Blog

The Official Website of Michael "Chappie" Grice

NEA Human & Civil Rights Award

There isn’t much to say here except “thank you” to all the friends and mentors that have supported my quest in public education. Chief among them are my folks, my dear friends, Congressman Gus Hawkins, and the National Council on Educating Black Children. With the help of Mr. Ken Berry, Portland, and his vision for…
Read more

Hon. Gus Hawkins’ Birthday

Today, August 31, is Hon. Augustus F. Hawkins’ birthday. He would be 103 years old today. When asked what gave him such longevity, he would routinely say, “Just good living, as distinct from ‘living good’.” In observation, he ate oatmeal for breakfast, everyday. We all had oatmeal this morning, in tribute. His simple statement on…
Read more

Core Values

1. Schools have the best opportunity and a professional obligation to mediate learning; particularly language, mathematics, and social development. 2. “Effective Schools” research is a reliable and powerful intervention. It is especially powerful when implemented in urban schools by people who understand, thoroughly, diverse cultures. 3. All teachers want to see their students succeed, but…
Read more

Ten Vows of Success

These few ideas, time-tested, are simple and easy to observe. They give you a tremendous advantage over the person you used to be. You will gain ground and clarity of purpose by simply testing the cultural, spiritual, and practical value on your own terms and time. “Ten Vows of Success” by Og Mandino: Never, again,…
Read more

Culture

Defined as the sum total of the languages, mores, music, art, foods, styles, religions, child-reading, rituals, achievements, contributions, struggles, faith, and other patterns of behavior and interpretations of reality, culture both defines the greater black community and illuminates its salient themes. At the core, if not the center, of the Africans’ experience in America is…
Read more

A Story of Hope

We don’t tamper with Scripture. When it says at I Corinthians 13:13, “And now abideth faith, hope, love these three, but the greatest of these is love.” That’s the truth. I recently learned about a little girl in Charlotte, North Carolina whose name was Hope; Hope Stout. She was twelve years old and terminally ill.…
Read more

Thanks to Brothaman

Brothaman is such an efficacious business model with suvh reliable quality, it becomes an essential component of folks’ future success. When a former student becomes your doctor or strategist, or financier, or even mentor, you give thanks, count your blessing and then… count his, or hers. Brothaman is such an efficacious business model with such…
Read more

Chappie is Bloggin Now

“We can whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose education is of interest to us. We already know more than we need in order to do this. Whether we do it or not, must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” Ron Edmonds This my…
Read more