Posted on 07/18/2005 9:33:26 PM PDT by traumer
A school district in Southern California approved the "affirmation and recognition" of Ebonics into its curriculum as a way to help black students improve academic performance.
The San Bernardino Board of Education says a pilot of the policy, known as the Students Accumulating New Knowledge Optimizing Future Accomplishment Initiative, has been implemented at two city schools, according to the daily San Bernardino Sun.
Ebonics, a dialect of American English spoken by many blacks, was recognized as a separate language by the Oakland, Calif., school board in 1996.
Mary Texeira, a sociology professor at Cal State San Bernardino, believes the program will be beneficial to students.
"Ebonics is a different language, it's not slang as many believe,' Texeira told the Sun. "For many of these students Ebonics is their language, and it should be considered a foreign language. These students should be taught like other students who speak a foreign language."
Texeira acknowledged there are African Americans who disagree with her.
"They say that [black students] are lazy and that they need to learn to talk," she said.
The program, which will be implemented gradually, begins this fall when teachers receive training on black culture and customs. The district curriculum will include information on the historical, cultural and social impact of blacks in society.
Len Cooper, coordinator of the pilot program at the two city schools, said Ebonics won't actually be incorporated into the program, because of its "stigma."
"We are affirming and recognizing Ebonics through supplemental reading books for students," he explained.
Although the program is aimed at black students, other students can choose to participate, the Sun reported.
Board member Danny Tillman told the paper he pushed for the policy because he hoped it would increase the number of black students going to college and participating in advanced courses.
But Teresa Parra, board vice president, worries other minority groups, including Hispanics, will want their own programs.
"I've always thought that we should provide students support based on their needs and not on their race," she said.
Ratibu Jacocks, a member of a coalition of black activists – the Westside Action Group – said they are working with the district to ensure the policy is implemented appropriately.
"This isn't a feel-good policy. This is the real thing," said Jacocks.
He welcomes the idea of other ethnic groups lobbying for their own program.
"When you are doing what's right, others will follow,' Jacocks said. "We have led the way before the civil-rights movement opened the door for women's rights and other movements."
Spanglish, anyone?
Meet the Board of Education which is the governing body of the San Bernardino City Unified School District
http://tinyurl.com/e4jj4
Right on, bro!/ (dat be sarcasm;)
This school district needs to lose State certification.
Say what ??
Yeah. Advanced, college-level courses in bio-chemistry, particle physics, Boolean logic and chaos theory... taught in Ebonics.
Sure. That's gonna happen.
More proof the schools have given up on the three R's and have moved on to social policy. Why the kids are stuck listening to these people for 8 hours a day is a shame.
This is why I agree with Neal Boortz when he refers to the public schools as "government indoctrination centers".
Hooked on E bonics should really sell great..
So why don't they just teach them academics? That would help. Reading, writing and arithmetic are a good thing. They should try it!
"... students going to college and participating in advanced courses"
Will there be a Nobel Price award ?
Danny Tillman on John and Ken talk radio in LA said it is all a lie, all of it. Ebonics is just not in play in that district. John and Ken tomorrow said they would try to sort it all out. Yawn. Probably, what would be best in San Bernadino for the students, is to shut the schools down, and hand out vouchers, for reasons that have nothing to do with this little contretemps. The students in question probably can't read much of anything, in ebonics or any other language. It is all those little letters strung together on paper, which is so well, confusing.
ah bi axing 4 da raze sune...
why only one ebonics? why not dozens of ebonicses?
Oh good, this will do much to insure less competition for my kids in the above the minimum wage job market.
"S**t man, that honky mus' be messin' my old lady... got to be runnin' cold upside down his head. You know?"
"Hey home, I can dig it. You know he ain't gonna lay no mo' big rap up on you man."
"I say hey sky, s'other s'ay I wan say?"
"UH..."
"ray to J I get the same ol' same ol'."
"Eh. Yo knock yourself a pro slick, gray matter live performas down now take TCB'in man."
"Hey, you know what they say... See a broad, to get that booty yak 'em."
"Leg 'er down 'n smack 'em yak 'em..."
"Cold got to be. You know? S*****t."
"Who dat say who dat when I say who dat?"
Actually the word "sankofa" is a Swahili word meaning essentially "go back and get it."Go back and get it and they don't mean a grasp of the basics. Is that chilling or what?
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