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How can I google what YOU mean by multiculturalism? It's a very broad term. If you don't explain your terms, how can I talk to you about it? Is it ESOL programs? That's for recent immigrants, which you discounted. Black history month? The fact that we have a lot of cultures in the US, where before we had... a lot of cultures in the US?
Im a 2nd generation immigrant (3rd by some definitions) on one side, and I feel so fully assimilated I even make my pirogi with American cheese.
"I" didn't define multiculturalism. But there is a difference between multiculturalism and discrimination.
Segregated schools is NOT a form of multiculturalism; it was discrimination.
Bilingual education in today's schools is a form of multiculturalism.
But a new report focusing on black males suggests that the picture is even bleaker than generally known.
From your link.
But why only Black MALES? Reading between the lines; it's like Black GIRLS are doing better or at least Ok compared to everyone else of either sex or ethnic background.
I will be honest and say it is because black girls are expected to do better in most instances. Too many people, not just black people either but teachers and administrators make too many excuses for black boys and as such these boys do not achieve and are not held to any sort of rigorous standard.
I am black and have a son who excels, I expect him to and will accept nothing less.
I don't really see this sort of stance by VA as bigotry but I do see it as one of the problems that black males face in our society - no one expects much of them. As such, they don't expect much of themselves and will only do what they need to do to get along, or not do anything at all because of the disillusion they face in our educational system.
This is an interesting phenomenon to me since when I was researching schools to send my kids to if we were to move to Chicago, I found that many of the 90%+ black population schools usually had school populations where over 65% at least were on grade level and at least 10% tested above grade level. Many had higher than 65%. A lot of the schools did not make AYP who had 80-91% of their kids on level due to the expectation that in 2011 95% of all the kids should be testing at the average rate. But every year they made gains in testing. So that was interesting to me.
Fifty-nine percent is pretty crappy. If I were a parent in VA I would be all over that. I would view this very negatively. I would also think that if a black child came into a VA school above grade level that that child wouldn't be challenged at all since they are black and only 59% of them need to pass. The black kid can be overlooked if they know how to read or to add efficiently and ignored.
A whole revamp of our educational system needs to go into place IMO and even though I don't like the idea of a federal agency setting the standards at the local level (and especially don't like those standards to be based soley on standardized tests results) I actually see this stance from the state as evidence that more control needs to be made at the federal level for education since the local level is fine with ignoring a percentage of populace or being content with mediocrity for a specific segment of the school population.
The Black community lowered the standards themselves when they dispensed with marriage and abandoned a vigilant approach towards education. I don't know what folks expect the schools to do under these circumstances. They are not given much to work with.
You didn't answer my question.
I asked, if the Republicans are simply gonna throw their hands up in the case of black and Hispanic kids because of long term failure, why not do the same thing in the case of other long time failed policies?
The Drug War has a much longer track record of failure for example, and yet, I don't see Republicans throwing in the towel on that issue. In fact, they're willing to double down on that particular failure for another hundred years if necessary.
So if throwing in the towel is the new reality for dealing with failed policies, why did they start with black and brown kids? Especially because they've been chewing our ears off for years about "never lowering standards" no matter what. They're the ones that have accused the left of low expectations for blacks....and now they're showing their true colors. Not that i didn't know it was a load of bull all along. This is just a glaring confirmation.
So I'm asking you....will Republicans endorse throwing in the towel on every other failed policy and start lowering standards?
I asked, if the Republicans are simply gonna throw their hands up in the case of black and Hispanic kids because of long term failure, why not do the same thing in the case of other long time failed policies?
The Drug War has a much longer track record of failure for example, and yet, I don't see Republicans throwing in the towel on that issue. In fact, they're willing to double down on that particular failure for another hundred years if necessary.
So if throwing in the towel is the new reality for dealing with failed policies, why did they start with black and brown kids? Especially because they've been chewing our ears off for years about "never lowering standards" no matter what. They're the ones that have accused the left of low expectations for blacks....and now they're showing their true colors. Not that i didn't know it was a load of bull all along. This is just a glaring confirmation.
So I'm asking you....will Republicans endorse throwing in the towel on every other failed policy and start lowering standards?
Educating Blacks and Hispanics is a lost cause, and the wars on drugs, poverty, and Middle East oil interests are as well. I can't speak for EdwardA, but lowering standards/refusing to throw any more taxpayer money into these issues is fine by me.
In terms of solutions, maybe if young Black men aren't thrown into cages for possessing a gram of weed, they will be able to instill a sense of discipline, integrity, and personal responsibility into their children, as well as a desire/respect for education. I'm not saying this is possible or likely, but it beats wasting money on a natural plant that causes less damage than cigarettes and alcohol to the individual as well as our health care system.
I asked, if the Republicans are simply gonna throw their hands up in the case of black and Hispanic kids because of long term failure, why not do the same thing in the case of other long time failed policies?
The Drug War has a much longer track record of failure for example, and yet, I don't see Republicans throwing in the towel on that issue. In fact, they're willing to double down on that particular failure for another hundred years if necessary.
So if throwing in the towel is the new reality for dealing with failed policies, why did they start with black and brown kids? Especially because they've been chewing our ears off for years about "never lowering standards" no matter what. They're the ones that have accused the left of low expectations for blacks....and now they're showing their true colors. Not that i didn't know it was a load of bull all along. This is just a glaring confirmation.
So I'm asking you....will Republicans endorse throwing in the towel on every other failed policy and start lowering standards?
Those "failed policies" were enacted at the Federal level. This is the state reacting to them.
The state cannot change the Federal mandates, they can only modify their rules to meet them.
I think you're getting mad at the wrong level of government here.
What I see is that they tracked performance by race/gender and saw a huge disparity. Rather than telling those who were merely crawling that they have to jump over the 6' highbar by the end of the school year they are going to make walking the goal. It's all good and fine to talk about setting the bar high but being aware that many aren't going to succeed puts their failures on you and the pressure, as the educator, to do something about it.
"I" didn't define multiculturalism. But there is a difference between multiculturalism and discrimination.
Segregated schools is NOT a form of multiculturalism; it was discrimination.
Bilingual education in today's schools is a form of multiculturalism.
Spanish language school cafeteria menus and parent newsletters? We have something that is supposed to help Spanish language speakers speak English.
I got that Spanish language menu once. I had a few years of Spanish, but not to the extent it could handle "greasy bloaters and cabbage and potato slog."
But seriously, I think special accomodations/instruction for foreign-language minorities helps them get up to speed. I think it probably helped me that year I was a foreign language speaker. Also their parents understand the menu/newsletters if they are in their native language, and parent involvement is a key to success or so I was told. Most of the foreign-speaking kids in my daughter's school are zippin' around in English by 3rd grade or so.
Spanish language school cafeteria menus and parent newsletters? We have something that is supposed to help Spanish language speakers speak English.
I got that Spanish language menu once. I had a few years of Spanish, but not to the extent it could handle "greasy bloaters and cabbage and potato slog."
But seriously, I think special accomodations/instruction for foreign-language minorities helps them get up to speed. I think it probably helped me that year I was a foreign language speaker. Also their parents understand the menu/newsletters if they are in their native language, and parent involvement is a key to success or so I was told. Most of the foreign-speaking kids in my daughter's school are zippin' around in English by 3rd grade or so.
And in an earlier post you said you were 2nd-3rd generation American. And you needed bilingual ?
By 3rd generation you would think children know English well enough for school yet that is not the case.
See..that is multiculturalism vs assimilation. Yes, I have seen kids who are 3rd generation American enter school not knowing any English. And I've spoken to older kids where English is not spoken in the home at all. They exist in two worlds here and some of them struggle because of it.
And in an earlier post you said you were 2nd-3rd generation American. And you needed bilingual ?
I went to a public school that wasn't in an English-speaking country for a year. The experience was enlightening.
Quote:
By 3rd generation you would think children know English well enough for school yet that is not the case.
See..that is multiculturalism vs assimilation. Yes, I have seen kids who are 3rd generation American enter school not knowing any English. And I've spoken to older kids where English is not spoken in the home at all. They exist in two worlds here and some of them struggle because of it.
Some of them, but the vast majority of them, the elementary school kids pick it up & translate for the older folks. Many of the older folks never learned English well; neither did my Ukrainian granny. I see this happen all over the place in my kids' school. A majority of kids at that school are immigrants of one stripe or another. I think the ideal age for perfect language acquisition is before 13, and the older after that the harder it is. I'm not really crazy about programs that go on teaching the kids in Spanish and stuff after they've been in the country a few years, but I don't think our area has those--I've only heard about them anecdotally. I know the ESOL programs try to get them up to speed fast. I think it's a great thing to preserve meaningful parts of your own culture, but to succeed in the American system you have to know English (by the time you are talking grandchildren the culture is often mostly gone anyway except for holidays and stuff even if you do try to preserve it).
I understand, I really do--we are a multicultural family, we have members who are white, black, Asian, all kinds of mixes, and also experience of living as foreigners-- and some are even part Texan which is another culture too or so I keep hearing
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