← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · BlueBonnet
Thread ID: 19198 | Posts: 14 | Started: 2005-07-18
2005-07-18 20:53 | User Profile
[url="http://www.sbsun.com/Stories/0,1413,208%7E12588%7E2969790,00.html"]http://www.sbsun.com/Stories/0,1413,208~12588~2969790,00.html[/url]
Ebonics suggested for districtBy Irma Lemus Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO 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.'
2005-07-18 21:09 | User Profile
Did anyone ever note that Heavyweight Champ Lennox Lewis, when he was Champ, did not speak in ebonics? He's black. He spoke English.
Maybe CA blacks should look around and consider how much extra dough he made doing commercials simply because he was reasonably articulate, and see how it applies to their cases.
Or they could just stay mad at the world.
[QUOTE=BlueBonnet][url="http://www.sbsun.com/Stories/0,1413,208%7E12588%7E2969790,00.html"]http://www.sbsun.com/Stories/0,1413,208~12588~2969790,00.html[/url]
Ebonics suggested for districtBy Irma Lemus Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO 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.'[/QUOTE]
2005-07-18 21:24 | User Profile
Wone be maken no defrance you Axe me. Mos fokes jes be stu ped in bonics too.
2005-07-18 22:22 | User Profile
In the new Aztlan those fools :afro: better learn Spanish and forget Ebonics. :whstl:
2005-07-19 01:44 | User Profile
I'm sure these are the same people who screech like banshees over "Song of the South."
2005-07-19 01:57 | User Profile
Since they won't find any white teachers to teach in ebonics maybe this is to the good. I hate to see our fine, idealistic young white teachers being wasted on disrupted black classrooms.
2005-07-19 03:05 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Bardamu]Since they won't find any white teachers to teach in ebonics maybe this is to the good. I hate to see our fine, idealistic young white teachers being wasted on disrupted black classrooms.[/QUOTE] It occurs to me that these idiots are trying to make a virtue out of a joke from the movie Airplane:
"I speak jive." :biggrin: (The old lady translating from English to the two "hip" black men on the plane.)
The whole thing is a bad joke.
2005-07-19 03:14 | User Profile
[IMG]http://www.resist.com/CARTOON%20GALLERY/NIGGERS/nig_image26.jpg[/IMG]
2005-07-19 03:44 | User Profile
I would promote this measure: the more negro language diverges from English, the better.
2005-07-19 11:38 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Angeleyes]Did anyone ever note that Heavyweight Champ Lennox Lewis, when he was Champ, did not speak in ebonics? He's black. He spoke English.[/QUOTE] Lewis actually called Mike Tyson a 'libertine' during a pre-fight interview a few years ago. It was so pleasantly surprising, that I recall it to this day.
2005-07-19 18:04 | User Profile
This was attempted a few years back in another school district. The reason was if ebonics was considered a foreign language then the district would be eligible for Federal money. Ironically, the use of ebonics in a social enviornment further alienates the black citizenry which contradicts their alleged motivation. Any person with a modicum of insight can understand this approach by the school district does nothing to enhance the intellectual development of black kids. Rather it reinforces the use of improper language, and a lazy mind. Further, the school district authorities seems to be doing nothing more than grasping at straws to save their own careers. Also, schools need to admit that black kids don't learn as well, or they take longer in learning the same thing. Their curriculum should reflect this reality rather than trying to make some slow black kid do as well as whites and Asians. The black kid becomes angry and frustrated, then creates an educational enviornment which has few benefits for other students and teachers.
2005-07-19 18:23 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Angeleyes]It occurs to me that these idiots are trying to make a virtue out of a joke from the movie Airplane:
"I speak jive." :biggrin: (The old lady translating from English to the two "hip" black men on the plane.)
The whole thing is a bad joke.[/QUOTE]
Oh, my, you brought up a classic. Just 25 odd years ago, our entertainment industry still was able to poke fun at the dark races without having Abe and Morris and Jesse yelling how 'we must defeat racism, the scourge of our age'!!
Let's relive those glorious days, courtesy of IMDB: Memorable Quotes from Airplane! (1980)
[B]First Jive Dude[/B]: Shit man, that honky mus' be messin' my old lady... got to be runnin' cold upside down his head. You know? [B]Second Jive Dude[/B]: Hey home, I can dig it. You know he ain't gonna lay no mo' big rap up on you man. [B]First Jive Dude[/B]: I say hey sky, s'other s'ay I wan say? [B]Second Jive Dude[/B]: UH... [B]First Jive Dude[/B]: Pray to J I get the same ol' same ol'. [B]Second Jive Dude[/B]: Eh. Yo knock yourself a pro slick, gray matter live performas down now take TCB'in man. [B]First Jive Dude[/B]: Hey, you know what they say... See a broad, to get that booty yak 'em. [B]First Jive Dude, Second Jive Dude[/B]: Leg 'er down 'n smack 'em yak 'em [B]First Jive Dude[/B]: Cold got to be. You know? Shiiiiit.
Not included in the IMDB quotes was my favorite line when the old lady came over to the sick Jive Dude, and said, "I speak jive......Just hang loose blood, nurse is gonna catch'ya on de rebound wit da medicide."
Classic!
2005-07-19 19:51 | User Profile
The problem is obvious in the title of this story: [B]CA blacks demand to be[/B] [B]taught[/B]...
How can you teach people who are unteachable?
2005-07-19 20:32 | User Profile
[QUOTE]The reason was if ebonics was considered a foreign language then the district would be eligible for Federal money.[/QUOTE]
Right. As always follow the money. Same deal with the Mex invasion here in AZ, the entire school lobby, and they are powerful, fights any attempt to enforce prop 200 or any proposed legislation to control the flow of "migrants" since for every ESL child in class the school district receives Fed dollars to help the poor little illegals learn english, not to mention the Fed subsidized programs for breakfast and school lunches which they also qualify for.
This goes on until they eventually drop out of school to start a meth lab or coyote more illegals across the border.