Why?
Of course, you don't believe that they could succeed, do you?
Posted on 07/18/2005 10:25:14 AM PDT by 45Auto
Incorporating Ebonics into a new school policy that targets black students, the lowest-achieving group in the San Bernardino City Unified School District, may provide students a more well-rounded curriculum, said a local sociologist.
The goal of the district's policy is to improve black students' academic performance by keeping them interested in school. Compared with other racial groups in the district, black students go to college the least and have the most dropouts and suspensions.
Blacks make up the second largest racial group in the district, trailing Latinos.
A pilot of the policy, known as the Students Accumulating New Knowledge Optimizing Future Accomplishment Initiative, has been implemented at two city schools.
Mary Texeira, a sociology professor at Cal State San Bernardino, commended the San Bernardino Board of Education for approving the policy in June.
Texeira suggested that including Ebonics in the program would be beneficial for students. Ebonics, a dialect of American English that is spoken by many blacks throughout the country, was recognized as a separate language in 1996 by the Oakland school board.
"Ebonics is a different language, it's not slang as many believe,' Texeira said. "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 said research has shown that students learn better when they fully comprehend the language they are being taught in.
"There are African Americans who do not agree with me. They say that (black students) are lazy and that they need to learn to talk,' Texeira said.
Len Cooper, who is coordinating the pilot program at the two city schools, said San Bernardino district officials do not plan to incorporate Ebonics into the program.
"Because Ebonics can have a negative stigma, we're not focusing on that,' Cooper said. "We are affirming and recognizing Ebonics through supplemental reading books (for students).'
Beginning in the 2005-06 school year, teachers will receive training on black culture and customs. District curriculum will now include information on the historical, cultural and social impact of blacks in society. Although the program is aimed at black students, other students can choose to participate.
The pilot program at Rio Vista Elementary and King Middle schools focuses on second-, fourth- and seventh-grade classes. District officials hope to train teachers from other schools using the program as a model.
Board member Danny Tillman, who pushed for the policy, said that full implementation of the program at all schools may take years, but the pilot program is a beginning.
"At every step we will see positive results,' Tillman said.
Tillman hoped the new policy would increase the number of black students going to college and participating in advanced courses.
Teresa Parra, board vice president, said she worried the new program would have an adverse effect.
"I'm afraid that now that we have this the Hispanic community, our largest population, will say, 'We want something for us.' Next we'll have the Asian community and the Jewish community (asking for their own programs). When will it end?'
Parra said the district should focus on helping all students who are at risk.
"I've always thought that we should provide students support based on their needs and not on their race,' Parra said.
Tillman disagreed with Parra, saying programs that help Latinos already exist in the district. He cited the district's English- as-a-second-language program.
Texeira urged people not be quick to judge the new program as socially exclusive. She said people need to be open to the program.
"Everybody has prejudices, but we must all learn to control that behavior,' Texeira said. She said a child's self confidence is tied to his or her cultural identity.
She compared the low performance of black students to starvation. "How can you be angry when you feed a family of starving children?'
Ratibu Jacocks, a member of the Westside Action Group, a coalition of black activists, 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,' Jacocks said.
Jacocks said he didn't believe the new policy would create animosity. He said he welcomed the idea of other ethnic groups pushing for their own programs.
"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.'
He seems to have it backwards. Women's suffragists were a major force in the abolition movement, which in turn led to the civil rights movement. So, if anything, women's rights opened the door for civil rights.
Of course, you don't believe that they could succeed, do you?
Apparently that's too much to axe.
These goomerheads need a clue.
The kids aren't lazy, it's just that nobody will teach them anything and make 'em do it.
You have got to be kiddin!I was at New Jersey Institute of Technology (the former Newark College of Engineering) at the time. Maybe a bit of a liberal at the time (yet pro-military, I was more of a Scoop Jackson Democrat than a McGovernite and really disliked McGovern), yet thought "what is wrong with this picture". The liberal system seemed to want to keep people dependant.
Zuben, actually they are trying to teach English. I think an English as a Second Language approach would be successful for either group of students.
Test Scores Soar After California Bans Bilingual Ed.
"In 1998, California voters passes a voter initiative, Proposition 227, that banned bilingual education. Two years later, the state issued its Stanford 9 Achievement Test reports."
"Among 2nd grade students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), the portion of students testing above the median increased nearly 50% in the three subjects tested: Reading, Math, and Language. Opponents of English immersion have long argued that it was necessary for children to spend a few years in bilingual education to prepare themselves for English-language instruction. However, youngest students showed the greatest increases in test scores."
"These test scores measure only those students who remain in special classes for LEP. Another important measure of the effectiveness of LEP programs is how many of the students in the programs are able to be sent into mainstream classes. Redesignation tends to moderate test score improvements, as it removes the top-performing students from the testing pool, lowering the test averages. However, despite this, redesignation rates increased 12%, accelerating their improvements."
"Proponents of bilingual education have offered alternative explanation for the improving test scores, including increasing familiarity with the test, smaller class sizes, and a return to "phonics-based" reading instruction. (Phonics is a method of learning to read by recognizing which sounds are produced by letters and letter combinations. Previously, the education establishment had also predicted that the introduction of phonics would be harmful.)"
"These factors may have played a role; test scores improved among English-language students. In any case, these factors would have made it difficult to prove that ending bilingual education was the factor responsible for the test score improvements. However, many school districts attempted to defy Proposition 227. By doing so, they helped prove the case against themselves. Those school districts which most resisted implementation of Proposition 227 showed the smaller improvements[this still goes on today]; whereas those that most aggressively implemented Proposition 227 showed the greatest improvements."
The upshot is that English Immersion is the best way to bring students into the mainstream educational system. Piddling along for years coddling those who do not have a strong English language capability (or those who don't wish to learn it) does no one a favor.
Boo be the fool got popped with the long gun. Dig?
In Europe there are many dialects spoken that are actually quite different from the standard languages used in the educational system and in the media. However, in schools the rules was usually NO dialect. You couldn't write in dialect, and you were meant to try as well as you could NOT to speak in a dialect. These policies were implemented to give rural children the same opportunities urban children had. It's fine to speak a pidgeon at home, but you certainly want your children to ALSO know the standard language.
I see that the Liberals continue to find new ways to keep the "coloreds" on the plantation.
The sheer naked racism of this proposal should cause the black community to rise up in anger.
But since it also fits the agenda of the race pimps (Jackson, Sharpton, et al) it will be sold as another "we can gig Whitey with this one" scheme.
I be against it and $hit.
I'm going to put "Ebonics" on the language proficiency section of my resume. Perhaps I'll even generate additional interest.
~ Blue Jays ~
A pilot of the policy, known as the Students Accumulating New Knowledge Optimizing Future Accomplishment Initiative, has been implemented at two city schools.
That wording would make Lenin proud.
How about the school board's new knowledge optimizing future accomplishments in getting azz kicked endlessly while illererate homey students hang on the stoop with no work.
Oh just good Lord.
I can accept that sort of thing as long as its right up front. That's the thing about Farrakhan - he doesn't try to fool anyone about his position
So I can start slinging the N word, wear white sheets, and burn crosses as long as I'm up front about it?
No more phone calls.....................we have a winner.
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