The principal is in direct violation of the Michigan law against discrimination, but we all know these laws (just like "hate crime" laws) go only one way.
By the way......
the Obamas get to go on taxpayer funded "field trips."
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.”
Actually, Ann Arbor isn’t “majority white” - technically, it’s a very mixed-culture community, due in large part to the number of people from a lot of different cultures who work at or attend the University of Michigan. Although the majority of the white folks who live there are the typical granola-crunching, tree-hugging liberals that infest many large “college towns.”
I live in Macomb County, where there are also a number of different ethnic groups, all of which are represented in the public schools. Black children in many of our school districts - in part, we believe, because of the variety - seem to be more focused on getting a good education and doing their best.
That attitude comes from the parents at home - and it’s supported by the schools; not the other way around. It’s only in places like Detroit, Pontiac, Ann Arbor, and other areas where the leftist-liberal agenda is tied to money coming in from out of the district or the state that there is such a focused effort to perpetuate the black entitlement mentality.
Well, Wikipedia lists Ann Arbor as 75% white. So, yes, it is correct to say that it is majority white. Only around 8% of the population there is black. The largest group of minorities are Asians. I’ve spent a lot of time in Ann Arbor, and believe me, it is *very* white compared to a lot of places I’ve lived in and visited before. I guess one’s perceptions of these sorts of things are relative to one’s own previous experiences.
The comments are the source’s web site are interesting. Yes, there are people defending racial discrimination.
How. Sad.
We need to spend billions integrating schools, we need to do all we can to foster diversity because, like you know, diversity is our strength.
Then, once everyone is together in one big group hug, we can pick out the black kids and send them off by themselves on a field trip.
“The intent of our field trip was not to segregate or exclude students as has been reported...Correction:
“The intent of our field trip was not to segregate or exclude students as has been reported, even though that's what we specifically did...
The liberals are setting the black kids up (at least the majority of them) with the idea that they don't need to try as hard, because they are entitled to special treatment. They are training the white kids to doubt that any black person has earned the right to his position, either in school or in career.
If such policies are practiced widely, any of the black kids who excel in academics or in their chosen career will have this cloud hanging over them until they achieve wide recognition for their abilities and accomplishments, usually late in life.
Typical liberal problem. It's not whether the program works, it's whether your heart was in the right place. If you were trying to do good (by the liberal creed), it doesn't matter whether your efforts were beneficial or deleterious. It's the thought that counts.
Here's a thought: Wouldn't it have been beneficial to the white kids to hear the black scientist talk? Wouldn't they have learned something about science? Wouldn't it do them as much good as it did for the black kids to see a successful black professional? Wouldn't it have been good for both white and black kids to see all of the students treated equally?
We have a bunch of gutless state legislators in Michigan from both parties, so don’t hold your breath. They’ll huff, they’ll puff, then they’ll go sit themselves down. They have better things to do like raise taxes and suck up to public employee unions—both parties.
>>>diversity..except when seperate but equal is better.<<<
This is even worse than “seperate but equal”. If the non-black kids had their own, equivalent field trip, that would be separate but equal.
This is seperate and unequal.
The principal is in direct violation of the Michigan law against discrimination, but we all know these laws (just like "hate crime" laws) go only one way.
By the way......
the Obamas get to go on taxpayer funded "field trips."
great observations.
thanks
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Vonnegut is odd, but you’re right, he sure nailed it.
Asimov wrote Profession which is very similar to that. You can read it online.
http://www.abelard.org/asimov.php
So, first, the “Lunch Bunch” teaches the children to think of themselves as “different” from the other children. Then it makes them self-conscious about that difference by teaching them to think everyone else looks down upon them.
Once their self-esteem is torn down, it takes them on a field trip to visit a successful person who resembles them, and says, “See, you can do it, too.”
Talk about messing with the kids’ heads. Sheesh.
Of course Vickie is supportive of the principal! No one gets elected to the school board unless they have the support of the teachers union.
My homeschooled kids rarely spent more than 2 hours in formal ( at the kitchen table) instruction. Yet,...By 13, 12, and 13, my kids were enrolled in community college. By 15 they finished all college general courses and Calculus III. The younger two had B.S. degrees in math by 18.
My husband and I help tutor the Spanish kids in the Spanish speaking congregation of our denomination in our valley. Wow! I am appalled at the nutty and ineffective teaching methods of the government schools!
And...The kids are sent home with as much to do in homework and my homeschooled kids would do all day! I've concluded that the **only** kids who are getting an education in county are being **afterschooled** by their parents, or they are getting outside help in places like our church tutoring program or in expensive formal tutoring centers.
By the way...tutoring centers in our county are thriving in this Obama created depression.
That's one way to build improve race relationships / S
A “No Whites Allowed” field trip.
There is little in this world more insane and disgusting than discriminating against children because of the color of their flesh.
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