Racism in the Elementary School system? (San Antonio, Alamo: house, income, vs)

[Verio]

I've been wanting to make a post about this for awhile, and finally decided to tonight. Our daughter just started Elementary school this year, and we were invited to attend an Open House and learn about the new school that she's starting. If you haven't read my other posts, we just moved here in April. So, before the presentation even started, the Principal handed out presentation notes, etc. This is where I started having questions...

So, in the pamphlet, it went over TAKS scores from the last year, and was split up by demographics, as mandated by the State of Texas. Overall, the test scores showed that White children scored lower than all other demographics, with the exception of Math (only 14% of the school is listed as "white").

However, the schools primary focus this year is on improving Hispanic and African-american children's' scores in Reading, Math and Science. Additionally, there is a focus on "disadvantaged and lower-income" families. During the whole presentation, there was never a mention of white children or how their scores should be improved, or that they are the minority.

This just bothers me, a lot. First, there is always a push all over the country to support the minority, except when that minority is white. Even when I contacted the Principal afterward, she acknowledged that white children are doing more poorly than other children, but it is not their primary focus. Is the whole city like this, or just on the east side? Do white families have to move to Stone Oak to even have a fair shot in school? Someone please explain to me how this is not racist?

Edit - This is the breakdown of the demographics for the school

African American: 186 31%
Asian: 10 2%
Hispanic: 286 48%
Native American: 4 1%
White: 84 14%
Other: 31 5%

[Dopo]

I'm fine with helping the needy,
what's been bothering for a while is the bs about helping X race.
Instead of showing stats by race, how about we just help people that need help?

It's ridiculous to say that everybody in X race needs help. As if they are not individuals that can do good or bad in school or work.

[txtea]

Another reason why my son is home-schooled.

All this politically correct bull hockey is ruining this country. Why can't they concentrate on making EVERYONE'S grades improve? How can they expect racism to dissolve when they seperate the kids this way? The education system in this country needs to be overhauled.....or we are going to pay for it in the long run.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by txtea

All this politically correct bull hockey is ruining this country.

It's not about political correctness, it's about doing things the right way as I explained it in my previous post.

In the same way, I'm offended when election polls are done by race .
"Dopo, you are hispanic so you are going to vote for X politician".

Are we still in the 1950s?
Why does the media and the government keep on insisting on doing stats and polls based on race?
How about age, income, regions, education level, etc, etc?

That's the problem Verio, they are not seeing kids as individuals, but they see them as "races"
Based on whatever information they pulled from ...... they said "This race is doing good, but this race needs help"

[Azure110]

Racism is very evident when it comes to scholarships for example.

Minority scholarships get awarded often to support the "disadvantaged and/or lower income groups" but when whites do become part of the minority, no scholarship exists for whites only.

Focus should always be on the person regardless of race, color, background, etc.... in regards to TAKS scores, scholarships, or any educational program.

Of course I am dreaming here.

[L210]

I think whatever funding schools are getting to increase test scores have inflexible rules. Generally, minorities and the economically disadvantage score lower on tests across the country. Of course, the government is not taking into consideration that sometimes whites are the minority in certain areas; but there is still extra concentration on the economically disadvantage (even many predominantly white schools in the South fall into this category). You may want to contact the district and work your way up the government if no one does anything.

The truth is that "white privilege" does exist, that's why there are no scholarships for just white students. White students who are not privileged usually fall into the economically disadvantaged category and there are scholarships for those students and even students growing up in single-parent homes. There are scholarships for just about any situation. Anyone can start up a scholarship fund. If you want scholarships for just white students, then start one up. No one is going to say anything if the scholarship says it's for students of German descent, Irish descent, British descent, etc. These scholarships are mostly coming from private companies and non-profit groups and they can give them to whomever they want. I've seen scholarships for Italians, and the last time I checked, they're white.

Studies have shown that people feel more comfortable hiring those who are like themselves meaning that if you have a purple employer deciding between a blue and purple prospective employee both being equal on every level, the purple employer will more than like hire the purple person. Even with affirmative action, this obviously puts minorities at a disadvantage in the work world.

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by meisha210

If you want scholarships for just white students, then start one up.

That is good advice.

Federal and state funding for underperforming schools goes to schools who have a majority of underperforming students.

In San Antonio the schools underperforming have been those with higher concentration of minorities. Those schools with more white students do not have that issue here. In fact unequal schooling has been a problem here if anyone recalls Edgewood vs Alamo Heights and the whole robin hood school funding issue. The fact that it is assumed a school in the Stone Oak area will have superior educational offerings compared to one in the inner-city speaks volumes.

So because of that some funding for underperforming schools will be based on granting it to minority communities. That money will not, for example, be awarded to minority students who happen to attend a higher performing school in the suburbs. It might go to a school with near 80% minorities though I would think the whole school would benefit and not just that near 80% of minority students.

There is nothing in my mind though that leads me to believe that a white student going to an underperforming school, who is part of that community, who faces the same risks as the other students, will not be allowed to benefit from any grant money going into that school.

It is most likely if they have any special programs based on such grants that a white child would be able to participate just the same as a minority child.

Did the school specifically state that the OPs child would be barred from any programs or is this some sort of assumption?

The problem might be one of parents just wanting the best for their children and forget everyone else. A parent who wants to insure their area school is superior for all students, not just their own, might make a better difference.

Assuming the white students in that area are performing worse due to funding when perhaps it is their parents lack of involvement might also be a mistake. Grants of this type though are made for whole communities and not just certain students. If insinuating that these funds should not benefit minority students at this school but only the white ones because they need it more then that is odd logic when it is most likely the whole school is underperfroming and could all benefit.

I think some people just disapprove of any funds being given to minorities even if they are just helping underperforming schools. I wonder if this would have been seen as an issue if there was no mention of that.

[L210]

Great point, Merovee.

Most of the extra money is going to be funneled to underperforming schools. In order to be in accordance with No Child Left Behind, the school needs to raise the test scores of all the students because even if they are just a minority, the white students could bring down the school's average. Any additional programs added at struggling schools will most like be available to all students. The presentation probably only concentrated on minority students because the underperforming schools are usually majority-minority in poorer districts. The government is looking at the broader issue, but at the school level, everyone in those struggling schools will benefit. Minorities at better performing schools will not benefit at all from these programs because their schools will not get them. So if you're a white family with a struggling student, moving him/her to a better school will either help them because the school is better overall or hurt him/her because that school doesn't pay extra attention to struggling students due to the fact they have so few of them.

Edit: I thought I should also bring this up. Some schools are quicker than others to put struggling students into remedial classes (lab at NEISD). I'm not sure, but these students could lumped with the special education students when it comes to being exempt from passing state tests and having their scores counted in the school's average.

Sometimes I do think it's a cultural thing where the kids think it's cool to do bad in school and sometimes it's the fault of the parents for not being involved in their child's education.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by meisha210

The truth is that "white privilege" does exist, that's why there are no scholarships for just white students. White students who are not privileged usually fall into the economically disadvantaged category and there are scholarships for those students and even students growing up in single-parent homes. There are scholarships for just about any situation. Anyone can start up a scholarship fund. If you want scholarships for just white students, then start one up. No one is going to say anything if the scholarship says it's for students of German descent, Irish descent, British descent, etc. These scholarships are mostly coming from private companies and non-profit groups and they can give them to whomever they want. I've seen scholarships for Italians, and the last time I checked, they're white.

You missed my point, I am not supporting a "whites only" scholarship. I was being sarcastic. While I do agree with you that "white privilege" does exist, I think that is pretty much shrinking away as it should. No race should get special privilege. Period. Education privilege and scholarship privilege should be provided gender and race neutral.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by MattTx

You missed my point, I am not supporting a "whites only" scholarship. I was being sarcastic. While I do agree with you that "white privilege" does exist, I think that is pretty much shrinking away as it should. No race should get special privilege. Period. Education privilege and scholarship privilege should be provided gender and race neutral.

Bravo. Agreed.

People should try being asian. All of the racism with none of the affirmative action. *sigh*