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NAACP blasts mayor for RPS ‘mediocrity’ statements

Posted at 1:06 PM, Feb 15, 2012
and last updated 2012-02-16 09:13:01-05

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - The Virginia chapter of the NAACP is asking Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones to apologize for comments he made about public schools in the city.

The request stems from Jones' State of the City address.

"And I must admit that I myself have participated in these celebrations of mediocrity, but we've got to stop," said Jones last month. "We have got to let go of the mediocrity and embrace on every hand our children are crying out for help."

NAACP Director King Salim Khalfani said that when the mayor referred to the schools as mediocre it was a "sucker punch to both students and teachers."

Additionally, Khalfani said that Richmond's public schools have many positive achievements that should be highlighted. For example, he said graduation rates at Richmond Community High School are at 100 percent.

Khalfani also said the mayor should not talk about adding more charter schools since they only affect about one percent of the city's population.

WTVR.com has contacted the mayor and his administration for comment, but has not yet received a response about Khalfani's statements.