TO PURCHASE BOOKS
Jacksonville Journal
A fundraiser at Outback Steak House in Jacksonville Beach raised about $35,000 Saturday for an effort to make the book If These Chains Could Talk available to all eighth- and ninth-graders in Jacksonville public schools.
The book is a series of letters written by incarcerated youths and compiled by Duval County School Board member Betty Burney.
The Sheriff’s Office donated $25,000 from its confiscated drug money.
INMATES’ WRITINGS SPEAK VOLUMES
The Times-Union
School Superintendent Joseph Wise said he wants Burney’s book made a part of the curriculum for eighth- and ninth-graders “because they are the ones facing a slippery slope” in their development. “It starts with being late for school, then skipping school, then failing in school and turning to crime,” Wise said. He called the book a powerful tool to keep students “on the high rise” in their lives.When Burney began her mentoring program at the jail, she got the offenders to write letters to students who were truants, telling how they got into trouble and painting a true picture of what life was like behind bars.
The most common advice given by the offenders was “listen to your parents,” Burney said.
“This is all about empowerment,” Burney said, “to help kids make better choices.”
HATS OFF TO BETTY BURNEY
As I was reading a bulletin on MySpace titled “Ribault’s School Grade ‘06-’07 is …,” I noticed that several students noted how “nice” and “involved” School Board member Betty Burney is. It amazes me that my peers keep track of elected officials who represent our schools.
I’m impressed with Burney because she wrote If these Chains Could Talk. I’m sure this book has inspired many youth throughout Jacksonville. I was thrilled to hear that eighth-graders in Duval County would receive a free copy of this book.
Burney, along with State Sen. Tony Hill, has proposed a new mentoring program for young black males.
Also, she has shown her commitment to incarcerated youth in Duval County by serving as a volunteer motivational mentor at the jail.
She recently attended the Boys 2Men retreat at the Main Library. Also, she has attended several community meetings and school events at the various schools she represents throughout the school year.
This is the definition of what a School Board member is and should be.
Hats off to Burney for being an outstanding and involved School Board member.
BRADFORD HALL, Ribault High School, Jacksonville
BETTY BURYNEY HONERED AT CONTINENTAL LEGACY CELEBRATION
Originally published by The Jacksonville Free Press by Gayle Hardy
On Saturday, April 7, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. the Jacksonville Chapter of Continental Societies, Inc. hosted their first Legacy Celebration. Over 300 guests attended the dinner at the University Center on the campus of the University of North Florida. Each honoree was recognized for her outstanding commitment to volunteerism throughout the community.
In 1972, Continental Societies, Inc. initiated its National program “Operation Awareness: HEER, Health, Education, Employment and Recreation”. Each component was chosen because of its significance in the lives of all young people and the need to provide projects and activities in these areas to enhance the lives of our youth. In 1977, a fifth component, Arts and Humanities was added.
This year’s fundraiser, A Legacy Celebration honors women and youth community volunteers who exemplify the true spirit of “Giving Back” to the community. All honorees were selected based on their commitment and dedication to volunteering in the area identified in Continental Societies’ National HEER program.
Betty S. Burney - Legacy Award
GROWING UP BEHIND BARS
By Charlene Shirk First Coast News | 11/17/2006 8:31:46 AM
JACKSONVILLE, FL – “Scary, that’s one word to sum it all up, Scary.” That’s a description of the Duval County Jail. It’s a cold, crowded but lonely place.
Laquintin Gartrell says it’s the scariest place he’s ever been.
“You have to worry about who you sleeping next to because you don’t know what they in on. It could be a rapist or a murder, you don’t know nothing and what you don’t know can kill you.”
At 17, Laquintin was running the streets, an armed robbery landed him here, now he just wants to go home.
“This place scary, I don’t want to come back here no more.”
Jason Dorworth was 12 years old when he got the gun that made him feel like a man.
“I thought I was cool. I wanted to get a gun and rob,” said Jason Dorworth. “I was doing drugs, taking pills, and I didn’t have a mind. I wanted to do my own thing, I felt like a Superman. I felt I could never be caught.”
Betty Seabrook Burney represents District 5 and joined the Duval County School Board in November 2004. She is a Raines High School graduate, holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University. Currently, Ms. Burney is an education consultant for TPG, Inc., and Seabrook and Associates. She is a member of the NAACP Education Committee, Wayman Chapel AME Church and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. 
Discuss "If These Chains Could Talk"
Education Alternatives- Bassline Buff Verbs July 31, 2010
- Connecting STEM and Arts (TEAMS) to Spur U.S. Innovation: Part 1 of 5 July 30, 2010
- Building a Better School with Brain-Based Learning July 30, 2010
