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Two weeks ago in this space I addressed the misinformation that too often steers debate on the achievement gap. As a consequence of flawed analyses from public school insiders and defenders, the Guilford County Board of Education is chasing its tail - running full speed and going nowhere.

Board members, teachers and parents will spend innumerable hours condemning the phantom of "institutional racism," noisily lobbying for teacher raises, damning "old-fashioned, culturally biased" tests, and eagerly signing up for sensitivity training workshops. Many parents will be duped by media accounts that portray such diversions as virtuous and effective.

Meanwhile, the status quo continues: Slouching in the back row of classes countywide, illiterate black males learn little or nothing, create tumult and disorder, get suspended and, in many cases, drop out of school. Professional educators recite all the right platitudes ("The children are our future!"), but they are too busy chasing the aforementioned apparitions to actually do anything about the failure of black males.

Many local teachers sent e-mails in response to my musings on this subject two weeks ago. They were overwhelmingly supportive but, for obvious reasons, the writers wish to remain anonymous. One of the most heartbreaking missives came from a woman who has taught in GCS for over a decade. Of the illiterate black male, she writes: "I can't even imagine what must go through the mind of one of those students when, on the first day of class, he's handed a textbook he cannot read."

Unlike many of their peers, these anonymous correspondents consider academic achievement a high priority, and they are disturbed by the system's lack of progress with black males. It is unfortunate that high-quality teachers are afraid to publicly address the shortcomings of government schools.

Demise of black families

Many black males arrive at school handicapped by circumstances beyond their control. They begin the race long after the starting gun has sounded, as their peers approach the horizon. The illegitimacy rate among blacks, for example, is nearly 70 percent. Consequently, nationwide, only 37 percent of black kids (as compared to 77 percent of whites) live with both parents. This is a well-known fact but one that is often ignored in discussions of the achievement gap.

Black males are also hobbled by the age of their mothers. Studies reveal that being born to a mother 18 or younger has a strong negative impact on a child's intellectual development, and this is a circumstance far more common among blacks than whites. Likewise, low-birth-weight babies are slower to develop cognitive abilities; they, too, are far more common among blacks.

Another often-overlooked stumbling block for black children is the ratio of kids to parents in the home. In black households, the average is three children to each parent; among whites, the ratio is 1-to-1.

The cumulative impact of these conditions on black children is catastrophic. Many do not respect authority, have no self-discipline and no desire to learn. But these are matters of culture that are, for the most part, beyond the purview of public schools. It is sufficient to acknowledge that educating black children - black males, in particular - is a formidable task. But it can be done.

Poor teacher training

Let's begin by exploding the fallacy that all teachers care about the academic achievement of their students. In fact, many do not. Their training renders them indifferent to academic achievement. North Carolina's schools of education, like most in the nation, dedicate far more time and effort to amateur psychology and issues of social justice than they devote to academics. A recent study from The Pope Center in Raleigh illustrates that this flawed philosophy dominates at UNC-Chapel Hill, UNCG, UNC-Wilmington, Appalachian State, N.C. A&T and elsewhere.

The study, "University of North Carolina Education Schools: Helping or Hindering Potential Teachers?" was written by George K. Cunningham and is available at www.popecenter.org. It is a stinging indictment of the education establishment, the reading of which makes abundantly clear that narrowing the achievement gap will take place only with the assistance of parents and volunteers. Because of their education school indoctrination, the current crop of teachers in GCS is neither qualified to improve, nor particularly interested in, academic achievement.

Typical of North Carolina schools is a class offered to education students at Chapel Hill, the syllabus of which proclaims that "we are first and foremost concerned with the agenda of constructing democratic learning communities which are positioned in the larger society to support an agenda of social action which removes all forms of injustice." No wonder black males can't read or write. Their teachers' minds are cluttered with social activist gibberish and disdain for academic rigor.

Seven ideas for reform

With that in mind, if GCS is serious about a commitment to academic achievement and closing the achievement gap, there are several proven reforms it could implement:

* Although the federal No Child Left Behind law requires that states use "highly qualified" teachers in core subjects, states (and local districts) have some discretion in defining what "highly qualified" means, and in establishing criteria that must be met for state certification. North Carolina and GCS should exploit all of the "wiggle room" available under the law to decrease the number of education majors hired as teachers and to minimize the degree of "pedagogical" knowledge that candidates must demonstrate for certification. These "credentials" have nothing to do with teacher quality. Private schools outperform public schools, in part, because many of their teachers are recruited from outside the establishment.

* Contrary to the vision of new superintendent Mo Green, "child-centered" teaching methods, or "collaborative learning," should be replaced with direct instruction - a proven method - districtwide.

* Give all parents school choice, so that children will not be trapped in failing schools. Competition will improve school performance.

* Increase instruction time for struggling students, including evenings, Saturdays and summer sessions.

* Maintain order in the classroom, even if doing so entails suspending unruly students and regardless of whether those suspended are disproportionately black males.

* Require homework in academic subjects four nights per week. Reading, writing and math are more important than TV and video games.

* Cut administration by 25 percent and distribute those funds among deserving teachers - those whose students demonstrate superior academic achievement.

Charles Davenport Jr. (daisha99@msn.com) is a freelance columnist who appears alternate Sundays in the News & Record.