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14 <br />"Tlae most conunon statements that I r°eceived were: 7 wmzt to get n{y childr°en to go to <br />college,. It is very hard to get them in the courses drat they zzeed'. 'When they get into the <br />cozu°ses, there's only one or sonretinres no otlrer° mu:ority students. ' 'Wirer°e are the Blaclc <br />teacher-s, honey?' That's a big one. 'Many of the teachers tlzink7don't care. I do care <br />about my child I want to tur°n that question around and ask do the teachers or <br />admir:isU°ator°s care about nr,y child. 'These are the issues we get confronted with all the <br />time. " <br />Ms. Mattison related how teachers and administrators ought be more sensitive to the <br />needs of minority students and no be so quick to,judge. "We must meet all students at the <br />door and take them and do the best that we can to teach tlrenz while they m•e in our care. " <br />She underscored that every child is not a standardized test taker, and then went nn to <br />relate a personal story about attempting to enter a very rigorous graduate program at the <br />University of North Carolina, and how she was initially rejected because of a low MAT <br />test score. She was contacted by the University and asked to take the test again. She and <br />several other's who did not pass the test were later accepted into the program despite the <br />test results Ms, Mattison was unashamed to say, "We got in there and we really showed <br />them what we could do and they knew what we could do when we finished It war very <br />power~zl ,.. mrd I did thank the University, for giving nre and other°s the opportznrity to get <br />into that program which is going to make me a better teaclrer.for• your children. " <br />The Students Take Their Turn <br />