Posted on 05/03/2010 9:41:52 PM PDT by FenwickBabbitt
An Ann Arbor elementary school principal used a letter home to parents tonight to defend a field trip for black students as part of his school’s efforts to close the achievement gap between white and black students.
Dicken Elementary School Principal Mike Madison wrote the letter to parents following several days of controversy at the school after a field trip last week in which black students got to hear a rocket scientist.
“In hindsight, this field trip could have been approached and arranged in a better way," Madison wrote. "But as I reflect upon the look of excitement, enthusiasm and energy that I saw in these children’s eyes as they stood in the presence of a renowned African American rocket scientist in a very successful position, it gave the kids an opportunity to see this type of achievement is possible for even them.
“It was not a wasted venture for I know one day they might want to aspire to be the first astronaut or scientist standing on the Planet Mars.
“I also think it’s important that you know that I have talked to the children who did not go on the field trip, and I think they have a better understanding of the purpose of the AA Lunch Bunch now, as I hope you do. I’m sorry if any kids were upset by the field trip or my discussion afterwards with them, and I have let them know that.
“The intent of our field trip was not to segregate or exclude students as has been reported, but rather to address the societal issues, roadblocks and challenges that our African American children will face as they pursue a successful academic education here in our community.”
A handful of parents have complained to district administrators about the trip, the group and Madison. More than a half-dozen parents contacted AnnArbor.com to raise the complaints, but none would agree to talk on the record, citing concerns of reprisals to their children by Madison.
While there’s no clear agreement between the two sides about exactly what happened, most of the controversy centers on a field trip taken last week by the Lunch Bunch for African American boys and girls to hear a black rocket engineer talk.
District spokeswoman Liz Margolis said after the trip was over, those who went returned to their fifth-grade class and were greeted by boos by those who didn’t go on the trip. Margolis said Madison, who is black, heard the boos, and went to talk to the class. She said he and the class had a “discussion” about race issues.
“He wasn’t yelling at them. He was very passionate about it,” Margolis said.
Parents have complained he was yelling at the class and belittled a Muslim girl who said she also had experienced racism and discrimination.
The program itself began earlier this year after the school received its latest achievement results. Margolis said the Lunch Bunch came from the school’s School Improvement Team and is tied to that team’s goals. She said several other schools in the district have similar programs targeting specific subgroups of students who are at risk.
According to meeting minutes, Madison introduced the club to the PTO in February as part of the school and district’s equity work.
Parent Vicki Haviland, who is white and has three children at Dicken, said she is supportive of the overall program. Haviland is the secretary of the Dicken PTO and has filed papers for the open school board seat.
“I think the African-American Lunch Bunch is totally in line with the district’s equity work,” she said. “I think the field trip was a fine idea.”
She said she hopes the school and the district would “do a better job in talking about (race in education). Clearly there are people who don’t feel heard about it.”
Realize that the field trip is sort of wasted time (kids not on-task with reading, writing, math while traveling around town).
So, the kids who didn’t go on the field trip were getting better instruction, at least as it pertains to any upcoming standardized testing.
If I were a parent of a minority child who went on the trip, I would want to know what my child missed/what the other kids back at the school were learning in their lessons that day so that I could go over that material myself with my kids.
I don’t understand the problem. They were just celebrating ‘Take Your African-American to Work’ day.
Unbelievable! A field trip for black kids only??????
It’s amazing how much time is wasted in the classroom on crap like this. I agree with an earlier post that what these kids and all kids need is quality instruction. It’s not going to do these kids any good to finally get to college and not be able to complete the necessary work because they wasted their valuable learning time on a field trip. I see this all the time as a substitute teacher. Some days I add up the time we spend on legitimate lessons and a lot of the time it’s less than 2 hours (remember I’m following the teacher’s lessons, not my own.) Kids who are homeschooled really don’t miss a lot.
Ultra leftie Ann Arbor?!! ack! I hope you keep educating those twins!
one lawsuit....that’s all I ask.....do we have any courageous patriots who will stand up for their children and the constitution?
I can't believe people are taking this lying down....Americans are growing more pathetic as time goes on...
I guess Obama being on television every day doesn’t count.
““The intent of our field trip was not to segregate or exclude students as has been reported”
Let’s see. You exclude whites and segregate the kids, but exclusion and segregation wasn’t your intent.
I’d say you are a lying sack of excrement.
The principal is black, and like many, if not most, blacks he is racist.
What they don't seem to understand is conservatives do not care about the color of a persons skin, we care about how a person uses their God given (not government given) talents to succeed.
LOL! Well played. That video was just an instant classic.
close public schools
!Hilarious.
State representatives in Michigan could stop everything like this with the passage of just one well written law. Its up to the people of Michigan to make them do it. It CAN be done.
50% - Would Obama have qualified?
35%?
17%?
They have made teaching secondary to social engineering.
Don't you just love the teacher who thinks you're too dumb to teach her class so makes it a movie day?
diversity..except when seperate but equal is better.
Sadly, this school is a microcosm of American Public Schools.
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