This is unbelievable. When will we learn? Here are some comments I left on a blog talking about this issue.
1) I am a graduate of Cal State San Bernardino (CSUSB) and I got my teaching credential from CSUSB. This type of thinking is typical of the Sociology and Education professors there. I was once forced to pay for and attend an Anti Defamation League conference on multiculturalism in order to pass an Education class there. I currently live in San Bernardino, and will certainly remember this program when the School board elections come around again.
2) I teach 7th Grade Social Studies in a neighboring school district. The curriculum for 7th grade Social studies is comparative cultures. I have had parents complain that I do not teach Black History. When I inform them that I do not teach U.S. History, but do teach about West Africa as part of my curriculum, they are unsatisfied. Because I do not tolerate misbehavior, and fail students for not doing their homework, I am constantly accused of being racist. (Despite the fact that my two closest friends, both fellow teachers, are Black men married to White women) I dread the day my district tries to force me to teach a similar curriculum as the one in San Bernardino.
Look, we all can agree that there is a problem with the success of Black students in school. But it is my experience that this is a function of low expectations (from parents primarily), chronic misbehavior and a lack of effort. All of this stems from poor or lack of parenting. My Black students who have caring involved parents do very well in school. This year I had three Black students get straight As. One of them currently has a 4.0 GPA for both 6th and 7th grade. One of the things these three students had in common were caring, concerned and involved parents.
I stand by my previous assertion: 90% of the problems in Education can be traced back to parents.
3 comments:
Congratulations."Kill Me Now" earned you a spot on the Independent Sources top Ebonics headlines list.
http://independentsources.com/2005/07/19/mo-ebonics-best-headlines-list/
Good job.
Sorry to leave a request in your comments section but couldn't find an email address. Would you add Independent Sources to your blog roll? (www.independentsources.com).
We would be honored.
I couldn't agree more with what you said. I don't think that skin color makes a difference in how well you retain what you learn in school any more than gender does. However, having someone at home to help you with your homework and get involved in your schooling makes a huge difference.
Parents these days are always ready to pass their children on to daycare, kindergarten, and schools, and expect those institutions to raise them. When the kids are at home, the "concerned" parents park them in front of TVs, computers, or video games. And then they wonder why their children have no manners and come home with bad grades.
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