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In Memphis, old strife heats up over schools, race
AP/World magazine ^ | 21 Feb | Sainz

Posted on 02/24/2011 1:07:45 PM PST by flowerplough

A bold bid by the struggling, majority-black Memphis City Schools system to force a merger with the majority-white, successful suburban district has fanned relatively routine fears over funding and student performance into accusations of full-blown racism.

The fight over the fate of 150,000 public school students has stirred long-festering emotions in Memphis and surrounding Shelby County, creating a drama that has spread beyond school board meetings to union rallies, the state Legislature and federal court.

On March 8, Memphis voters will decide whether to approve disbanding the city schools system and turning education over to the county district, which is earning good grades on its own and doing everything it can to stave off consolidation.

Memphis resident and school cafeteria worker Mary Washington questioned why Memphis schools would even want to give over its students to a system that doesn't want them.

"It's just like you losing your freedom going into bondage," Washington, who is black, said after an American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees meeting. "In the background, in the foreground, it is about race."

David Pickler, the white Shelby County School Board chairman, bristles at such claims.

"To say that we don't want someone because of the color of their skin to me is the most offensive thing someone can say to me," Pickler said.

Regardless of the motives, it's a pivotal time in the history of Memphis: Jobs, education quality and school closings hang in the balance.

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: memphis
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To: swain_forkbeard
“The 2010-2011 budget for Memphis City Schools is about $890 million to cover 103,000 students, 85 percent of whom are black. For the 47,000-student Shelby County system, which is 38 percent black, it’s more than $363 million.”

Let me get this straight. A school district that's spending $8640 per student wants to force a merger with a smaller (in terms of student population) district that's spending $7720 per student.

And the $8640-per-student district is saying that the $7720-per-student district is being racist.

Hoe-kay.

21 posted on 02/24/2011 1:49:56 PM PST by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
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To: ScreamingFist
Until the 1960s Detroit Public Schools were considered to be among the best public schools in Michigan. Highland Park's were even better. Highland Park, the home for so many mid-level Chrysler managers, was a Look All-American City.

Today both once-proud cities are rotting away.

22 posted on 02/24/2011 2:00:49 PM PST by bwc2221
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To: flowerplough
has fanned relatively routine fears over funding and student performance into accusations of full-blown racism.

Blacks...perpetual victims who eschew responsibility.

23 posted on 02/24/2011 2:03:36 PM PST by Altura Ct.
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To: Kenny Bunk
I taught for a couple years in public schools. Got laid off and I don't miss it at all. My first year of teaching I was in a school that was 90%+ african-american. One of my white female colleagues got called a b**** by one of her students. She called in the students mother for a conference.

During this conference the mother told her that this just the way they talk in the black community. My colleague excused herself and went and got the assistant principal, who was black. The principal went into the room and just starting yell at this lady about that is not the way we act. I happened to be walking by the room while he was doing it and that is how I found out about the story.

She of course started yelling back and eventually had to be escorted out by the police officer that worked at the school.

As far as the bastardy issue goes, and I will probably get flamed for this, I think some of it ties into slavery. I don't think a group of people can go through what the africans went through and not have severe cultural problems. I am not making an excuse, or saying they should receive reparations, I'm just stating something I believe.

Unlike the jewish people during their times of bondage the african slaves did not have a unifying cultural identity when they went into bondage. They were from all types of tribes with different languages and then went through two hundred years of slavery with families being split apart.

From my readings it was much more common for fathers too be sold and children weren't usually sold until they were ten or older. This is often cited as the reason that african american women are so much more “assertive” than caucasian women.

I sometimes think it would have been better if after the civil war the Liberia plan could have been implemented more aggressively.

24 posted on 02/24/2011 2:12:19 PM PST by armordog99
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To: Altura Ct.

“Blacks...perpetual victims who eschew responsibility.’

I believe you to be a racist, sir (or ma’am). Your unqualified statement accusing all of a certain race of a certain defect surely is racism. Please depart. There are many other sites online which will indulge your crude, ignoranct generalities. As I’ve written previously herein, to intelligently discuss race on a political bulletin board site requires a certain level of self-control and precision of language which you seem to lack.


25 posted on 02/24/2011 2:36:10 PM PST by flowerplough (Thomas Sowell: Those who look only at Obama's deeds tend to become Obama's critics.)
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To: ScreamingFist
Apparently the author of this piece is a graduate of Detroit schools. It's full of misspellings.
26 posted on 02/24/2011 2:40:11 PM PST by JoeFromSidney (New book: RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY. A primer on armed revolt. Available form Amazon.)
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To: flowerplough

What you said ... and it pisses me off when my intelligent, conservative, godfearing, black, fellow Christian friends are malign like that.


27 posted on 02/24/2011 2:45:03 PM PST by MHGinTN (Some, believing they can't be deceived, it's nigh impossible to convince them when they're deceived.)
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To: flowerplough
Your unqualified statement accusing all of a certain race of a certain defect surely is racism.

Do you mean 'racism' like this? Accusing all of a certain race of being evil? Do you mean like that?

City council chairman Myron Lowery, a prominent African-American official, invoked the language of segregation in describing what he thinks opponents of the merger want: "Separate but equal."

"Somewhere in the mix, race plays a huge role," Smith said.

28 posted on 02/24/2011 2:47:59 PM PST by Altura Ct.
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To: Altura Ct.

No. What I mean is, “Your unqualified statement accusing all of a certain race of a certain defect surely is racism.”


29 posted on 02/24/2011 2:52:59 PM PST by flowerplough (Thomas Sowell: Those who look only at Obama's deeds tend to become Obama's critics.)
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To: flowerplough
I believe you to be a racist, sir (or ma’am).

Do you mean like the blacks in this story who don't take responsibility for themselves and who squandered funds and who now want to blame whites(a certain race) for their troubles? Do you mean 'racism' like that?

Where is you selective outrage at that racism??

30 posted on 02/24/2011 2:55:31 PM PST by Altura Ct.
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To: flowerplough

You one way hypocrites are all the same.


31 posted on 02/24/2011 2:57:06 PM PST by Altura Ct.
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To: RobRoy
I’m done with public schools.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I am too.

Actually...A merger might be a good thing. Why?

The reason we continue to have government schools is that they are a middle class babysitting service that the reasonably functional and well off families **SUPPORT** in the voting booth! For those who have moved to the suburbs this babysitting service is still safe for their children ( relatively “safe”).

The safety value for the functional middle class family has been to **MOVE** away from dysfunction so they can congregate with those that are still functional. If they can't move any longer then their support for choice will increase in the voting booth. They will join the lobbies advocating vouchers, tax credits, charters, and even complete shut down of the government school system. More middle class families will join the ranks of homeschoolers.

Why is government “schooling” a babysitting service?

Answer:
Little learning happens in any government school. What functional parents and their children are doing is **AFTERSCHOOLING**! The government is merely sending home a tuition-free curriculum.

I ran a large health clinic and over the years have literally know several thousand families. When I questioned parents of successful children about their home habits, I found **NO** difference whatsoever between those who institutionalized their children for their schooling and those who homeschooled. **BOTH** sets of parents were doing EXACTLY the same things in the HOME, and spending the same amount of time in supervising their children's “at the kitchen table” school work!

So?...I conclude that little learning happens in any government school ( good, bad, or ugly). If there is a successfully educated child 99.999% is due to the work done by the parents and the child, himself, IN THE HOME!

Yes, my observation is anecdotal. So?...For those who object to my conclusion, I ask, “Where are the controlled scientific studies to prove me wrong?” Hm?

As many times as I have offered the above challenge NO “professional” so-called “educator” has ever directed me to the controlled studies. Why?

Answer: Because if educators were to seriously study **where** children do 99.999% of their learning, and **who** is responsible for the brute effort of educating, the results would show that it is IN THE HOME. It is the parents and the child, himself, that is doing the hard work of educating and learning IN THE HOME! The school is of little to no value, except for sending home the curriculum and handing out grades.

Finally...Someone is bound to say, “My brilliant daughter or son was in AP courses, or was accepted to the city's elite government high school for the brilliant.

Well...My response to that:

If they are sooooooo smart and soooooo hard working why is the government keeping these responsible young people imprisoned in high school? Why aren't these bright kids in college, or finished with college and working on Ph.D.s, as so many homeschoolers are doing? Why?

Answer: Because government schooling is NOT NOT NOT about educating children. It **is** about votes for the Democrat Party!

32 posted on 02/24/2011 3:00:14 PM PST by wintertime
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To: Kenny Bunk
That is because the African-American community refuses to admit or deal with bastardy, the single most pressing problem among their young people
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Blacks are the canary in the coal mine. If this cultural group of people are dropping off their perches, whites and others will soon follow because the toxic cultural gasses are poisoning **everyone**!

Have you looked at out of wedlock rate for whites recently?

If children attend schools that are GODLESS, collectivist, socialist-funded, government owned and run, and managed by the voting mob people's collective ( school board) the following **WILL** happen for **ALL** children eventually!

** Children of all races WILL learn to think and reason GODLESSLY!

** Children will become comfortable with collectivism, socialism, and voting mob management of their lives.

If the government can use police threat to give children tuition-free schooling, then why not hundreds of other FREE things? Huh? Woodrow Wilson, FDR, the New Deal, the IRS, federal reserve, The Great Society, death panels..etc...were INEVITABLE!

If children attend GODLESS government indoctrination camps then crude barbarism and bastardy are INEVITABLE! Whites are quickly catching up.

33 posted on 02/24/2011 3:21:34 PM PST by wintertime
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To: wintertime
The problem is that our culture has become much less homogeneous when it comes to religion. Perhaps we need to go to a completely private system but that could further increase the balkanization of this country. You would have all kinds of different denominational christian schools, muslim schools, atheist, and secular schools.

Since most state constitutions require a free public education be provided to all children you would have to get an amendment passed to privatize everything. I don't think it would be possible to get enough support to pass that. So the government schools have to remain neutral when it comes to religion.

34 posted on 02/24/2011 4:19:34 PM PST by armordog99
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To: bert
"Where on earth is the bastard Harold Ford Jr when you need him? "

Ha! In the news today.

Harold Ford Jr. Just Jumped To Morgan Stanley, And Is Moving Into This $3.15 Million Chelsea Pad


35 posted on 02/24/2011 5:19:31 PM PST by blam
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To: wintertime
If this cultural group of people are dropping off their perches, whites and others will soon follow because the toxic cultural gasses are poisoning **everyone**!
Have you looked at out of wedlock rate for whites recently?

Hobbes' Law:
originally,"Bad money drives out the good money."
What Hobbes never realized is that his law is not restricted to economics. That is, "The Bad Drives Out The Good."

The white illegitimacy rate is now far higher than what the black illegitimacy rate was in the 1920's, approaching 35%. The African-American illegitimacy rate overall, well over 70%. In DC 90%.

At public school in the 1940s and 50s, we had OT Bible reading every day. And you are correct. That was the basis of the behavior enforced upon us by our school and mightily backed up by our parents, and yes if needs be, by the police.

My friend, one might as well talk about the Jurassic. It should be an academic field: American Paleoculture.

36 posted on 02/24/2011 6:24:12 PM PST by Kenny Bunk (With a friend like Obama, a country needs no enemies.)
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