Posted on 05/04/2010 4:06:51 PM PDT by Altura Ct.
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.”
Michigan, home of the Commie Conyers, addled Dingell, and union-created unemployment.
Why not play the race game instead of offering all children the chance to met a real scientist?
Sad. I remember when astronauts, diplomats and actors used to come to my son’s elementary school, and who met with whole classes on safety (David Prowse, Darth Vader), possibly Sen. John Glen (astronaut, politician),etc.
Using the rocket scientist as a person to emulate, during Black History Month, would have been a good means of presenting black achievement in America to all the students, and to show that in America, anyone can rise to the top despite their race, ethnic background, religion, etc.
Another missed teaching moment.
Rocket surgeons and brain scientists are a dime a dozen, I want my g/kids to go on a field trip to meet Walter Williams.
One thing that you need to keep in mind is that Schools of Education — from which such worthies as Madison are drawn — are nearly the lowest form of “higher” education. Art schools are more chaotic (but, granted, more fun) and varsity athletic students are nearly illiterate (taught some — real data) but education schools seem to produce idiots like this on a regular basis.
So it’s not AA so much as it is the entire way that we train and recruit teachers. A terrible lack of basic skills and common sense reinforced by a mushy leftist ideological educational training program. So, we first need to clear out the ed. schools and start recruiting some more pragmatic folks.
WOW!
I think it would be fun for a parents group to organize a consolation field-trip for the kids that got left out. This trip would be just for kids that didn’t get to go on the other trip, independent of their race.
I wonder how loud the screams of racism would be?
“Ummm, isn’t that segregation?”
Nope. The door doesn’t swing both ways.
>>I want my g/kids to go on a field trip to meet Walter Williams.<<
Oh well I’d be a volunteer on that one.
I wonder if they let all non-white students go?
About Dicken Elementary School
* Dicken Elementary School is located in Ann Arbor, MI and is one of 21 elementary schools in Ann Arbor. It is a public school that serves 375 students in grades K-5.
Dicken Elementary School made AYP in 2009. Under No Child Left Behind, a school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) if it achieves the minimum levels of improvement determined by the state of Michigan in terms of student performance and other accountability measures. See Dicken Elementary School’s test results to learn more about school performance.
Dicken Elementary School Student Diversity
* Students by Ethnicity (2008)
* White 65 %
* Black 20 %
* Asian/Pacific Islander 9 %
* Hispanic 5 %
* American Indian/Alaskan Native < 1 %
.
Sad that this kind of racism is still around in the 21st century. There is no excuse for segregating children by skin color.
What a bunch of morons. If you are planning something for the kids, you should plan for doing it for all of them, or none, or for those who are willing. In any case, it would have done them all good- black, white, or otherwise- to see a black man who has done well (without chasing a ball around.) It would have also been an eye-opener to possibilities for their own careers- and in no case should they have segregated students by race. White kids, black kids, other kids- they all need good role models. This sort of thing irritates me a lot...
Sharpy and jackas* would have to be paid first or they would not even care.
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