Posted on 10/08/2009 8:04:14 AM PDT by erkyl
It's hard to teach students you don't understand – students who have different backgrounds, speak different languages or have different traditions.
So the Garland school district will spend $500,000 of its roughly $21 million in federal stimulus money on diversity training.
"We're training everyone," Assistant Superintendent Phyllis Parker said, "from cafeteria workers to bus drivers."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Not to mention, how many of those cafeteria workers and bus drivers (mostly people of color) are going to be trained in the traditions, backgrounds and languages of the children in their district who don't look like them (including the white ones). I plan to contact this school district and ask the if the diversity training will include helping minorities understand the English language and white American traditions, too. I'll let you know what the response is...
About diversity and my tax dollarsssssss ... nope, not gonna say it. Want to say it, but I won’t.
Traing on how to be a good little marxist.
For those who don’t know, the Robin Hood plan is exactly what you think it is. It’s another government gimme program that was a pre-runner to today’s “diversity.” They rob the rich and medium income schools of their tax dollars to give to those schools who don’t/can’t/won’t pay their own way. Back in the 70’s, neighboring Dallas ISD decided to “diversify” and bus black students clear across the city to white schools and white kids across the city to black schools at untold cost to taxpayers and the well being of the children. The only thing it did was cause white flight and turn once nice quiet middle class neighborhoods into nasty crime-ridden areas. The government’s idea of mandated diversity is as stupid today as it was then.
um gud.
Here’s the email I just sent to the Asst. Superintendent mentioned in the article:
Dr. Parker,
I read with interest this morning’s DMN article about how the Garland ISD plans to spend part of its stimulus money on “Diversity Training” for all Garland ISD employees. As a Garland resident, former Garland ISD educator and an American taxpayer, I have a heightened interest in how you choose to spend this money. And, while I respect your desire to train your employees in the diversity of your student population, I do have a question that I would like you or someone from Garland ISD to answer regarding this training.
According to your quote in the article, you stated:
“We’re training everyone,” Assistant Superintendent Phyllis Parker said, “from cafeteria workers to bus drivers.”
The district already has teacher trainers studying books on working with a diverse student body, and they are taking those lessons to other teachers, Parker said.
Are those training materials available for the public to review? The article stated: “It’s hard to teach students you don’t understand – students who have different backgrounds, speak different languages or have different traditions.” I agree, but that argument plays in all directions. Will the materials you offer to the teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria workers, many of whom are from diverse and minority backgrounds, be including information on the language, traditions and background of all cultures represented in the Garland ISD, including the majority caucasian background?
As you know, language barriers are one of the greatest challenges to communicating and educating students in Garland. If we are trying to improve the relationship between all cultures in a diverse population, what is the point of training minority employees in greater understanding of their own culture, language and background? I would hope that your ‘diversity training’ materials are available for public review, and are also equitable in their approach to familiarizing all employee populations with the languages, traditions and backgrounds of all people represented. Mutual respect for all backgrounds and traditions is necessary for equitably dealing with diverse population, and this would include respect and education of ALL cultures represented in the district, which according to TEA data includes Asian, African American, Hispanic and Caucasian.
Thank you for your time and I would appreciate a response.
Pinging DFW Freepers
Barak Hussein Obama mmm mmm mmm
Shovel ready project bump.
Well done.
I’ll be interesed in the response . . . if any.
Actually, “diversity training” creates jobs or saves jobs in the companies that do the “diversity training”.
And you can bet your bottom dollar that the people who decide to do the “diversity training” have financial links to the companies that do the “diversity training”.
Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm.
Unbelievable (followed by a long string of expletives)! Does ACORN run GISD?
This is a criminal waste of money. There is no stimulation of the economy by this action - no tangent benefit to our economy - no jobs - no life sustaining benefit.
While this happens, teachers in GISD do not have money for necessary supplies and students share textbooks if they are available.
Call Superintendent Curtis Caldwell (972)487–3023 - he won’t answer his phone so leave a message!
That’s why every little town in Texas has its own
“Independent School District”. That way, Plano, Mesquite, and Rowlett kids will never be forced to go to South Oak Cliff high school. My in-laws teach in Louisiana and they still bus kids all over the Parish there because they are still under desegregation laws.
Funny though, the Texas state (democratic) legislature didn’t find a problem with asking Plano taxpayers to send their school tax dollars to Mesquite to help fund the education of children not in their district (at the expense of their own children).
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