We are asking the district to immediately investigate the March suspensions of three African American students for a verbal altercation that involved no racial slurs and no physical contact. The White girls involved, one of whom initiated the conflict by bumping an African American student, were not suspended. The first Black student was suspended for the verbal altercation. The district tells us the latter two were suspended for disrespect to administrators.
A fourth African American girl was believed by administrators when she said she had not insulted the White students on a separate occasion. Why wasn’t the truth of all the White girls’ accusations called into question when this lone African American student was believed? At what point do you hold adult administrators responsible for students’ frustration and anger at being continually falsely accused and not believed?
We are asking for these 3 suspensions to be overturned, for the district to conduct in-depth case studies of each of these suspensions for racial bias and procedural errors that might lead to identifiable reasons for racial disparities in discipline patterns across the district. With a little courage and leadership, this could be a teachable moment for all district staff and parents, in the lives of all of our Davis children, and in the thus-far very slow district action in the quest for equity in our schools.
Your simple one sentence written note will exempt your child from the STAR exam next week. Include your child’s name, birth date and grade. Please help us accelerate the call for justice in our “excellent” schools by engaging in this time-tested, nonviolent strategy for social change. Call parents Bernita Toney (753-8393) for more information.
For further information, please click here to read the Star Boycott Options
—Bernita Toney, Davis, CA
Hey, sounds like a fantastic idea, boycott testing and jeopardize the funding of all schools. Sounds like a wonderful way to raise support for your ideas. In the end all that will be accomplished is the alienation of the majority of Davis parents and substantially closing off their willingness to listen to your cause.
Hey, sounds like a fantastic idea, boycott testing and jeopardize the funding of all schools. Sounds like a wonderful way to raise support for your ideas. In the end all that will be accomplished is the alienation of the majority of Davis parents and substantially closing off their willingness to listen to your cause.
Hey, sounds like a fantastic idea, boycott testing and jeopardize the funding of all schools. Sounds like a wonderful way to raise support for your ideas. In the end all that will be accomplished is the alienation of the majority of Davis parents and substantially closing off their willingness to listen to your cause.
Hey, sounds like a fantastic idea, boycott testing and jeopardize the funding of all schools. Sounds like a wonderful way to raise support for your ideas. In the end all that will be accomplished is the alienation of the majority of Davis parents and substantially closing off their willingness to listen to your cause.
I guess if funding were jeopardized, the parents of the other children may actually care about what these parents have to say, don’t you think?
The problem in this town is that unless you are personally affected by this stuff you can pretty much bury your head in the sand. This should serve as a wake up call–parents need to hear it–because my sense is that this thing is at a boiling point and that the majority of the parents are not listening.
I guess if funding were jeopardized, the parents of the other children may actually care about what these parents have to say, don’t you think?
The problem in this town is that unless you are personally affected by this stuff you can pretty much bury your head in the sand. This should serve as a wake up call–parents need to hear it–because my sense is that this thing is at a boiling point and that the majority of the parents are not listening.
I guess if funding were jeopardized, the parents of the other children may actually care about what these parents have to say, don’t you think?
The problem in this town is that unless you are personally affected by this stuff you can pretty much bury your head in the sand. This should serve as a wake up call–parents need to hear it–because my sense is that this thing is at a boiling point and that the majority of the parents are not listening.
I guess if funding were jeopardized, the parents of the other children may actually care about what these parents have to say, don’t you think?
The problem in this town is that unless you are personally affected by this stuff you can pretty much bury your head in the sand. This should serve as a wake up call–parents need to hear it–because my sense is that this thing is at a boiling point and that the majority of the parents are not listening.
I don’t agree with this boycott. I think that there is more to what happened than is described here. And do not see how the boycott of STAR testing addresses the issues that need to be resolved.
I do not agree with suspending the students for speaking their mind, however.
I don’t agree with this boycott. I think that there is more to what happened than is described here. And do not see how the boycott of STAR testing addresses the issues that need to be resolved.
I do not agree with suspending the students for speaking their mind, however.
I don’t agree with this boycott. I think that there is more to what happened than is described here. And do not see how the boycott of STAR testing addresses the issues that need to be resolved.
I do not agree with suspending the students for speaking their mind, however.
I don’t agree with this boycott. I think that there is more to what happened than is described here. And do not see how the boycott of STAR testing addresses the issues that need to be resolved.
I do not agree with suspending the students for speaking their mind, however.
“I think that there is more to what happened than is described here. “
I’m all ears. Because it is fairly accurate to me.
Folks, you guys need to all wake up and do so now because things are on the verge of really getting ugly.
“I think that there is more to what happened than is described here. “
I’m all ears. Because it is fairly accurate to me.
Folks, you guys need to all wake up and do so now because things are on the verge of really getting ugly.
“I think that there is more to what happened than is described here. “
I’m all ears. Because it is fairly accurate to me.
Folks, you guys need to all wake up and do so now because things are on the verge of really getting ugly.
“I think that there is more to what happened than is described here. “
I’m all ears. Because it is fairly accurate to me.
Folks, you guys need to all wake up and do so now because things are on the verge of really getting ugly.
Dear People’s Vanguard Readers,
I have been asked in several forums about STAR testing over the past two days. I want to make it very clear that the boycott will serve neither the organizer’s goals nor the individual students’ academic needs.
In my short tenure here, I have been happy to meet with community groups about their concerns with the district. We do have issues of differential student achievement, and we do need to address them. A boycott only keeps us from collecting important information about achievement; it hampers us rather than helps us in addressing the issues because we won’t know at what grade levels or in what strands of the curriculum we are failing certain groups of students. It’s a mistake to boycott.
Other bloggers are correct about the possible outcomes of not meeting the state’s and federal government’s testing requirements. If we don’t test 95% of our students, in the aggregate and in each subgroup, our Title I schools and the district as a whole will be designated as “Program Improvement” eventually. This means state-ordered reviews with the possibility of sanctions if it happens over multiple years.
The state and federal accountability issues, though, are a secondary concern. We need current data about each child, for that child’s sake, so we know if there are critical skills and knowledge that haven’t yet been acquired in the classroom, and that we need to remediate so that child can go on to success for his or her stay in our district. We need it so that we can evaluate our curriculum across groups of students, for instance at a certain grade level or at a certain school. Maybe the textbook is not providing coverage. Maybe we are not covering the standards that are being tested effectively. Maybe we are not reteaching the students who “don’t quite get it” the first time. If we are going to offer our children a successful educational experience, we need the information about what they’ve learned.
With respect to Ms. Toney’s requests of the district, many of them could become the basis for a reasonable discussion. I have already advocated that we review our discipline policy and make sure we are using best practice in a way that separates behavior from academic success. I’m also happy to take a look at the data with respect to disproportionate suspensions. I think some of the suggestions regarding language accessibility of our district documents are good ones, too.
We are already underway with other of these suggestions, such as the training regarding unconscious bias. I will be meeting with a trainer in the next several weeks and we currently plan to offer the training to all administrators. We are also actively seeking new venues to recruit teachers of color.
In summary, we are already making a concerted effort to respond to these concerns, and most importantly, the concerns about student achievement. A boycott will set us back with respect to the data we use to evaluate that concern. A boycott also won’t move us forward on the other issues. Meetings, and developing a common understanding of the issues, and setting out a mutually understood work plan, will move us forward.
Please don’t boycott the STAR test. Boycotting the test is not a child-centered decision.
Thank you for your time and thanks to the People’s Vanguard for creating a forum in which the community talks about education.
Best regards,
Richard Whitmore
Dear People’s Vanguard Readers,
I have been asked in several forums about STAR testing over the past two days. I want to make it very clear that the boycott will serve neither the organizer’s goals nor the individual students’ academic needs.
In my short tenure here, I have been happy to meet with community groups about their concerns with the district. We do have issues of differential student achievement, and we do need to address them. A boycott only keeps us from collecting important information about achievement; it hampers us rather than helps us in addressing the issues because we won’t know at what grade levels or in what strands of the curriculum we are failing certain groups of students. It’s a mistake to boycott.
Other bloggers are correct about the possible outcomes of not meeting the state’s and federal government’s testing requirements. If we don’t test 95% of our students, in the aggregate and in each subgroup, our Title I schools and the district as a whole will be designated as “Program Improvement” eventually. This means state-ordered reviews with the possibility of sanctions if it happens over multiple years.
The state and federal accountability issues, though, are a secondary concern. We need current data about each child, for that child’s sake, so we know if there are critical skills and knowledge that haven’t yet been acquired in the classroom, and that we need to remediate so that child can go on to success for his or her stay in our district. We need it so that we can evaluate our curriculum across groups of students, for instance at a certain grade level or at a certain school. Maybe the textbook is not providing coverage. Maybe we are not covering the standards that are being tested effectively. Maybe we are not reteaching the students who “don’t quite get it” the first time. If we are going to offer our children a successful educational experience, we need the information about what they’ve learned.
With respect to Ms. Toney’s requests of the district, many of them could become the basis for a reasonable discussion. I have already advocated that we review our discipline policy and make sure we are using best practice in a way that separates behavior from academic success. I’m also happy to take a look at the data with respect to disproportionate suspensions. I think some of the suggestions regarding language accessibility of our district documents are good ones, too.
We are already underway with other of these suggestions, such as the training regarding unconscious bias. I will be meeting with a trainer in the next several weeks and we currently plan to offer the training to all administrators. We are also actively seeking new venues to recruit teachers of color.
In summary, we are already making a concerted effort to respond to these concerns, and most importantly, the concerns about student achievement. A boycott will set us back with respect to the data we use to evaluate that concern. A boycott also won’t move us forward on the other issues. Meetings, and developing a common understanding of the issues, and setting out a mutually understood work plan, will move us forward.
Please don’t boycott the STAR test. Boycotting the test is not a child-centered decision.
Thank you for your time and thanks to the People’s Vanguard for creating a forum in which the community talks about education.
Best regards,
Richard Whitmore
Dear People’s Vanguard Readers,
I have been asked in several forums about STAR testing over the past two days. I want to make it very clear that the boycott will serve neither the organizer’s goals nor the individual students’ academic needs.
In my short tenure here, I have been happy to meet with community groups about their concerns with the district. We do have issues of differential student achievement, and we do need to address them. A boycott only keeps us from collecting important information about achievement; it hampers us rather than helps us in addressing the issues because we won’t know at what grade levels or in what strands of the curriculum we are failing certain groups of students. It’s a mistake to boycott.
Other bloggers are correct about the possible outcomes of not meeting the state’s and federal government’s testing requirements. If we don’t test 95% of our students, in the aggregate and in each subgroup, our Title I schools and the district as a whole will be designated as “Program Improvement” eventually. This means state-ordered reviews with the possibility of sanctions if it happens over multiple years.
The state and federal accountability issues, though, are a secondary concern. We need current data about each child, for that child’s sake, so we know if there are critical skills and knowledge that haven’t yet been acquired in the classroom, and that we need to remediate so that child can go on to success for his or her stay in our district. We need it so that we can evaluate our curriculum across groups of students, for instance at a certain grade level or at a certain school. Maybe the textbook is not providing coverage. Maybe we are not covering the standards that are being tested effectively. Maybe we are not reteaching the students who “don’t quite get it” the first time. If we are going to offer our children a successful educational experience, we need the information about what they’ve learned.
With respect to Ms. Toney’s requests of the district, many of them could become the basis for a reasonable discussion. I have already advocated that we review our discipline policy and make sure we are using best practice in a way that separates behavior from academic success. I’m also happy to take a look at the data with respect to disproportionate suspensions. I think some of the suggestions regarding language accessibility of our district documents are good ones, too.
We are already underway with other of these suggestions, such as the training regarding unconscious bias. I will be meeting with a trainer in the next several weeks and we currently plan to offer the training to all administrators. We are also actively seeking new venues to recruit teachers of color.
In summary, we are already making a concerted effort to respond to these concerns, and most importantly, the concerns about student achievement. A boycott will set us back with respect to the data we use to evaluate that concern. A boycott also won’t move us forward on the other issues. Meetings, and developing a common understanding of the issues, and setting out a mutually understood work plan, will move us forward.
Please don’t boycott the STAR test. Boycotting the test is not a child-centered decision.
Thank you for your time and thanks to the People’s Vanguard for creating a forum in which the community talks about education.
Best regards,
Richard Whitmore
Dear People’s Vanguard Readers,
I have been asked in several forums about STAR testing over the past two days. I want to make it very clear that the boycott will serve neither the organizer’s goals nor the individual students’ academic needs.
In my short tenure here, I have been happy to meet with community groups about their concerns with the district. We do have issues of differential student achievement, and we do need to address them. A boycott only keeps us from collecting important information about achievement; it hampers us rather than helps us in addressing the issues because we won’t know at what grade levels or in what strands of the curriculum we are failing certain groups of students. It’s a mistake to boycott.
Other bloggers are correct about the possible outcomes of not meeting the state’s and federal government’s testing requirements. If we don’t test 95% of our students, in the aggregate and in each subgroup, our Title I schools and the district as a whole will be designated as “Program Improvement” eventually. This means state-ordered reviews with the possibility of sanctions if it happens over multiple years.
The state and federal accountability issues, though, are a secondary concern. We need current data about each child, for that child’s sake, so we know if there are critical skills and knowledge that haven’t yet been acquired in the classroom, and that we need to remediate so that child can go on to success for his or her stay in our district. We need it so that we can evaluate our curriculum across groups of students, for instance at a certain grade level or at a certain school. Maybe the textbook is not providing coverage. Maybe we are not covering the standards that are being tested effectively. Maybe we are not reteaching the students who “don’t quite get it” the first time. If we are going to offer our children a successful educational experience, we need the information about what they’ve learned.
With respect to Ms. Toney’s requests of the district, many of them could become the basis for a reasonable discussion. I have already advocated that we review our discipline policy and make sure we are using best practice in a way that separates behavior from academic success. I’m also happy to take a look at the data with respect to disproportionate suspensions. I think some of the suggestions regarding language accessibility of our district documents are good ones, too.
We are already underway with other of these suggestions, such as the training regarding unconscious bias. I will be meeting with a trainer in the next several weeks and we currently plan to offer the training to all administrators. We are also actively seeking new venues to recruit teachers of color.
In summary, we are already making a concerted effort to respond to these concerns, and most importantly, the concerns about student achievement. A boycott will set us back with respect to the data we use to evaluate that concern. A boycott also won’t move us forward on the other issues. Meetings, and developing a common understanding of the issues, and setting out a mutually understood work plan, will move us forward.
Please don’t boycott the STAR test. Boycotting the test is not a child-centered decision.
Thank you for your time and thanks to the People’s Vanguard for creating a forum in which the community talks about education.
Best regards,
Richard Whitmore
“We are protesting the inaction of the Davis school district in remedying racial disparities in discipline and other schooling experiences and the lack of African American and other underrepresented teachers of color throughout the district. Out of nearly 500 teachers, there are less than 6 African Americans. The largest school, Davis High, has had no African American teachers for the last several years.”
It is illegal — let me repeat that, illegal — for the school district to recruit or hire anyone on the basis of his race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
Here is the wording of our state’s civil rights law (1996):
(a) The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
(f) For the purposes of this section, “state” shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the state itself, any city, county, city and county, public university system, including the University of California, community college district, school district, special district, or any other political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of or within the state.
So blaming the DJUSD for the fact that there are not many black teachers is misguided.
Nevertheless, Ms. Toney, I have a constructive suggestion for you that I hope you would consider taking up: as a private group, nothing is stopping you and the other black parents and your sympathizers from privately recruiting African-American teachers to come to Davis to teach. While you cannot hire them yourselves, you can reach out to them and encourage them to apply for teaching positions in Davis. You can tell them what a wonderful town Davis is. You can tell them what wonderful schools we have. You can tell them how well our increasingly diverse community works together.
Your group can be a great benefit to our community, if you would take up this cause. Complaining to the District about something that it cannot legally do on its own doesn’t help anyone. But actually getting out there, finding good black teaching candidates and encouraging them to work in Davis would benefit everyone.
“We are protesting the inaction of the Davis school district in remedying racial disparities in discipline and other schooling experiences and the lack of African American and other underrepresented teachers of color throughout the district. Out of nearly 500 teachers, there are less than 6 African Americans. The largest school, Davis High, has had no African American teachers for the last several years.”
It is illegal — let me repeat that, illegal — for the school district to recruit or hire anyone on the basis of his race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
Here is the wording of our state’s civil rights law (1996):
(a) The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
(f) For the purposes of this section, “state” shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the state itself, any city, county, city and county, public university system, including the University of California, community college district, school district, special district, or any other political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of or within the state.
So blaming the DJUSD for the fact that there are not many black teachers is misguided.
Nevertheless, Ms. Toney, I have a constructive suggestion for you that I hope you would consider taking up: as a private group, nothing is stopping you and the other black parents and your sympathizers from privately recruiting African-American teachers to come to Davis to teach. While you cannot hire them yourselves, you can reach out to them and encourage them to apply for teaching positions in Davis. You can tell them what a wonderful town Davis is. You can tell them what wonderful schools we have. You can tell them how well our increasingly diverse community works together.
Your group can be a great benefit to our community, if you would take up this cause. Complaining to the District about something that it cannot legally do on its own doesn’t help anyone. But actually getting out there, finding good black teaching candidates and encouraging them to work in Davis would benefit everyone.
“We are protesting the inaction of the Davis school district in remedying racial disparities in discipline and other schooling experiences and the lack of African American and other underrepresented teachers of color throughout the district. Out of nearly 500 teachers, there are less than 6 African Americans. The largest school, Davis High, has had no African American teachers for the last several years.”
It is illegal — let me repeat that, illegal — for the school district to recruit or hire anyone on the basis of his race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
Here is the wording of our state’s civil rights law (1996):
(a) The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
(f) For the purposes of this section, “state” shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the state itself, any city, county, city and county, public university system, including the University of California, community college district, school district, special district, or any other political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of or within the state.
So blaming the DJUSD for the fact that there are not many black teachers is misguided.
Nevertheless, Ms. Toney, I have a constructive suggestion for you that I hope you would consider taking up: as a private group, nothing is stopping you and the other black parents and your sympathizers from privately recruiting African-American teachers to come to Davis to teach. While you cannot hire them yourselves, you can reach out to them and encourage them to apply for teaching positions in Davis. You can tell them what a wonderful town Davis is. You can tell them what wonderful schools we have. You can tell them how well our increasingly diverse community works together.
Your group can be a great benefit to our community, if you would take up this cause. Complaining to the District about something that it cannot legally do on its own doesn’t help anyone. But actually getting out there, finding good black teaching candidates and encouraging them to work in Davis would benefit everyone.
“We are protesting the inaction of the Davis school district in remedying racial disparities in discipline and other schooling experiences and the lack of African American and other underrepresented teachers of color throughout the district. Out of nearly 500 teachers, there are less than 6 African Americans. The largest school, Davis High, has had no African American teachers for the last several years.”
It is illegal — let me repeat that, illegal — for the school district to recruit or hire anyone on the basis of his race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
Here is the wording of our state’s civil rights law (1996):
(a) The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
(f) For the purposes of this section, “state” shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the state itself, any city, county, city and county, public university system, including the University of California, community college district, school district, special district, or any other political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of or within the state.
So blaming the DJUSD for the fact that there are not many black teachers is misguided.
Nevertheless, Ms. Toney, I have a constructive suggestion for you that I hope you would consider taking up: as a private group, nothing is stopping you and the other black parents and your sympathizers from privately recruiting African-American teachers to come to Davis to teach. While you cannot hire them yourselves, you can reach out to them and encourage them to apply for teaching positions in Davis. You can tell them what a wonderful town Davis is. You can tell them what wonderful schools we have. You can tell them how well our increasingly diverse community works together.
Your group can be a great benefit to our community, if you would take up this cause. Complaining to the District about something that it cannot legally do on its own doesn’t help anyone. But actually getting out there, finding good black teaching candidates and encouraging them to work in Davis would benefit everyone.
Rich:
What is legal is for the district to recruit and encourage people of color to apply for positions and that is where the focus has been and needs to increase.
This is an issue that has been simmering for a long time, it has increased this last year and the public is largely unaware of it. I’m not just talking about the hiring issue, but the climate itself in the schools and this town.
One thing that the city council was correct about last year–this was not just an issue about the police–this was a community issue. Last year the venue for that was the HRC and the police. This year it appears to be the school district.
Rich:
What is legal is for the district to recruit and encourage people of color to apply for positions and that is where the focus has been and needs to increase.
This is an issue that has been simmering for a long time, it has increased this last year and the public is largely unaware of it. I’m not just talking about the hiring issue, but the climate itself in the schools and this town.
One thing that the city council was correct about last year–this was not just an issue about the police–this was a community issue. Last year the venue for that was the HRC and the police. This year it appears to be the school district.
Rich:
What is legal is for the district to recruit and encourage people of color to apply for positions and that is where the focus has been and needs to increase.
This is an issue that has been simmering for a long time, it has increased this last year and the public is largely unaware of it. I’m not just talking about the hiring issue, but the climate itself in the schools and this town.
One thing that the city council was correct about last year–this was not just an issue about the police–this was a community issue. Last year the venue for that was the HRC and the police. This year it appears to be the school district.
Rich:
What is legal is for the district to recruit and encourage people of color to apply for positions and that is where the focus has been and needs to increase.
This is an issue that has been simmering for a long time, it has increased this last year and the public is largely unaware of it. I’m not just talking about the hiring issue, but the climate itself in the schools and this town.
One thing that the city council was correct about last year–this was not just an issue about the police–this was a community issue. Last year the venue for that was the HRC and the police. This year it appears to be the school district.
Yep Rich, I am not surprised to see you defending the district for not having any African American teachers at Davis High.
Additionally, I love your handing off the white man’s burden with this new nonsense of suggesting that the people who have had enough with the inequities and racial disparities go out and find people of color to come here and teach. How about if the district does its job to provide appropriate role models for all its students?
Your legalese nonsense suggests you live in a world that is as detached from reality as the Bush administration. If the district wanted to bring in people of color they could do it in such a way that they would not be in violation of the sections you cited. They just need to do what is right and change their priorities. Maybe the new administration will do just that and I would say give them time to do the right thing but then again I’m not the one who has had to suffer under the past administration that didn’t have diversity as a priority, thought that people of color who complained were nuts or ingrates, and that their complaints were without merit.
So Rich I hope you can come to realize that when the new superintendent talks about subconscious bias he is referring to the kind of bigotry you so eloquently perpetuate.
Yep Rich, I am not surprised to see you defending the district for not having any African American teachers at Davis High.
Additionally, I love your handing off the white man’s burden with this new nonsense of suggesting that the people who have had enough with the inequities and racial disparities go out and find people of color to come here and teach. How about if the district does its job to provide appropriate role models for all its students?
Your legalese nonsense suggests you live in a world that is as detached from reality as the Bush administration. If the district wanted to bring in people of color they could do it in such a way that they would not be in violation of the sections you cited. They just need to do what is right and change their priorities. Maybe the new administration will do just that and I would say give them time to do the right thing but then again I’m not the one who has had to suffer under the past administration that didn’t have diversity as a priority, thought that people of color who complained were nuts or ingrates, and that their complaints were without merit.
So Rich I hope you can come to realize that when the new superintendent talks about subconscious bias he is referring to the kind of bigotry you so eloquently perpetuate.
Yep Rich, I am not surprised to see you defending the district for not having any African American teachers at Davis High.
Additionally, I love your handing off the white man’s burden with this new nonsense of suggesting that the people who have had enough with the inequities and racial disparities go out and find people of color to come here and teach. How about if the district does its job to provide appropriate role models for all its students?
Your legalese nonsense suggests you live in a world that is as detached from reality as the Bush administration. If the district wanted to bring in people of color they could do it in such a way that they would not be in violation of the sections you cited. They just need to do what is right and change their priorities. Maybe the new administration will do just that and I would say give them time to do the right thing but then again I’m not the one who has had to suffer under the past administration that didn’t have diversity as a priority, thought that people of color who complained were nuts or ingrates, and that their complaints were without merit.
So Rich I hope you can come to realize that when the new superintendent talks about subconscious bias he is referring to the kind of bigotry you so eloquently perpetuate.
Yep Rich, I am not surprised to see you defending the district for not having any African American teachers at Davis High.
Additionally, I love your handing off the white man’s burden with this new nonsense of suggesting that the people who have had enough with the inequities and racial disparities go out and find people of color to come here and teach. How about if the district does its job to provide appropriate role models for all its students?
Your legalese nonsense suggests you live in a world that is as detached from reality as the Bush administration. If the district wanted to bring in people of color they could do it in such a way that they would not be in violation of the sections you cited. They just need to do what is right and change their priorities. Maybe the new administration will do just that and I would say give them time to do the right thing but then again I’m not the one who has had to suffer under the past administration that didn’t have diversity as a priority, thought that people of color who complained were nuts or ingrates, and that their complaints were without merit.
So Rich I hope you can come to realize that when the new superintendent talks about subconscious bias he is referring to the kind of bigotry you so eloquently perpetuate.
“What is legal is for the district to recruit and encourage people of color to apply for positions and that is where the focus has been and needs to increase.”
Insofar as that means that the District would be recruiting ‘people of color’ on the basis of their race, then you are wrong and that is 100% illegal. Of course the district can recruit ‘people of color’ or ‘people of no color’ as long as that recruitment is done while ignoring all candidates racial or ethnic background.
“What is legal is for the district to recruit and encourage people of color to apply for positions and that is where the focus has been and needs to increase.”
Insofar as that means that the District would be recruiting ‘people of color’ on the basis of their race, then you are wrong and that is 100% illegal. Of course the district can recruit ‘people of color’ or ‘people of no color’ as long as that recruitment is done while ignoring all candidates racial or ethnic background.
“What is legal is for the district to recruit and encourage people of color to apply for positions and that is where the focus has been and needs to increase.”
Insofar as that means that the District would be recruiting ‘people of color’ on the basis of their race, then you are wrong and that is 100% illegal. Of course the district can recruit ‘people of color’ or ‘people of no color’ as long as that recruitment is done while ignoring all candidates racial or ethnic background.
“What is legal is for the district to recruit and encourage people of color to apply for positions and that is where the focus has been and needs to increase.”
Insofar as that means that the District would be recruiting ‘people of color’ on the basis of their race, then you are wrong and that is 100% illegal. Of course the district can recruit ‘people of color’ or ‘people of no color’ as long as that recruitment is done while ignoring all candidates racial or ethnic background.
I suspect Mr. Rich that you do not know as much as you think, because in point of fact the district is currently doing exactly that. I suspect their lawyers are better versed on the law than you are.
I suspect Mr. Rich that you do not know as much as you think, because in point of fact the district is currently doing exactly that. I suspect their lawyers are better versed on the law than you are.
I suspect Mr. Rich that you do not know as much as you think, because in point of fact the district is currently doing exactly that. I suspect their lawyers are better versed on the law than you are.
I suspect Mr. Rich that you do not know as much as you think, because in point of fact the district is currently doing exactly that. I suspect their lawyers are better versed on the law than you are.
“Yep Rich, I am not surprised to see you defending the district for not having any African American teachers at Davis High.”
I did no such thing. I neither defended nor attacked the District for this. I don’t mind your disagreeing with what I have said. It’s another matter when your argument is so weak that you must make something up out of whole cloth in order to defame me. Nice job, A-non.
“Additionally, I love your handing off the white man’s burden with this new nonsense of suggesting that the people who have had enough with the inequities and racial disparities go out and find people of color to come here and teach.”
I don’t have any idea what ‘white man’s burden’ you are talking about. Maybe if you would actually address my ideas, I could respond to you.
” How about if the district does its job to provide appropriate role models for all its students?”
If you think that only black teachers can be role models for black students, then you should encourage qualified black teachers to apply for jobs here in Davis. The District cannot legally seek out candidates on the basis of their race.
“Your legalese nonsense suggests you live in a world that is as detached from reality as the Bush administration.”
Legalese nonsense? I think the California Civil Rights laws are rather plain. I’m not an attorney. And I did not vote for Mr. Bush.
“If the district wanted to bring in people of color they could do it in such a way that they would not be in violation of the sections you cited.”
Tell me how they can do that without violating the law?
Again, it is certainly possible to cast a wider net, thereby attracting in some black candidates out of many others of other backgrounds. However, casting the wider net would not make it more likely that black teachers would end up with jobs in our District. However, if a private group in Davis were to actively recruit African-American teachers and get them to apply for jobs here, the likelihood of the DJUSD actually hiring more black teachers would be much greater.
“So Rich I hope you can come to realize that when the new superintendent talks about subconscious bias he is referring to the kind of bigotry you so eloquently perpetuate.”
If you had the courage to post your name on this thread, I would sue you for defamation for that remark. I am not bigoted in the least — and calling me one is not only baseless and hateful, but it shows how shallow you are as a human being.
Note: I am guessing that such name-calling is permitted on this site, because the defamation is directed against me. Were it directed to someone the site’s author agrees with, he would yank your comment off immediately.
“Yep Rich, I am not surprised to see you defending the district for not having any African American teachers at Davis High.”
I did no such thing. I neither defended nor attacked the District for this. I don’t mind your disagreeing with what I have said. It’s another matter when your argument is so weak that you must make something up out of whole cloth in order to defame me. Nice job, A-non.
“Additionally, I love your handing off the white man’s burden with this new nonsense of suggesting that the people who have had enough with the inequities and racial disparities go out and find people of color to come here and teach.”
I don’t have any idea what ‘white man’s burden’ you are talking about. Maybe if you would actually address my ideas, I could respond to you.
” How about if the district does its job to provide appropriate role models for all its students?”
If you think that only black teachers can be role models for black students, then you should encourage qualified black teachers to apply for jobs here in Davis. The District cannot legally seek out candidates on the basis of their race.
“Your legalese nonsense suggests you live in a world that is as detached from reality as the Bush administration.”
Legalese nonsense? I think the California Civil Rights laws are rather plain. I’m not an attorney. And I did not vote for Mr. Bush.
“If the district wanted to bring in people of color they could do it in such a way that they would not be in violation of the sections you cited.”
Tell me how they can do that without violating the law?
Again, it is certainly possible to cast a wider net, thereby attracting in some black candidates out of many others of other backgrounds. However, casting the wider net would not make it more likely that black teachers would end up with jobs in our District. However, if a private group in Davis were to actively recruit African-American teachers and get them to apply for jobs here, the likelihood of the DJUSD actually hiring more black teachers would be much greater.
“So Rich I hope you can come to realize that when the new superintendent talks about subconscious bias he is referring to the kind of bigotry you so eloquently perpetuate.”
If you had the courage to post your name on this thread, I would sue you for defamation for that remark. I am not bigoted in the least — and calling me one is not only baseless and hateful, but it shows how shallow you are as a human being.
Note: I am guessing that such name-calling is permitted on this site, because the defamation is directed against me. Were it directed to someone the site’s author agrees with, he would yank your comment off immediately.
“Yep Rich, I am not surprised to see you defending the district for not having any African American teachers at Davis High.”
I did no such thing. I neither defended nor attacked the District for this. I don’t mind your disagreeing with what I have said. It’s another matter when your argument is so weak that you must make something up out of whole cloth in order to defame me. Nice job, A-non.
“Additionally, I love your handing off the white man’s burden with this new nonsense of suggesting that the people who have had enough with the inequities and racial disparities go out and find people of color to come here and teach.”
I don’t have any idea what ‘white man’s burden’ you are talking about. Maybe if you would actually address my ideas, I could respond to you.
” How about if the district does its job to provide appropriate role models for all its students?”
If you think that only black teachers can be role models for black students, then you should encourage qualified black teachers to apply for jobs here in Davis. The District cannot legally seek out candidates on the basis of their race.
“Your legalese nonsense suggests you live in a world that is as detached from reality as the Bush administration.”
Legalese nonsense? I think the California Civil Rights laws are rather plain. I’m not an attorney. And I did not vote for Mr. Bush.
“If the district wanted to bring in people of color they could do it in such a way that they would not be in violation of the sections you cited.”
Tell me how they can do that without violating the law?
Again, it is certainly possible to cast a wider net, thereby attracting in some black candidates out of many others of other backgrounds. However, casting the wider net would not make it more likely that black teachers would end up with jobs in our District. However, if a private group in Davis were to actively recruit African-American teachers and get them to apply for jobs here, the likelihood of the DJUSD actually hiring more black teachers would be much greater.
“So Rich I hope you can come to realize that when the new superintendent talks about subconscious bias he is referring to the kind of bigotry you so eloquently perpetuate.”
If you had the courage to post your name on this thread, I would sue you for defamation for that remark. I am not bigoted in the least — and calling me one is not only baseless and hateful, but it shows how shallow you are as a human being.
Note: I am guessing that such name-calling is permitted on this site, because the defamation is directed against me. Were it directed to someone the site’s author agrees with, he would yank your comment off immediately.
“Yep Rich, I am not surprised to see you defending the district for not having any African American teachers at Davis High.”
I did no such thing. I neither defended nor attacked the District for this. I don’t mind your disagreeing with what I have said. It’s another matter when your argument is so weak that you must make something up out of whole cloth in order to defame me. Nice job, A-non.
“Additionally, I love your handing off the white man’s burden with this new nonsense of suggesting that the people who have had enough with the inequities and racial disparities go out and find people of color to come here and teach.”
I don’t have any idea what ‘white man’s burden’ you are talking about. Maybe if you would actually address my ideas, I could respond to you.
” How about if the district does its job to provide appropriate role models for all its students?”
If you think that only black teachers can be role models for black students, then you should encourage qualified black teachers to apply for jobs here in Davis. The District cannot legally seek out candidates on the basis of their race.
“Your legalese nonsense suggests you live in a world that is as detached from reality as the Bush administration.”
Legalese nonsense? I think the California Civil Rights laws are rather plain. I’m not an attorney. And I did not vote for Mr. Bush.
“If the district wanted to bring in people of color they could do it in such a way that they would not be in violation of the sections you cited.”
Tell me how they can do that without violating the law?
Again, it is certainly possible to cast a wider net, thereby attracting in some black candidates out of many others of other backgrounds. However, casting the wider net would not make it more likely that black teachers would end up with jobs in our District. However, if a private group in Davis were to actively recruit African-American teachers and get them to apply for jobs here, the likelihood of the DJUSD actually hiring more black teachers would be much greater.
“So Rich I hope you can come to realize that when the new superintendent talks about subconscious bias he is referring to the kind of bigotry you so eloquently perpetuate.”
If you had the courage to post your name on this thread, I would sue you for defamation for that remark. I am not bigoted in the least — and calling me one is not only baseless and hateful, but it shows how shallow you are as a human being.
Note: I am guessing that such name-calling is permitted on this site, because the defamation is directed against me. Were it directed to someone the site’s author agrees with, he would yank your comment off immediately.
So, here we are again, discussing the same issues contained in my letter last month.
I have stayed fairly quiet, but have been reading many of the posts that address the institutional racism in Davis and in its schools.
Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me. You are saying you are not racist, but many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people. I think the fact that you don’t realize this is exactly what we are all trying to bring to light. I read your comment about how certain people of color are to blame for the lack of academic succes of their race. While I would agree that AMERICANS can learn from other countries, it is absolutely not true that black children (for instance) don’t achieve because their families don’t value education. Many people of color know that their ONLY hope is education. Unfortunately, so many people blame the home that nothing gets done institutionally to rectify the problem.
It is not illegal for the district to encourage people of color to apply. The Civil Rights laws do make allowances for public organizations to take needed measures to solve problems of discrimination and inequity.
As an African-American teacher in this district, I can tell you it is not easy. I do not have a single colleague to turn to for support that fully understands my perspective, because none of them are Black. When I address issues, I am often the only voice. This causes two problems. Number one, people think I represent all African-Americans or, two, they discount it, because I am the only one saying it.
African-American teachers are not the only people who can serve as role models in our schools, but they are the best suited. Studies of achievement in historically Black Colleges, or in schools for girls, show that student success is higher for these populations in that setting. Part of this is because the teachers there are committed to educating that population, and believe in all of the students. Part of the success can be attributed to the fact that the “affective domain” doesn’t prevent them from learning, because there is more of a sense of equity and acceptance.
If we want our African-American students to succeed, we need staff who understands the issues. We need staff that don’t make the same assumptions that you do about their (our) culture. We need staff that children feel safe talking to about their problems. There are “cultural norms” that people outside of the culture just can’t understand.
Then, of course, there is the issue of parent support and communication. I have had parents of color tell me time and time again that they are not comfortable communicating with teachers and administrators. Many of them wonder, and rightly so, if their children are handled according to their race.
There are so many instances of racism and discrimination in this district, you wouldn’t believe it. Half of it probably isn’t even intentional, which is worse. I left a lot of examples out of my letter to protect the innocent.
I was one of the summer school principals at DHS this past summer and I saw many problems: inequities in discipline, certain populations who were advised less effectively, problems between students. It does exist. It was interesting in my short stay at DHS how quickly some of the underrepresented students developed a relationship with me. Some of them seemed relieved. I had high school kids of color just smiling at me for no reason.
You may have no idea what cultural isolation feels like, but it is very lonely and very frustrating.
Any potential teacher of color reading comments on this site would think twice before accepting a position here. I have questioned my own decision on many occassions. Some drastic measures are REQUIRED. We need to focus on more than Black teachers–we better get some administrators of color on our campuses fast.
I am not saying people should or shouldn’t boycott the STAR. I see both sides of this issue. Those who protest the STAR are NOT all of color and those that sympethize with the cause. For years, parents of white, college-bound children have questioned the number of tests that students have to take in the spring. Kids ARE over tested. There are other ways to measure achievement and dispairities. (I would argue we have all the evidence we need to begin addressing the achievement gap.)
Some programs, however, do look at test scores to determine eligibility for extra support. Our educational system uses many tests, so practice and experience with standardized testing is valuable. Particularly test taking strategies.
We should not attack people who are trying to insure that their children have the same opportunities for success. By the way, I will point out that this boycott is being called by people who care about education and their African-American children–proof that we do support our kids, and there may be more to the problem than just a generation of colored folks who don’t value education.
We also need to make sure we aren’t putting all of the responsibility on the community. The DISTRICT is responsible for the success of all children. Right now, we have an achievement gap. Instead of shutting down schools and suspending student organizations, the district should be making every effort to provide equal access to ALL of its children.
So, here we are again, discussing the same issues contained in my letter last month.
I have stayed fairly quiet, but have been reading many of the posts that address the institutional racism in Davis and in its schools.
Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me. You are saying you are not racist, but many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people. I think the fact that you don’t realize this is exactly what we are all trying to bring to light. I read your comment about how certain people of color are to blame for the lack of academic succes of their race. While I would agree that AMERICANS can learn from other countries, it is absolutely not true that black children (for instance) don’t achieve because their families don’t value education. Many people of color know that their ONLY hope is education. Unfortunately, so many people blame the home that nothing gets done institutionally to rectify the problem.
It is not illegal for the district to encourage people of color to apply. The Civil Rights laws do make allowances for public organizations to take needed measures to solve problems of discrimination and inequity.
As an African-American teacher in this district, I can tell you it is not easy. I do not have a single colleague to turn to for support that fully understands my perspective, because none of them are Black. When I address issues, I am often the only voice. This causes two problems. Number one, people think I represent all African-Americans or, two, they discount it, because I am the only one saying it.
African-American teachers are not the only people who can serve as role models in our schools, but they are the best suited. Studies of achievement in historically Black Colleges, or in schools for girls, show that student success is higher for these populations in that setting. Part of this is because the teachers there are committed to educating that population, and believe in all of the students. Part of the success can be attributed to the fact that the “affective domain” doesn’t prevent them from learning, because there is more of a sense of equity and acceptance.
If we want our African-American students to succeed, we need staff who understands the issues. We need staff that don’t make the same assumptions that you do about their (our) culture. We need staff that children feel safe talking to about their problems. There are “cultural norms” that people outside of the culture just can’t understand.
Then, of course, there is the issue of parent support and communication. I have had parents of color tell me time and time again that they are not comfortable communicating with teachers and administrators. Many of them wonder, and rightly so, if their children are handled according to their race.
There are so many instances of racism and discrimination in this district, you wouldn’t believe it. Half of it probably isn’t even intentional, which is worse. I left a lot of examples out of my letter to protect the innocent.
I was one of the summer school principals at DHS this past summer and I saw many problems: inequities in discipline, certain populations who were advised less effectively, problems between students. It does exist. It was interesting in my short stay at DHS how quickly some of the underrepresented students developed a relationship with me. Some of them seemed relieved. I had high school kids of color just smiling at me for no reason.
You may have no idea what cultural isolation feels like, but it is very lonely and very frustrating.
Any potential teacher of color reading comments on this site would think twice before accepting a position here. I have questioned my own decision on many occassions. Some drastic measures are REQUIRED. We need to focus on more than Black teachers–we better get some administrators of color on our campuses fast.
I am not saying people should or shouldn’t boycott the STAR. I see both sides of this issue. Those who protest the STAR are NOT all of color and those that sympethize with the cause. For years, parents of white, college-bound children have questioned the number of tests that students have to take in the spring. Kids ARE over tested. There are other ways to measure achievement and dispairities. (I would argue we have all the evidence we need to begin addressing the achievement gap.)
Some programs, however, do look at test scores to determine eligibility for extra support. Our educational system uses many tests, so practice and experience with standardized testing is valuable. Particularly test taking strategies.
We should not attack people who are trying to insure that their children have the same opportunities for success. By the way, I will point out that this boycott is being called by people who care about education and their African-American children–proof that we do support our kids, and there may be more to the problem than just a generation of colored folks who don’t value education.
We also need to make sure we aren’t putting all of the responsibility on the community. The DISTRICT is responsible for the success of all children. Right now, we have an achievement gap. Instead of shutting down schools and suspending student organizations, the district should be making every effort to provide equal access to ALL of its children.
So, here we are again, discussing the same issues contained in my letter last month.
I have stayed fairly quiet, but have been reading many of the posts that address the institutional racism in Davis and in its schools.
Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me. You are saying you are not racist, but many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people. I think the fact that you don’t realize this is exactly what we are all trying to bring to light. I read your comment about how certain people of color are to blame for the lack of academic succes of their race. While I would agree that AMERICANS can learn from other countries, it is absolutely not true that black children (for instance) don’t achieve because their families don’t value education. Many people of color know that their ONLY hope is education. Unfortunately, so many people blame the home that nothing gets done institutionally to rectify the problem.
It is not illegal for the district to encourage people of color to apply. The Civil Rights laws do make allowances for public organizations to take needed measures to solve problems of discrimination and inequity.
As an African-American teacher in this district, I can tell you it is not easy. I do not have a single colleague to turn to for support that fully understands my perspective, because none of them are Black. When I address issues, I am often the only voice. This causes two problems. Number one, people think I represent all African-Americans or, two, they discount it, because I am the only one saying it.
African-American teachers are not the only people who can serve as role models in our schools, but they are the best suited. Studies of achievement in historically Black Colleges, or in schools for girls, show that student success is higher for these populations in that setting. Part of this is because the teachers there are committed to educating that population, and believe in all of the students. Part of the success can be attributed to the fact that the “affective domain” doesn’t prevent them from learning, because there is more of a sense of equity and acceptance.
If we want our African-American students to succeed, we need staff who understands the issues. We need staff that don’t make the same assumptions that you do about their (our) culture. We need staff that children feel safe talking to about their problems. There are “cultural norms” that people outside of the culture just can’t understand.
Then, of course, there is the issue of parent support and communication. I have had parents of color tell me time and time again that they are not comfortable communicating with teachers and administrators. Many of them wonder, and rightly so, if their children are handled according to their race.
There are so many instances of racism and discrimination in this district, you wouldn’t believe it. Half of it probably isn’t even intentional, which is worse. I left a lot of examples out of my letter to protect the innocent.
I was one of the summer school principals at DHS this past summer and I saw many problems: inequities in discipline, certain populations who were advised less effectively, problems between students. It does exist. It was interesting in my short stay at DHS how quickly some of the underrepresented students developed a relationship with me. Some of them seemed relieved. I had high school kids of color just smiling at me for no reason.
You may have no idea what cultural isolation feels like, but it is very lonely and very frustrating.
Any potential teacher of color reading comments on this site would think twice before accepting a position here. I have questioned my own decision on many occassions. Some drastic measures are REQUIRED. We need to focus on more than Black teachers–we better get some administrators of color on our campuses fast.
I am not saying people should or shouldn’t boycott the STAR. I see both sides of this issue. Those who protest the STAR are NOT all of color and those that sympethize with the cause. For years, parents of white, college-bound children have questioned the number of tests that students have to take in the spring. Kids ARE over tested. There are other ways to measure achievement and dispairities. (I would argue we have all the evidence we need to begin addressing the achievement gap.)
Some programs, however, do look at test scores to determine eligibility for extra support. Our educational system uses many tests, so practice and experience with standardized testing is valuable. Particularly test taking strategies.
We should not attack people who are trying to insure that their children have the same opportunities for success. By the way, I will point out that this boycott is being called by people who care about education and their African-American children–proof that we do support our kids, and there may be more to the problem than just a generation of colored folks who don’t value education.
We also need to make sure we aren’t putting all of the responsibility on the community. The DISTRICT is responsible for the success of all children. Right now, we have an achievement gap. Instead of shutting down schools and suspending student organizations, the district should be making every effort to provide equal access to ALL of its children.
So, here we are again, discussing the same issues contained in my letter last month.
I have stayed fairly quiet, but have been reading many of the posts that address the institutional racism in Davis and in its schools.
Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me. You are saying you are not racist, but many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people. I think the fact that you don’t realize this is exactly what we are all trying to bring to light. I read your comment about how certain people of color are to blame for the lack of academic succes of their race. While I would agree that AMERICANS can learn from other countries, it is absolutely not true that black children (for instance) don’t achieve because their families don’t value education. Many people of color know that their ONLY hope is education. Unfortunately, so many people blame the home that nothing gets done institutionally to rectify the problem.
It is not illegal for the district to encourage people of color to apply. The Civil Rights laws do make allowances for public organizations to take needed measures to solve problems of discrimination and inequity.
As an African-American teacher in this district, I can tell you it is not easy. I do not have a single colleague to turn to for support that fully understands my perspective, because none of them are Black. When I address issues, I am often the only voice. This causes two problems. Number one, people think I represent all African-Americans or, two, they discount it, because I am the only one saying it.
African-American teachers are not the only people who can serve as role models in our schools, but they are the best suited. Studies of achievement in historically Black Colleges, or in schools for girls, show that student success is higher for these populations in that setting. Part of this is because the teachers there are committed to educating that population, and believe in all of the students. Part of the success can be attributed to the fact that the “affective domain” doesn’t prevent them from learning, because there is more of a sense of equity and acceptance.
If we want our African-American students to succeed, we need staff who understands the issues. We need staff that don’t make the same assumptions that you do about their (our) culture. We need staff that children feel safe talking to about their problems. There are “cultural norms” that people outside of the culture just can’t understand.
Then, of course, there is the issue of parent support and communication. I have had parents of color tell me time and time again that they are not comfortable communicating with teachers and administrators. Many of them wonder, and rightly so, if their children are handled according to their race.
There are so many instances of racism and discrimination in this district, you wouldn’t believe it. Half of it probably isn’t even intentional, which is worse. I left a lot of examples out of my letter to protect the innocent.
I was one of the summer school principals at DHS this past summer and I saw many problems: inequities in discipline, certain populations who were advised less effectively, problems between students. It does exist. It was interesting in my short stay at DHS how quickly some of the underrepresented students developed a relationship with me. Some of them seemed relieved. I had high school kids of color just smiling at me for no reason.
You may have no idea what cultural isolation feels like, but it is very lonely and very frustrating.
Any potential teacher of color reading comments on this site would think twice before accepting a position here. I have questioned my own decision on many occassions. Some drastic measures are REQUIRED. We need to focus on more than Black teachers–we better get some administrators of color on our campuses fast.
I am not saying people should or shouldn’t boycott the STAR. I see both sides of this issue. Those who protest the STAR are NOT all of color and those that sympethize with the cause. For years, parents of white, college-bound children have questioned the number of tests that students have to take in the spring. Kids ARE over tested. There are other ways to measure achievement and dispairities. (I would argue we have all the evidence we need to begin addressing the achievement gap.)
Some programs, however, do look at test scores to determine eligibility for extra support. Our educational system uses many tests, so practice and experience with standardized testing is valuable. Particularly test taking strategies.
We should not attack people who are trying to insure that their children have the same opportunities for success. By the way, I will point out that this boycott is being called by people who care about education and their African-American children–proof that we do support our kids, and there may be more to the problem than just a generation of colored folks who don’t value education.
We also need to make sure we aren’t putting all of the responsibility on the community. The DISTRICT is responsible for the success of all children. Right now, we have an achievement gap. Instead of shutting down schools and suspending student organizations, the district should be making every effort to provide equal access to ALL of its children.
“Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me.”
Thanks for thinking I am a Hall of Fame Baseball player. However, my surname is Rifkin, not Ripkin or Ripken. But feel free to call me Cal, Nikki.
“You are saying you are not racist, but many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people.”
I am not prejudiced in any sense. For you to think otherwise is a terrible mistake on your part.
Tell me one “racist generalization” I have made? You should be ashamed of even suggesting that.
Beyond that, tell me one “racist assumption” that I have ever made?
In reading your whole post, you seem to think that I think ‘black people do not value education.’ I do not think that. Any conclusion of that on your part is a mistake by you and a result of misreading my comments.
“I read your comment about how certain people of color are to blame for the lack of academic succes of their race.”
I did not say that.
Rather than paraphrase my comments, please have the decency to quote me. How can I respond to your heinous charges if I don’t know what it is you are specifically refering to?
Second, I cannot imagine that I would ever “blame” anyone for any such thing. If you can find me blaming any group for any individual’s success or failure I would be shocked, because that is quite the opposite of how I think.
“While I would agree that AMERICANS can learn from other countries, it is absolutely not true that black children (for instance) don’t achieve because their families don’t value education.”
Some black American families certainly value education. Others do not, or not as much. In general, some ethnic groups emphasize education more than others. That’s quite obvious. If you can prove otherwise, I welcome it.
But don’t conclude that I think that an entire group of people acts or thinks one way or another.
“Many people of color know that their ONLY hope is education.”
Did I ever suggest otherwise? Of course not.
You seem more determined to demonize me as a person than you do to actually address what I have specifically written.
“Unfortunately, so many people blame the home that nothing gets done institutionally to rectify the problem.”
The most important factor is the home. That is doubtless. The luckiest thing a child can have happen is to be born into a loving, stable home. Children who come from good homes have a far better chance to succeed in all aspects of life. Children who come from troubled homes are deeply disadvantaged.
But I do agree that schools as institutions have responsibilities, also, and that kids can overcome the deficiencies of their home lives, given innate strength and some extra-familial support and encouragement.
“It is not illegal for the district to encourage people of color to apply.”
If the District approaches ‘people of color’ intentionally — that is, they focus their recruitment on candidates on the basis of their race — that is patently illegal.
“The Civil Rights laws do make allowances for public organizations to take needed measures to solve problems of discrimination and inequity.”
Are you saying that the District has ‘discriminated’ against qualified black teaching candidates? If so, that is a very serious charge of you to make. But if it has merit, that can be remedied by a civil rights lawsuit.
As far as ‘inequity’ goes, that seems more of a subjective question.
“As an African-American teacher in this district, I can tell you it is not easy. I do not have a single colleague to turn to for support that fully understands my perspective, because none of them is Black.”
While I am not black, I can empathize with this. And it is for that reason that I encourage you to work with others in Davis who are sympathetic to your situation to recruit African-American teaching candidates. What is so wrong with that idea?
“African-American teachers are not the only people who can serve as role models in our schools, but they are the best suited.”
My opinion is that the best person for the job should have the job, regardless of race. And I am certain that there are plenty of African-American teachers who would meet that “best person” description for Davis schools.
“If we want our African-American students to succeed, we need staff who understands the issues. We need staff that don’t make the same assumptions that you do about their (our) culture.”
Nikki, you are completely mistaken about my views. You have no idea what I assume or what I don’t assume. It’s highly arrogant of you to attribute thoughts to me that I don’t have.
“There are so many instances of racism and discrimination in this district, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Considering the fact that you have branded me a “racist,” I have to question your charges. You seem to throw that word around without realizing whom you are spitting it on.
“You may have no idea what cultural isolation feels like, but it is very lonely and very frustrating.”
The African-American experience is different from my own heritage, though I have known my whole life what it is to be a minority. You might not appreciate that, because you seem to assume that all ‘people without color’ are in the same boat.
Further, I lived for three years in a 97% black neighborhood in West Oakland, a year in Mexico, and in majority Tlinkit communities in Alaska. I even lived for a year in a mostly gay neighborhood — I’m straight — in San Francisco. I’ve personally always gotten along just fine as a minority, though the NOI in Oakland succeeded in making me feel uncomfortable a few times.
“Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me.”
Thanks for thinking I am a Hall of Fame Baseball player. However, my surname is Rifkin, not Ripkin or Ripken. But feel free to call me Cal, Nikki.
“You are saying you are not racist, but many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people.”
I am not prejudiced in any sense. For you to think otherwise is a terrible mistake on your part.
Tell me one “racist generalization” I have made? You should be ashamed of even suggesting that.
Beyond that, tell me one “racist assumption” that I have ever made?
In reading your whole post, you seem to think that I think ‘black people do not value education.’ I do not think that. Any conclusion of that on your part is a mistake by you and a result of misreading my comments.
“I read your comment about how certain people of color are to blame for the lack of academic succes of their race.”
I did not say that.
Rather than paraphrase my comments, please have the decency to quote me. How can I respond to your heinous charges if I don’t know what it is you are specifically refering to?
Second, I cannot imagine that I would ever “blame” anyone for any such thing. If you can find me blaming any group for any individual’s success or failure I would be shocked, because that is quite the opposite of how I think.
“While I would agree that AMERICANS can learn from other countries, it is absolutely not true that black children (for instance) don’t achieve because their families don’t value education.”
Some black American families certainly value education. Others do not, or not as much. In general, some ethnic groups emphasize education more than others. That’s quite obvious. If you can prove otherwise, I welcome it.
But don’t conclude that I think that an entire group of people acts or thinks one way or another.
“Many people of color know that their ONLY hope is education.”
Did I ever suggest otherwise? Of course not.
You seem more determined to demonize me as a person than you do to actually address what I have specifically written.
“Unfortunately, so many people blame the home that nothing gets done institutionally to rectify the problem.”
The most important factor is the home. That is doubtless. The luckiest thing a child can have happen is to be born into a loving, stable home. Children who come from good homes have a far better chance to succeed in all aspects of life. Children who come from troubled homes are deeply disadvantaged.
But I do agree that schools as institutions have responsibilities, also, and that kids can overcome the deficiencies of their home lives, given innate strength and some extra-familial support and encouragement.
“It is not illegal for the district to encourage people of color to apply.”
If the District approaches ‘people of color’ intentionally — that is, they focus their recruitment on candidates on the basis of their race — that is patently illegal.
“The Civil Rights laws do make allowances for public organizations to take needed measures to solve problems of discrimination and inequity.”
Are you saying that the District has ‘discriminated’ against qualified black teaching candidates? If so, that is a very serious charge of you to make. But if it has merit, that can be remedied by a civil rights lawsuit.
As far as ‘inequity’ goes, that seems more of a subjective question.
“As an African-American teacher in this district, I can tell you it is not easy. I do not have a single colleague to turn to for support that fully understands my perspective, because none of them is Black.”
While I am not black, I can empathize with this. And it is for that reason that I encourage you to work with others in Davis who are sympathetic to your situation to recruit African-American teaching candidates. What is so wrong with that idea?
“African-American teachers are not the only people who can serve as role models in our schools, but they are the best suited.”
My opinion is that the best person for the job should have the job, regardless of race. And I am certain that there are plenty of African-American teachers who would meet that “best person” description for Davis schools.
“If we want our African-American students to succeed, we need staff who understands the issues. We need staff that don’t make the same assumptions that you do about their (our) culture.”
Nikki, you are completely mistaken about my views. You have no idea what I assume or what I don’t assume. It’s highly arrogant of you to attribute thoughts to me that I don’t have.
“There are so many instances of racism and discrimination in this district, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Considering the fact that you have branded me a “racist,” I have to question your charges. You seem to throw that word around without realizing whom you are spitting it on.
“You may have no idea what cultural isolation feels like, but it is very lonely and very frustrating.”
The African-American experience is different from my own heritage, though I have known my whole life what it is to be a minority. You might not appreciate that, because you seem to assume that all ‘people without color’ are in the same boat.
Further, I lived for three years in a 97% black neighborhood in West Oakland, a year in Mexico, and in majority Tlinkit communities in Alaska. I even lived for a year in a mostly gay neighborhood — I’m straight — in San Francisco. I’ve personally always gotten along just fine as a minority, though the NOI in Oakland succeeded in making me feel uncomfortable a few times.
“Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me.”
Thanks for thinking I am a Hall of Fame Baseball player. However, my surname is Rifkin, not Ripkin or Ripken. But feel free to call me Cal, Nikki.
“You are saying you are not racist, but many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people.”
I am not prejudiced in any sense. For you to think otherwise is a terrible mistake on your part.
Tell me one “racist generalization” I have made? You should be ashamed of even suggesting that.
Beyond that, tell me one “racist assumption” that I have ever made?
In reading your whole post, you seem to think that I think ‘black people do not value education.’ I do not think that. Any conclusion of that on your part is a mistake by you and a result of misreading my comments.
“I read your comment about how certain people of color are to blame for the lack of academic succes of their race.”
I did not say that.
Rather than paraphrase my comments, please have the decency to quote me. How can I respond to your heinous charges if I don’t know what it is you are specifically refering to?
Second, I cannot imagine that I would ever “blame” anyone for any such thing. If you can find me blaming any group for any individual’s success or failure I would be shocked, because that is quite the opposite of how I think.
“While I would agree that AMERICANS can learn from other countries, it is absolutely not true that black children (for instance) don’t achieve because their families don’t value education.”
Some black American families certainly value education. Others do not, or not as much. In general, some ethnic groups emphasize education more than others. That’s quite obvious. If you can prove otherwise, I welcome it.
But don’t conclude that I think that an entire group of people acts or thinks one way or another.
“Many people of color know that their ONLY hope is education.”
Did I ever suggest otherwise? Of course not.
You seem more determined to demonize me as a person than you do to actually address what I have specifically written.
“Unfortunately, so many people blame the home that nothing gets done institutionally to rectify the problem.”
The most important factor is the home. That is doubtless. The luckiest thing a child can have happen is to be born into a loving, stable home. Children who come from good homes have a far better chance to succeed in all aspects of life. Children who come from troubled homes are deeply disadvantaged.
But I do agree that schools as institutions have responsibilities, also, and that kids can overcome the deficiencies of their home lives, given innate strength and some extra-familial support and encouragement.
“It is not illegal for the district to encourage people of color to apply.”
If the District approaches ‘people of color’ intentionally — that is, they focus their recruitment on candidates on the basis of their race — that is patently illegal.
“The Civil Rights laws do make allowances for public organizations to take needed measures to solve problems of discrimination and inequity.”
Are you saying that the District has ‘discriminated’ against qualified black teaching candidates? If so, that is a very serious charge of you to make. But if it has merit, that can be remedied by a civil rights lawsuit.
As far as ‘inequity’ goes, that seems more of a subjective question.
“As an African-American teacher in this district, I can tell you it is not easy. I do not have a single colleague to turn to for support that fully understands my perspective, because none of them is Black.”
While I am not black, I can empathize with this. And it is for that reason that I encourage you to work with others in Davis who are sympathetic to your situation to recruit African-American teaching candidates. What is so wrong with that idea?
“African-American teachers are not the only people who can serve as role models in our schools, but they are the best suited.”
My opinion is that the best person for the job should have the job, regardless of race. And I am certain that there are plenty of African-American teachers who would meet that “best person” description for Davis schools.
“If we want our African-American students to succeed, we need staff who understands the issues. We need staff that don’t make the same assumptions that you do about their (our) culture.”
Nikki, you are completely mistaken about my views. You have no idea what I assume or what I don’t assume. It’s highly arrogant of you to attribute thoughts to me that I don’t have.
“There are so many instances of racism and discrimination in this district, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Considering the fact that you have branded me a “racist,” I have to question your charges. You seem to throw that word around without realizing whom you are spitting it on.
“You may have no idea what cultural isolation feels like, but it is very lonely and very frustrating.”
The African-American experience is different from my own heritage, though I have known my whole life what it is to be a minority. You might not appreciate that, because you seem to assume that all ‘people without color’ are in the same boat.
Further, I lived for three years in a 97% black neighborhood in West Oakland, a year in Mexico, and in majority Tlinkit communities in Alaska. I even lived for a year in a mostly gay neighborhood — I’m straight — in San Francisco. I’ve personally always gotten along just fine as a minority, though the NOI in Oakland succeeded in making me feel uncomfortable a few times.
“Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me.”
Thanks for thinking I am a Hall of Fame Baseball player. However, my surname is Rifkin, not Ripkin or Ripken. But feel free to call me Cal, Nikki.
“You are saying you are not racist, but many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people.”
I am not prejudiced in any sense. For you to think otherwise is a terrible mistake on your part.
Tell me one “racist generalization” I have made? You should be ashamed of even suggesting that.
Beyond that, tell me one “racist assumption” that I have ever made?
In reading your whole post, you seem to think that I think ‘black people do not value education.’ I do not think that. Any conclusion of that on your part is a mistake by you and a result of misreading my comments.
“I read your comment about how certain people of color are to blame for the lack of academic succes of their race.”
I did not say that.
Rather than paraphrase my comments, please have the decency to quote me. How can I respond to your heinous charges if I don’t know what it is you are specifically refering to?
Second, I cannot imagine that I would ever “blame” anyone for any such thing. If you can find me blaming any group for any individual’s success or failure I would be shocked, because that is quite the opposite of how I think.
“While I would agree that AMERICANS can learn from other countries, it is absolutely not true that black children (for instance) don’t achieve because their families don’t value education.”
Some black American families certainly value education. Others do not, or not as much. In general, some ethnic groups emphasize education more than others. That’s quite obvious. If you can prove otherwise, I welcome it.
But don’t conclude that I think that an entire group of people acts or thinks one way or another.
“Many people of color know that their ONLY hope is education.”
Did I ever suggest otherwise? Of course not.
You seem more determined to demonize me as a person than you do to actually address what I have specifically written.
“Unfortunately, so many people blame the home that nothing gets done institutionally to rectify the problem.”
The most important factor is the home. That is doubtless. The luckiest thing a child can have happen is to be born into a loving, stable home. Children who come from good homes have a far better chance to succeed in all aspects of life. Children who come from troubled homes are deeply disadvantaged.
But I do agree that schools as institutions have responsibilities, also, and that kids can overcome the deficiencies of their home lives, given innate strength and some extra-familial support and encouragement.
“It is not illegal for the district to encourage people of color to apply.”
If the District approaches ‘people of color’ intentionally — that is, they focus their recruitment on candidates on the basis of their race — that is patently illegal.
“The Civil Rights laws do make allowances for public organizations to take needed measures to solve problems of discrimination and inequity.”
Are you saying that the District has ‘discriminated’ against qualified black teaching candidates? If so, that is a very serious charge of you to make. But if it has merit, that can be remedied by a civil rights lawsuit.
As far as ‘inequity’ goes, that seems more of a subjective question.
“As an African-American teacher in this district, I can tell you it is not easy. I do not have a single colleague to turn to for support that fully understands my perspective, because none of them is Black.”
While I am not black, I can empathize with this. And it is for that reason that I encourage you to work with others in Davis who are sympathetic to your situation to recruit African-American teaching candidates. What is so wrong with that idea?
“African-American teachers are not the only people who can serve as role models in our schools, but they are the best suited.”
My opinion is that the best person for the job should have the job, regardless of race. And I am certain that there are plenty of African-American teachers who would meet that “best person” description for Davis schools.
“If we want our African-American students to succeed, we need staff who understands the issues. We need staff that don’t make the same assumptions that you do about their (our) culture.”
Nikki, you are completely mistaken about my views. You have no idea what I assume or what I don’t assume. It’s highly arrogant of you to attribute thoughts to me that I don’t have.
“There are so many instances of racism and discrimination in this district, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Considering the fact that you have branded me a “racist,” I have to question your charges. You seem to throw that word around without realizing whom you are spitting it on.
“You may have no idea what cultural isolation feels like, but it is very lonely and very frustrating.”
The African-American experience is different from my own heritage, though I have known my whole life what it is to be a minority. You might not appreciate that, because you seem to assume that all ‘people without color’ are in the same boat.
Further, I lived for three years in a 97% black neighborhood in West Oakland, a year in Mexico, and in majority Tlinkit communities in Alaska. I even lived for a year in a mostly gay neighborhood — I’m straight — in San Francisco. I’ve personally always gotten along just fine as a minority, though the NOI in Oakland succeeded in making me feel uncomfortable a few times.
Rich in my observation–and this is not intended as a slam–you need to speak (write) less and listen more. Your response to Nikki misses a lot of they points that she raises.
At times your facts that you assert are flat wrong.
“I am not prejudiced in any sense.”
What you are is an ostrich for whatever reason. You have lived in this community for a number of years and yet acknowledged on this blog that you were not aware of that the problem of racial profiling complaints goes back well beyond 12 years.
“While I am not black, I can empathize with this. And it is for that reason that I encourage you to work with others in Davis who are sympathetic to your situation to recruit African-American teaching candidates. What is so wrong with that idea?”
This is what is going, above, you suggested it was illegal. This is a perfect example I think of you simply not knowing what is going on in this town. You HAVE NO IDEA what efforts are underway. This statement illustrates that.
“Further, I lived for three years in a 97% black neighborhood in West Oakland, a year in Mexico, and in majority Tlinkit communities in Alaska.”
Who cares? You are as blind as a bat as to what is going in Davis.
Rich in my observation–and this is not intended as a slam–you need to speak (write) less and listen more. Your response to Nikki misses a lot of they points that she raises.
At times your facts that you assert are flat wrong.
“I am not prejudiced in any sense.”
What you are is an ostrich for whatever reason. You have lived in this community for a number of years and yet acknowledged on this blog that you were not aware of that the problem of racial profiling complaints goes back well beyond 12 years.
“While I am not black, I can empathize with this. And it is for that reason that I encourage you to work with others in Davis who are sympathetic to your situation to recruit African-American teaching candidates. What is so wrong with that idea?”
This is what is going, above, you suggested it was illegal. This is a perfect example I think of you simply not knowing what is going on in this town. You HAVE NO IDEA what efforts are underway. This statement illustrates that.
“Further, I lived for three years in a 97% black neighborhood in West Oakland, a year in Mexico, and in majority Tlinkit communities in Alaska.”
Who cares? You are as blind as a bat as to what is going in Davis.
Rich in my observation–and this is not intended as a slam–you need to speak (write) less and listen more. Your response to Nikki misses a lot of they points that she raises.
At times your facts that you assert are flat wrong.
“I am not prejudiced in any sense.”
What you are is an ostrich for whatever reason. You have lived in this community for a number of years and yet acknowledged on this blog that you were not aware of that the problem of racial profiling complaints goes back well beyond 12 years.
“While I am not black, I can empathize with this. And it is for that reason that I encourage you to work with others in Davis who are sympathetic to your situation to recruit African-American teaching candidates. What is so wrong with that idea?”
This is what is going, above, you suggested it was illegal. This is a perfect example I think of you simply not knowing what is going on in this town. You HAVE NO IDEA what efforts are underway. This statement illustrates that.
“Further, I lived for three years in a 97% black neighborhood in West Oakland, a year in Mexico, and in majority Tlinkit communities in Alaska.”
Who cares? You are as blind as a bat as to what is going in Davis.
Rich in my observation–and this is not intended as a slam–you need to speak (write) less and listen more. Your response to Nikki misses a lot of they points that she raises.
At times your facts that you assert are flat wrong.
“I am not prejudiced in any sense.”
What you are is an ostrich for whatever reason. You have lived in this community for a number of years and yet acknowledged on this blog that you were not aware of that the problem of racial profiling complaints goes back well beyond 12 years.
“While I am not black, I can empathize with this. And it is for that reason that I encourage you to work with others in Davis who are sympathetic to your situation to recruit African-American teaching candidates. What is so wrong with that idea?”
This is what is going, above, you suggested it was illegal. This is a perfect example I think of you simply not knowing what is going on in this town. You HAVE NO IDEA what efforts are underway. This statement illustrates that.
“Further, I lived for three years in a 97% black neighborhood in West Oakland, a year in Mexico, and in majority Tlinkit communities in Alaska.”
Who cares? You are as blind as a bat as to what is going in Davis.
“Who cares?………”
That says it all, in a nutshell..
and without italics.
“Who cares?………”
That says it all, in a nutshell..
and without italics.
“Who cares?………”
That says it all, in a nutshell..
and without italics.
“Who cares?………”
That says it all, in a nutshell..
and without italics.
“this is not intended as a slam”
Good. I’m looking forward to not being slammed.
“At times your facts that you assert are flat wrong.”
I’m a fallible person and certainly have made mistakes. But it does no one any good to claim that my facts are wrong and then fail to point out any incorrect “facts.”
“What you are is an ostrich for whatever reason.”
I’m sure glad that you decided not to slam me.
“This is what is going, above, you suggested it was illegal.”
I don’t mean this as a slam, but that sentence is unintelligible.
“You HAVE NO IDEA what efforts are underway.”
Rather than telling me that I am ignorant, please tell me about these efforts that are under way.
“Who cares?
Apparently you don’t.
“You are as blind as a bat as to what is going in Davis.”
Thanks for not slamming me.
“this is not intended as a slam”
Good. I’m looking forward to not being slammed.
“At times your facts that you assert are flat wrong.”
I’m a fallible person and certainly have made mistakes. But it does no one any good to claim that my facts are wrong and then fail to point out any incorrect “facts.”
“What you are is an ostrich for whatever reason.”
I’m sure glad that you decided not to slam me.
“This is what is going, above, you suggested it was illegal.”
I don’t mean this as a slam, but that sentence is unintelligible.
“You HAVE NO IDEA what efforts are underway.”
Rather than telling me that I am ignorant, please tell me about these efforts that are under way.
“Who cares?
Apparently you don’t.
“You are as blind as a bat as to what is going in Davis.”
Thanks for not slamming me.
“this is not intended as a slam”
Good. I’m looking forward to not being slammed.
“At times your facts that you assert are flat wrong.”
I’m a fallible person and certainly have made mistakes. But it does no one any good to claim that my facts are wrong and then fail to point out any incorrect “facts.”
“What you are is an ostrich for whatever reason.”
I’m sure glad that you decided not to slam me.
“This is what is going, above, you suggested it was illegal.”
I don’t mean this as a slam, but that sentence is unintelligible.
“You HAVE NO IDEA what efforts are underway.”
Rather than telling me that I am ignorant, please tell me about these efforts that are under way.
“Who cares?
Apparently you don’t.
“You are as blind as a bat as to what is going in Davis.”
Thanks for not slamming me.
“this is not intended as a slam”
Good. I’m looking forward to not being slammed.
“At times your facts that you assert are flat wrong.”
I’m a fallible person and certainly have made mistakes. But it does no one any good to claim that my facts are wrong and then fail to point out any incorrect “facts.”
“What you are is an ostrich for whatever reason.”
I’m sure glad that you decided not to slam me.
“This is what is going, above, you suggested it was illegal.”
I don’t mean this as a slam, but that sentence is unintelligible.
“You HAVE NO IDEA what efforts are underway.”
Rather than telling me that I am ignorant, please tell me about these efforts that are under way.
“Who cares?
Apparently you don’t.
“You are as blind as a bat as to what is going in Davis.”
Thanks for not slamming me.
Sorry for the mistake on your last name. I don’t think that is the issue, though.
I was actively involved for a couple of years in trying to find a way to recruit candidates of color. I hosted student teachers from the multi-cultural teaching credential program (CSUS/UCD). Nothing came of that. I know many teachers of color in other districts–excellent, experienced teachers–who I have tried to convince to come to Davis. They won’t. Davis has a pretty bad reputation as far as people of color and the social/political issues. Sadly, unless we start by correcting the issues, we may not attract any candidates of color.
I know others who have tried informally, to get candidates of color to join our district, and their stories are the same as mine.
As far as living in Oakland for three years, and your other experiences living as a minority, I would suggest that is not the same thing. It does not mean that you understand being a minority. I am sure you sometimes felt like an outsider, but as a white man, you can go anywhere in the world and not face an underlying assumption that you are “less than.” I know some cultures are wary of Americans, but again, it is not the same thing as feeling that way AT HOME, wherever that home is.
You seem frustrated about being misunderstood. I think that when you write/say things, you don’t fully understand what people on the other side will see. We see you not understanding our reality. That is why you get attacked. Some of your comments are uneducated.
I know this is not a direct quote, but I seem to remember you posting a comment where you referenced an African-American friend. (I think it was a post about reverse discrimination.) Do I have that right? If so, I would encourage you to meet more African-Americans, because we don’t all think the same, and really LISTEN. Listen to the specific examples of what they go through. Listen to how powerless we feel when our complaints are ignored or belittled.
I was born and raised in Oakland. I lived there until I enrolled at UCD, and returned home to teach for 3 years before teaching in Elk Grove and Davis. My circle of family and friends is filled with people of ALL races who grew up in Oakland. I suspect if you had lived there longer and during your formative years, your perspective would be quite different.
As far as misquoting people, reread my post, I didn’t call you a racist. Then go back and reread some of your own.
Sorry for the mistake on your last name. I don’t think that is the issue, though.
I was actively involved for a couple of years in trying to find a way to recruit candidates of color. I hosted student teachers from the multi-cultural teaching credential program (CSUS/UCD). Nothing came of that. I know many teachers of color in other districts–excellent, experienced teachers–who I have tried to convince to come to Davis. They won’t. Davis has a pretty bad reputation as far as people of color and the social/political issues. Sadly, unless we start by correcting the issues, we may not attract any candidates of color.
I know others who have tried informally, to get candidates of color to join our district, and their stories are the same as mine.
As far as living in Oakland for three years, and your other experiences living as a minority, I would suggest that is not the same thing. It does not mean that you understand being a minority. I am sure you sometimes felt like an outsider, but as a white man, you can go anywhere in the world and not face an underlying assumption that you are “less than.” I know some cultures are wary of Americans, but again, it is not the same thing as feeling that way AT HOME, wherever that home is.
You seem frustrated about being misunderstood. I think that when you write/say things, you don’t fully understand what people on the other side will see. We see you not understanding our reality. That is why you get attacked. Some of your comments are uneducated.
I know this is not a direct quote, but I seem to remember you posting a comment where you referenced an African-American friend. (I think it was a post about reverse discrimination.) Do I have that right? If so, I would encourage you to meet more African-Americans, because we don’t all think the same, and really LISTEN. Listen to the specific examples of what they go through. Listen to how powerless we feel when our complaints are ignored or belittled.
I was born and raised in Oakland. I lived there until I enrolled at UCD, and returned home to teach for 3 years before teaching in Elk Grove and Davis. My circle of family and friends is filled with people of ALL races who grew up in Oakland. I suspect if you had lived there longer and during your formative years, your perspective would be quite different.
As far as misquoting people, reread my post, I didn’t call you a racist. Then go back and reread some of your own.
Sorry for the mistake on your last name. I don’t think that is the issue, though.
I was actively involved for a couple of years in trying to find a way to recruit candidates of color. I hosted student teachers from the multi-cultural teaching credential program (CSUS/UCD). Nothing came of that. I know many teachers of color in other districts–excellent, experienced teachers–who I have tried to convince to come to Davis. They won’t. Davis has a pretty bad reputation as far as people of color and the social/political issues. Sadly, unless we start by correcting the issues, we may not attract any candidates of color.
I know others who have tried informally, to get candidates of color to join our district, and their stories are the same as mine.
As far as living in Oakland for three years, and your other experiences living as a minority, I would suggest that is not the same thing. It does not mean that you understand being a minority. I am sure you sometimes felt like an outsider, but as a white man, you can go anywhere in the world and not face an underlying assumption that you are “less than.” I know some cultures are wary of Americans, but again, it is not the same thing as feeling that way AT HOME, wherever that home is.
You seem frustrated about being misunderstood. I think that when you write/say things, you don’t fully understand what people on the other side will see. We see you not understanding our reality. That is why you get attacked. Some of your comments are uneducated.
I know this is not a direct quote, but I seem to remember you posting a comment where you referenced an African-American friend. (I think it was a post about reverse discrimination.) Do I have that right? If so, I would encourage you to meet more African-Americans, because we don’t all think the same, and really LISTEN. Listen to the specific examples of what they go through. Listen to how powerless we feel when our complaints are ignored or belittled.
I was born and raised in Oakland. I lived there until I enrolled at UCD, and returned home to teach for 3 years before teaching in Elk Grove and Davis. My circle of family and friends is filled with people of ALL races who grew up in Oakland. I suspect if you had lived there longer and during your formative years, your perspective would be quite different.
As far as misquoting people, reread my post, I didn’t call you a racist. Then go back and reread some of your own.
Sorry for the mistake on your last name. I don’t think that is the issue, though.
I was actively involved for a couple of years in trying to find a way to recruit candidates of color. I hosted student teachers from the multi-cultural teaching credential program (CSUS/UCD). Nothing came of that. I know many teachers of color in other districts–excellent, experienced teachers–who I have tried to convince to come to Davis. They won’t. Davis has a pretty bad reputation as far as people of color and the social/political issues. Sadly, unless we start by correcting the issues, we may not attract any candidates of color.
I know others who have tried informally, to get candidates of color to join our district, and their stories are the same as mine.
As far as living in Oakland for three years, and your other experiences living as a minority, I would suggest that is not the same thing. It does not mean that you understand being a minority. I am sure you sometimes felt like an outsider, but as a white man, you can go anywhere in the world and not face an underlying assumption that you are “less than.” I know some cultures are wary of Americans, but again, it is not the same thing as feeling that way AT HOME, wherever that home is.
You seem frustrated about being misunderstood. I think that when you write/say things, you don’t fully understand what people on the other side will see. We see you not understanding our reality. That is why you get attacked. Some of your comments are uneducated.
I know this is not a direct quote, but I seem to remember you posting a comment where you referenced an African-American friend. (I think it was a post about reverse discrimination.) Do I have that right? If so, I would encourage you to meet more African-Americans, because we don’t all think the same, and really LISTEN. Listen to the specific examples of what they go through. Listen to how powerless we feel when our complaints are ignored or belittled.
I was born and raised in Oakland. I lived there until I enrolled at UCD, and returned home to teach for 3 years before teaching in Elk Grove and Davis. My circle of family and friends is filled with people of ALL races who grew up in Oakland. I suspect if you had lived there longer and during your formative years, your perspective would be quite different.
As far as misquoting people, reread my post, I didn’t call you a racist. Then go back and reread some of your own.
“Sorry for the mistake on your last name. I don’t think that is the issue, though.”
Apology accepted. I never said it was the issue.
“I know others who have tried informally, to get candidates of color to join our district, and their stories are the same as mine.”
I applaud you for your efforts. My thought was simply that a concerted effort by a larger group, working together, might be a good idea. I defer to your experience on this question, if you think my idea would bear no fruit.
“As far as living in Oakland for three years, and your other experiences living as a minority, I would suggest that is not the same thing.”
I agree that it’s not the same. The black experience in the U.S. is unique. However, I have lived as “a minority” my entire life, everywhere I have lived, including in Davis, where I grew up.
“It does not mean that you understand being a minority.”
You could not be more wrong. I have never had your experiences as a black person in the U.S. However, I know what it is to be a minority.
“You seem frustrated about being misunderstood.”
That is untrue. I am not frustrated at being misunderstood. I’m frustrated at being called names and at having you and others make assumptions about me or about what I think that are baseless.
“I think that when you write/say things, you don’t fully understand what people on the other side will see.”
Who the hell are you to arrogate that conclusion about me?
“We see you not understanding our reality.”
I find it quite arrogant of you that you think you can speak for all of the “we” who share your complexion.
“That is why you get attacked. Some of your comments are uneducated.”
So my problem is a lack of education? I suspect you have no idea of how well educated I am.
“I know this is not a direct quote, but I seem to remember you posting a comment where you referenced an African-American friend. (I think it was a post about reverse discrimination.) Do I have that right?”
How would I know if you have that right? If you are going to quote me on something, then quote me.
“If so, I would encourage you to meet more African-Americans, because we don’t all think the same, and really LISTEN.”
Wait a minute. Just above you said, “We see you not understanding our reality.” Now you say that “we don’t all think the same.” How is it that if “we don’t all think the same” that you can say how “we see you?”
Your arrogance about my feelings and friendship and understanding and education seems to know no bounds. You have no idea who I am, how many friends I have of various backgrounds, etc.
“I was born and raised in Oakland.”
I was born at Merritt Hospital in Oakland. In my 20s I moved back to Oakland and lived on Adelaide Street, off W. Grand, near McClymond’s, not far from Pill Hill.
“I suspect if you had lived there longer and during your formative years, your perspective would be quite different.”
You still have no idea what my perspective is. Yet you arrogantly presume all kinds of things about me.
“As far as misquoting people, reread my post, I didn’t call you a racist.”
Okay, this is what you wrote:
“Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me. You are saying you are not racist, but…”
Come on, Nikki. Your very strong implication is that you believe that I am a racist.
If I said, “Miss Smith, some of your comments (in fact, most) are mad. You are saying you are not a lunatic, but…,” then any reasonable reader would conclude that I had implied that your were crazy. Your denial of that is pathetic.
“Many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people.”
I have never, once, in my entire life made an assumption or generalization which is “very dangerous” to the achievement of equity for all people. Your remarks are defamatory, unfounded and ignorant in the extreme. You should be ashamed of yourself.
“Sorry for the mistake on your last name. I don’t think that is the issue, though.”
Apology accepted. I never said it was the issue.
“I know others who have tried informally, to get candidates of color to join our district, and their stories are the same as mine.”
I applaud you for your efforts. My thought was simply that a concerted effort by a larger group, working together, might be a good idea. I defer to your experience on this question, if you think my idea would bear no fruit.
“As far as living in Oakland for three years, and your other experiences living as a minority, I would suggest that is not the same thing.”
I agree that it’s not the same. The black experience in the U.S. is unique. However, I have lived as “a minority” my entire life, everywhere I have lived, including in Davis, where I grew up.
“It does not mean that you understand being a minority.”
You could not be more wrong. I have never had your experiences as a black person in the U.S. However, I know what it is to be a minority.
“You seem frustrated about being misunderstood.”
That is untrue. I am not frustrated at being misunderstood. I’m frustrated at being called names and at having you and others make assumptions about me or about what I think that are baseless.
“I think that when you write/say things, you don’t fully understand what people on the other side will see.”
Who the hell are you to arrogate that conclusion about me?
“We see you not understanding our reality.”
I find it quite arrogant of you that you think you can speak for all of the “we” who share your complexion.
“That is why you get attacked. Some of your comments are uneducated.”
So my problem is a lack of education? I suspect you have no idea of how well educated I am.
“I know this is not a direct quote, but I seem to remember you posting a comment where you referenced an African-American friend. (I think it was a post about reverse discrimination.) Do I have that right?”
How would I know if you have that right? If you are going to quote me on something, then quote me.
“If so, I would encourage you to meet more African-Americans, because we don’t all think the same, and really LISTEN.”
Wait a minute. Just above you said, “We see you not understanding our reality.” Now you say that “we don’t all think the same.” How is it that if “we don’t all think the same” that you can say how “we see you?”
Your arrogance about my feelings and friendship and understanding and education seems to know no bounds. You have no idea who I am, how many friends I have of various backgrounds, etc.
“I was born and raised in Oakland.”
I was born at Merritt Hospital in Oakland. In my 20s I moved back to Oakland and lived on Adelaide Street, off W. Grand, near McClymond’s, not far from Pill Hill.
“I suspect if you had lived there longer and during your formative years, your perspective would be quite different.”
You still have no idea what my perspective is. Yet you arrogantly presume all kinds of things about me.
“As far as misquoting people, reread my post, I didn’t call you a racist.”
Okay, this is what you wrote:
“Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me. You are saying you are not racist, but…”
Come on, Nikki. Your very strong implication is that you believe that I am a racist.
If I said, “Miss Smith, some of your comments (in fact, most) are mad. You are saying you are not a lunatic, but…,” then any reasonable reader would conclude that I had implied that your were crazy. Your denial of that is pathetic.
“Many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people.”
I have never, once, in my entire life made an assumption or generalization which is “very dangerous” to the achievement of equity for all people. Your remarks are defamatory, unfounded and ignorant in the extreme. You should be ashamed of yourself.
“Sorry for the mistake on your last name. I don’t think that is the issue, though.”
Apology accepted. I never said it was the issue.
“I know others who have tried informally, to get candidates of color to join our district, and their stories are the same as mine.”
I applaud you for your efforts. My thought was simply that a concerted effort by a larger group, working together, might be a good idea. I defer to your experience on this question, if you think my idea would bear no fruit.
“As far as living in Oakland for three years, and your other experiences living as a minority, I would suggest that is not the same thing.”
I agree that it’s not the same. The black experience in the U.S. is unique. However, I have lived as “a minority” my entire life, everywhere I have lived, including in Davis, where I grew up.
“It does not mean that you understand being a minority.”
You could not be more wrong. I have never had your experiences as a black person in the U.S. However, I know what it is to be a minority.
“You seem frustrated about being misunderstood.”
That is untrue. I am not frustrated at being misunderstood. I’m frustrated at being called names and at having you and others make assumptions about me or about what I think that are baseless.
“I think that when you write/say things, you don’t fully understand what people on the other side will see.”
Who the hell are you to arrogate that conclusion about me?
“We see you not understanding our reality.”
I find it quite arrogant of you that you think you can speak for all of the “we” who share your complexion.
“That is why you get attacked. Some of your comments are uneducated.”
So my problem is a lack of education? I suspect you have no idea of how well educated I am.
“I know this is not a direct quote, but I seem to remember you posting a comment where you referenced an African-American friend. (I think it was a post about reverse discrimination.) Do I have that right?”
How would I know if you have that right? If you are going to quote me on something, then quote me.
“If so, I would encourage you to meet more African-Americans, because we don’t all think the same, and really LISTEN.”
Wait a minute. Just above you said, “We see you not understanding our reality.” Now you say that “we don’t all think the same.” How is it that if “we don’t all think the same” that you can say how “we see you?”
Your arrogance about my feelings and friendship and understanding and education seems to know no bounds. You have no idea who I am, how many friends I have of various backgrounds, etc.
“I was born and raised in Oakland.”
I was born at Merritt Hospital in Oakland. In my 20s I moved back to Oakland and lived on Adelaide Street, off W. Grand, near McClymond’s, not far from Pill Hill.
“I suspect if you had lived there longer and during your formative years, your perspective would be quite different.”
You still have no idea what my perspective is. Yet you arrogantly presume all kinds of things about me.
“As far as misquoting people, reread my post, I didn’t call you a racist.”
Okay, this is what you wrote:
“Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me. You are saying you are not racist, but…”
Come on, Nikki. Your very strong implication is that you believe that I am a racist.
If I said, “Miss Smith, some of your comments (in fact, most) are mad. You are saying you are not a lunatic, but…,” then any reasonable reader would conclude that I had implied that your were crazy. Your denial of that is pathetic.
“Many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people.”
I have never, once, in my entire life made an assumption or generalization which is “very dangerous” to the achievement of equity for all people. Your remarks are defamatory, unfounded and ignorant in the extreme. You should be ashamed of yourself.
“Sorry for the mistake on your last name. I don’t think that is the issue, though.”
Apology accepted. I never said it was the issue.
“I know others who have tried informally, to get candidates of color to join our district, and their stories are the same as mine.”
I applaud you for your efforts. My thought was simply that a concerted effort by a larger group, working together, might be a good idea. I defer to your experience on this question, if you think my idea would bear no fruit.
“As far as living in Oakland for three years, and your other experiences living as a minority, I would suggest that is not the same thing.”
I agree that it’s not the same. The black experience in the U.S. is unique. However, I have lived as “a minority” my entire life, everywhere I have lived, including in Davis, where I grew up.
“It does not mean that you understand being a minority.”
You could not be more wrong. I have never had your experiences as a black person in the U.S. However, I know what it is to be a minority.
“You seem frustrated about being misunderstood.”
That is untrue. I am not frustrated at being misunderstood. I’m frustrated at being called names and at having you and others make assumptions about me or about what I think that are baseless.
“I think that when you write/say things, you don’t fully understand what people on the other side will see.”
Who the hell are you to arrogate that conclusion about me?
“We see you not understanding our reality.”
I find it quite arrogant of you that you think you can speak for all of the “we” who share your complexion.
“That is why you get attacked. Some of your comments are uneducated.”
So my problem is a lack of education? I suspect you have no idea of how well educated I am.
“I know this is not a direct quote, but I seem to remember you posting a comment where you referenced an African-American friend. (I think it was a post about reverse discrimination.) Do I have that right?”
How would I know if you have that right? If you are going to quote me on something, then quote me.
“If so, I would encourage you to meet more African-Americans, because we don’t all think the same, and really LISTEN.”
Wait a minute. Just above you said, “We see you not understanding our reality.” Now you say that “we don’t all think the same.” How is it that if “we don’t all think the same” that you can say how “we see you?”
Your arrogance about my feelings and friendship and understanding and education seems to know no bounds. You have no idea who I am, how many friends I have of various backgrounds, etc.
“I was born and raised in Oakland.”
I was born at Merritt Hospital in Oakland. In my 20s I moved back to Oakland and lived on Adelaide Street, off W. Grand, near McClymond’s, not far from Pill Hill.
“I suspect if you had lived there longer and during your formative years, your perspective would be quite different.”
You still have no idea what my perspective is. Yet you arrogantly presume all kinds of things about me.
“As far as misquoting people, reread my post, I didn’t call you a racist.”
Okay, this is what you wrote:
“Mr. Ripkin, some of your comments (in fact, most) deeply disturb me. You are saying you are not racist, but…”
Come on, Nikki. Your very strong implication is that you believe that I am a racist.
If I said, “Miss Smith, some of your comments (in fact, most) are mad. You are saying you are not a lunatic, but…,” then any reasonable reader would conclude that I had implied that your were crazy. Your denial of that is pathetic.
“Many of your remarks make assumptions and generalizations that are very dangerous to the achievement of equity for all people.”
I have never, once, in my entire life made an assumption or generalization which is “very dangerous” to the achievement of equity for all people. Your remarks are defamatory, unfounded and ignorant in the extreme. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Mr. Rifkin,
I am not ashamed. My only misgiving at this point is that I have spent this much time engaging you. My time would be better spent working together with those willing to do so for the benefit of our children. I am quite done responding to your posts.
Mr. Rifkin,
I am not ashamed. My only misgiving at this point is that I have spent this much time engaging you. My time would be better spent working together with those willing to do so for the benefit of our children. I am quite done responding to your posts.
Mr. Rifkin,
I am not ashamed. My only misgiving at this point is that I have spent this much time engaging you. My time would be better spent working together with those willing to do so for the benefit of our children. I am quite done responding to your posts.
Mr. Rifkin,
I am not ashamed. My only misgiving at this point is that I have spent this much time engaging you. My time would be better spent working together with those willing to do so for the benefit of our children. I am quite done responding to your posts.
As imperfect and imprecise as STAR testing seems to be, educators are very dependent on this test, in particular, to generate data that points to gaps in performance that can only be addressed by change in practice. Yes, there are monetary strings attached to STAR performance data, but of even greater importance to students and teachers alike, those same data illuminate deficiencies and successes in teaching practice.
When the Board voted to close Valley Oak, as a citizen I had the right to study disaggregated STAR testing data to examine the performance of not only my school, but the district and the state. I discovered Valley Oak to be the top performer in service to economically disadvantaged students in Davis, a fact that would have remained invisible without that disaggregated data, and I was subsequently able to post that data on the Valley Oak blog in an article entitled “Shout the Numbers!”
STAR is one piece of the strength ordinary people have for monitoring their schools and demanding performance of officials, teachers and students alike. BSA issues are real and their complaints valid, but I encourage them to choose another vehicle of protest, one that will not undermine the efforts of us who care about them and their success. Decent information is key to providing the best services we can, and STAR is all we have right now.
As imperfect and imprecise as STAR testing seems to be, educators are very dependent on this test, in particular, to generate data that points to gaps in performance that can only be addressed by change in practice. Yes, there are monetary strings attached to STAR performance data, but of even greater importance to students and teachers alike, those same data illuminate deficiencies and successes in teaching practice.
When the Board voted to close Valley Oak, as a citizen I had the right to study disaggregated STAR testing data to examine the performance of not only my school, but the district and the state. I discovered Valley Oak to be the top performer in service to economically disadvantaged students in Davis, a fact that would have remained invisible without that disaggregated data, and I was subsequently able to post that data on the Valley Oak blog in an article entitled “Shout the Numbers!”
STAR is one piece of the strength ordinary people have for monitoring their schools and demanding performance of officials, teachers and students alike. BSA issues are real and their complaints valid, but I encourage them to choose another vehicle of protest, one that will not undermine the efforts of us who care about them and their success. Decent information is key to providing the best services we can, and STAR is all we have right now.
As imperfect and imprecise as STAR testing seems to be, educators are very dependent on this test, in particular, to generate data that points to gaps in performance that can only be addressed by change in practice. Yes, there are monetary strings attached to STAR performance data, but of even greater importance to students and teachers alike, those same data illuminate deficiencies and successes in teaching practice.
When the Board voted to close Valley Oak, as a citizen I had the right to study disaggregated STAR testing data to examine the performance of not only my school, but the district and the state. I discovered Valley Oak to be the top performer in service to economically disadvantaged students in Davis, a fact that would have remained invisible without that disaggregated data, and I was subsequently able to post that data on the Valley Oak blog in an article entitled “Shout the Numbers!”
STAR is one piece of the strength ordinary people have for monitoring their schools and demanding performance of officials, teachers and students alike. BSA issues are real and their complaints valid, but I encourage them to choose another vehicle of protest, one that will not undermine the efforts of us who care about them and their success. Decent information is key to providing the best services we can, and STAR is all we have right now.
As imperfect and imprecise as STAR testing seems to be, educators are very dependent on this test, in particular, to generate data that points to gaps in performance that can only be addressed by change in practice. Yes, there are monetary strings attached to STAR performance data, but of even greater importance to students and teachers alike, those same data illuminate deficiencies and successes in teaching practice.
When the Board voted to close Valley Oak, as a citizen I had the right to study disaggregated STAR testing data to examine the performance of not only my school, but the district and the state. I discovered Valley Oak to be the top performer in service to economically disadvantaged students in Davis, a fact that would have remained invisible without that disaggregated data, and I was subsequently able to post that data on the Valley Oak blog in an article entitled “Shout the Numbers!”
STAR is one piece of the strength ordinary people have for monitoring their schools and demanding performance of officials, teachers and students alike. BSA issues are real and their complaints valid, but I encourage them to choose another vehicle of protest, one that will not undermine the efforts of us who care about them and their success. Decent information is key to providing the best services we can, and STAR is all we have right now.
Here may be some information of interest to the discussion. It’s just an excerpt, but the whole text is available at the below noted web site
Volume 2 Issue 1 ISSN 1545-9055
December 2004 http://subr.edu/coeducation/ejournal
Copyright © Southern University – Baton Rouge College of Education, Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA
A Synthesis of Evidence-Based Research on the Status of African
American Teachers 50 Years after Brown and its impact on African American
Student Achievement: Implications for Teachers and Administrators
Chance W. Lewis, Ph.D., Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Ph.D., Malcolm E. Scott,
MSW, Bruce B. Douglas, M.S., and Val Middleton, Ph.D.
Abstract: This study presented a systematic review and synthesis of evidence-based
research on the status of the African American teacher 50 years after the famous Brown
vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. Specific attention was placed on empirical
studies, written from 1993-2003, that focused on the recruitment of African American
teachers into the K-12 school setting. More specifically, this study provided a brief
introduction on the status of African American teachers since Brown, chronicled the
search strategies to locate the final literature database, and described the process
involved in coding the identified studies. Based on the study’s findings, conclusions and
implications are provided to teachers and administrators.
Since the historic Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) U.S.
Supreme court decision, one problem that has continued to plague the field of education
is the lack of African American teachers in United States (U.S.) public schools. The
educational community has come to a consensus in recommending that more African
Americans are needed to deliver “culturally relevant pedagogy” (Ladson-Billings, 1994)
to a more ethnically diverse student population. According to Gordon (2000), reasons
include the continued low academic performance of students of color (Dentzer &
Wheelock, 1990; Ford & Moore, 2004; Moore & Pachon, 1985); the inability and/or the
unwillingness of middle-class teachers to teach low-income children of color (Book,
Byers, & Freeman, 1983); the need for all children to gain knowledge from a multiethnic
teaching force (Banks & Banks, 1989); the high cost of prisons and welfare (Doston &
Bolden, 1991); and “the desire for a more honest representation in the curriculum of the
diversity of ideas and skills that have contributed to the development of America”
(Dotson & Bolden, 1991, p. 11).
Five decades after Brown, the majority of U.S. public school students go through their
entire kindergarten to twelfth grade (K-12) education without having an African
100
American teacher, and approximately 70% of all ethnic minority students still attend
segregated predominately minority schools (Hawkins, 1994; Orfield & Lee, 2004).
Without fault of the positive aspects of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision, it has
become crystal clear that 50 years later, African Americans have failed to get the results
they envisioned from this landmark case. Consequently, this has become even more
evident in the African American teaching force. Over the years, since this historic
decision, scholars (Mercer & Mercer, 1986) have noted that “[operating] a public school
system without African American teachers is [like teaching] White supremacy without
saying a word” (p.105). As a result, this article argues that the significant loss of African
American teachers can be traced back to the Brown decision. Since the decision of this
landmark case, the loss of African American teachers has had a lasting negative effect
on all students, particularly African American students and the communities in which
they reside.
African American Participation in Teaching
Teaching in the African American community has been viewed as a noble profession by
many African American teachers. In the 1950s and 1960s, African American pre-service
teachers enrolled in teacher preparation programs at historically Black colleges and
universities (HBCUs) in record numbers because of the lack of opportunity in other
fields of study (Clem, 1986). In 1954, the year of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown
v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, approximately 82,000 African American
teachers were responsible for the education of the nation’s two million African American
public school students (Hawkins, 1994). After graduation, many African American
teaching graduates went back into their communities to serve the educational and social
needs for the next generation of African American students.
Historically, African Americans served not only as teachers but also as counselors, role
models, and spiritual leaders (Clem, 1986). According to Clem, African Americans were
entering teacher preparation programs at HBCUs more than any other time in U.S.
history. Kunjufu (2002) noted that many of the best African American minds were
denied opportunities outside of teaching. This exclusion of other career opportunities
allowed African American students the opportunity to be educated by the best minds in
the African American community. Regretfully, a decade after Brown, over 38,000
African American teachers, school counselors, and administrators lost their positions in
17 southern and border states because of integration and other ramifications of the
Brown decision (Ethridge, 1979; Holmes, 1990 ; Tillman, 2004).
Most recently, both the popular and scientific literature has indicated that the
percentages of African American teachers are not keeping pace proportionally with the
percentage of African American students in public schools across the United States
(Foster & Peele, 1999; Irvine, 2002; Kunjufu, 2002). According to the American
Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) (1999), historically, White
teachers have comprised 70% of the public school population. In the new millennium,
African American students comprise 20% of the total student enrollment, while African
American teachers make up only 8% of the teaching force nationwide, with African
101
American males teachers making up only 1% (Kunjufu, 2002; National Education
Association, 2001).
A disturbing theme that has emerged is that African Americans are not pursuing the
field of education, since other career opportunities are now more readily available to
them (Clem, 1986; Irvine, 1988; Wilder, 2000). Gordon (2000) interviewed current
African American teachers to ascertain their thoughts on why more African American
teachers are not pursuing the field of education. African American teachers in Gordon’s
study reported that many of the African American students who are in college do not
view teaching as an attractive or lucrative career choice. More specifically, she placed
the reasons into three general categories: (a) economic, (b) educational, and (c)
social/cultural. Furthermore, African American teachers do not pursue the field of
teaching in part because of the low compensation offered by many school districts
(Gordon, 2000). Jacullo-Noto (1991) indicated that low compensation may be one of the
initial factors that push academically able African Americans from the field of education.
Here may be some information of interest to the discussion. It’s just an excerpt, but the whole text is available at the below noted web site
Volume 2 Issue 1 ISSN 1545-9055
December 2004 http://subr.edu/coeducation/ejournal
Copyright © Southern University – Baton Rouge College of Education, Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA
A Synthesis of Evidence-Based Research on the Status of African
American Teachers 50 Years after Brown and its impact on African American
Student Achievement: Implications for Teachers and Administrators
Chance W. Lewis, Ph.D., Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Ph.D., Malcolm E. Scott,
MSW, Bruce B. Douglas, M.S., and Val Middleton, Ph.D.
Abstract: This study presented a systematic review and synthesis of evidence-based
research on the status of the African American teacher 50 years after the famous Brown
vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. Specific attention was placed on empirical
studies, written from 1993-2003, that focused on the recruitment of African American
teachers into the K-12 school setting. More specifically, this study provided a brief
introduction on the status of African American teachers since Brown, chronicled the
search strategies to locate the final literature database, and described the process
involved in coding the identified studies. Based on the study’s findings, conclusions and
implications are provided to teachers and administrators.
Since the historic Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) U.S.
Supreme court decision, one problem that has continued to plague the field of education
is the lack of African American teachers in United States (U.S.) public schools. The
educational community has come to a consensus in recommending that more African
Americans are needed to deliver “culturally relevant pedagogy” (Ladson-Billings, 1994)
to a more ethnically diverse student population. According to Gordon (2000), reasons
include the continued low academic performance of students of color (Dentzer &
Wheelock, 1990; Ford & Moore, 2004; Moore & Pachon, 1985); the inability and/or the
unwillingness of middle-class teachers to teach low-income children of color (Book,
Byers, & Freeman, 1983); the need for all children to gain knowledge from a multiethnic
teaching force (Banks & Banks, 1989); the high cost of prisons and welfare (Doston &
Bolden, 1991); and “the desire for a more honest representation in the curriculum of the
diversity of ideas and skills that have contributed to the development of America”
(Dotson & Bolden, 1991, p. 11).
Five decades after Brown, the majority of U.S. public school students go through their
entire kindergarten to twelfth grade (K-12) education without having an African
100
American teacher, and approximately 70% of all ethnic minority students still attend
segregated predominately minority schools (Hawkins, 1994; Orfield & Lee, 2004).
Without fault of the positive aspects of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision, it has
become crystal clear that 50 years later, African Americans have failed to get the results
they envisioned from this landmark case. Consequently, this has become even more
evident in the African American teaching force. Over the years, since this historic
decision, scholars (Mercer & Mercer, 1986) have noted that “[operating] a public school
system without African American teachers is [like teaching] White supremacy without
saying a word” (p.105). As a result, this article argues that the significant loss of African
American teachers can be traced back to the Brown decision. Since the decision of this
landmark case, the loss of African American teachers has had a lasting negative effect
on all students, particularly African American students and the communities in which
they reside.
African American Participation in Teaching
Teaching in the African American community has been viewed as a noble profession by
many African American teachers. In the 1950s and 1960s, African American pre-service
teachers enrolled in teacher preparation programs at historically Black colleges and
universities (HBCUs) in record numbers because of the lack of opportunity in other
fields of study (Clem, 1986). In 1954, the year of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown
v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, approximately 82,000 African American
teachers were responsible for the education of the nation’s two million African American
public school students (Hawkins, 1994). After graduation, many African American
teaching graduates went back into their communities to serve the educational and social
needs for the next generation of African American students.
Historically, African Americans served not only as teachers but also as counselors, role
models, and spiritual leaders (Clem, 1986). According to Clem, African Americans were
entering teacher preparation programs at HBCUs more than any other time in U.S.
history. Kunjufu (2002) noted that many of the best African American minds were
denied opportunities outside of teaching. This exclusion of other career opportunities
allowed African American students the opportunity to be educated by the best minds in
the African American community. Regretfully, a decade after Brown, over 38,000
African American teachers, school counselors, and administrators lost their positions in
17 southern and border states because of integration and other ramifications of the
Brown decision (Ethridge, 1979; Holmes, 1990 ; Tillman, 2004).
Most recently, both the popular and scientific literature has indicated that the
percentages of African American teachers are not keeping pace proportionally with the
percentage of African American students in public schools across the United States
(Foster & Peele, 1999; Irvine, 2002; Kunjufu, 2002). According to the American
Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) (1999), historically, White
teachers have comprised 70% of the public school population. In the new millennium,
African American students comprise 20% of the total student enrollment, while African
American teachers make up only 8% of the teaching force nationwide, with African
101
American males teachers making up only 1% (Kunjufu, 2002; National Education
Association, 2001).
A disturbing theme that has emerged is that African Americans are not pursuing the
field of education, since other career opportunities are now more readily available to
them (Clem, 1986; Irvine, 1988; Wilder, 2000). Gordon (2000) interviewed current
African American teachers to ascertain their thoughts on why more African American
teachers are not pursuing the field of education. African American teachers in Gordon’s
study reported that many of the African American students who are in college do not
view teaching as an attractive or lucrative career choice. More specifically, she placed
the reasons into three general categories: (a) economic, (b) educational, and (c)
social/cultural. Furthermore, African American teachers do not pursue the field of
teaching in part because of the low compensation offered by many school districts
(Gordon, 2000). Jacullo-Noto (1991) indicated that low compensation may be one of the
initial factors that push academically able African Americans from the field of education.
Here may be some information of interest to the discussion. It’s just an excerpt, but the whole text is available at the below noted web site
Volume 2 Issue 1 ISSN 1545-9055
December 2004 http://subr.edu/coeducation/ejournal
Copyright © Southern University – Baton Rouge College of Education, Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA
A Synthesis of Evidence-Based Research on the Status of African
American Teachers 50 Years after Brown and its impact on African American
Student Achievement: Implications for Teachers and Administrators
Chance W. Lewis, Ph.D., Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Ph.D., Malcolm E. Scott,
MSW, Bruce B. Douglas, M.S., and Val Middleton, Ph.D.
Abstract: This study presented a systematic review and synthesis of evidence-based
research on the status of the African American teacher 50 years after the famous Brown
vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. Specific attention was placed on empirical
studies, written from 1993-2003, that focused on the recruitment of African American
teachers into the K-12 school setting. More specifically, this study provided a brief
introduction on the status of African American teachers since Brown, chronicled the
search strategies to locate the final literature database, and described the process
involved in coding the identified studies. Based on the study’s findings, conclusions and
implications are provided to teachers and administrators.
Since the historic Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) U.S.
Supreme court decision, one problem that has continued to plague the field of education
is the lack of African American teachers in United States (U.S.) public schools. The
educational community has come to a consensus in recommending that more African
Americans are needed to deliver “culturally relevant pedagogy” (Ladson-Billings, 1994)
to a more ethnically diverse student population. According to Gordon (2000), reasons
include the continued low academic performance of students of color (Dentzer &
Wheelock, 1990; Ford & Moore, 2004; Moore & Pachon, 1985); the inability and/or the
unwillingness of middle-class teachers to teach low-income children of color (Book,
Byers, & Freeman, 1983); the need for all children to gain knowledge from a multiethnic
teaching force (Banks & Banks, 1989); the high cost of prisons and welfare (Doston &
Bolden, 1991); and “the desire for a more honest representation in the curriculum of the
diversity of ideas and skills that have contributed to the development of America”
(Dotson & Bolden, 1991, p. 11).
Five decades after Brown, the majority of U.S. public school students go through their
entire kindergarten to twelfth grade (K-12) education without having an African
100
American teacher, and approximately 70% of all ethnic minority students still attend
segregated predominately minority schools (Hawkins, 1994; Orfield & Lee, 2004).
Without fault of the positive aspects of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision, it has
become crystal clear that 50 years later, African Americans have failed to get the results
they envisioned from this landmark case. Consequently, this has become even more
evident in the African American teaching force. Over the years, since this historic
decision, scholars (Mercer & Mercer, 1986) have noted that “[operating] a public school
system without African American teachers is [like teaching] White supremacy without
saying a word” (p.105). As a result, this article argues that the significant loss of African
American teachers can be traced back to the Brown decision. Since the decision of this
landmark case, the loss of African American teachers has had a lasting negative effect
on all students, particularly African American students and the communities in which
they reside.
African American Participation in Teaching
Teaching in the African American community has been viewed as a noble profession by
many African American teachers. In the 1950s and 1960s, African American pre-service
teachers enrolled in teacher preparation programs at historically Black colleges and
universities (HBCUs) in record numbers because of the lack of opportunity in other
fields of study (Clem, 1986). In 1954, the year of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown
v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, approximately 82,000 African American
teachers were responsible for the education of the nation’s two million African American
public school students (Hawkins, 1994). After graduation, many African American
teaching graduates went back into their communities to serve the educational and social
needs for the next generation of African American students.
Historically, African Americans served not only as teachers but also as counselors, role
models, and spiritual leaders (Clem, 1986). According to Clem, African Americans were
entering teacher preparation programs at HBCUs more than any other time in U.S.
history. Kunjufu (2002) noted that many of the best African American minds were
denied opportunities outside of teaching. This exclusion of other career opportunities
allowed African American students the opportunity to be educated by the best minds in
the African American community. Regretfully, a decade after Brown, over 38,000
African American teachers, school counselors, and administrators lost their positions in
17 southern and border states because of integration and other ramifications of the
Brown decision (Ethridge, 1979; Holmes, 1990 ; Tillman, 2004).
Most recently, both the popular and scientific literature has indicated that the
percentages of African American teachers are not keeping pace proportionally with the
percentage of African American students in public schools across the United States
(Foster & Peele, 1999; Irvine, 2002; Kunjufu, 2002). According to the American
Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) (1999), historically, White
teachers have comprised 70% of the public school population. In the new millennium,
African American students comprise 20% of the total student enrollment, while African
American teachers make up only 8% of the teaching force nationwide, with African
101
American males teachers making up only 1% (Kunjufu, 2002; National Education
Association, 2001).
A disturbing theme that has emerged is that African Americans are not pursuing the
field of education, since other career opportunities are now more readily available to
them (Clem, 1986; Irvine, 1988; Wilder, 2000). Gordon (2000) interviewed current
African American teachers to ascertain their thoughts on why more African American
teachers are not pursuing the field of education. African American teachers in Gordon’s
study reported that many of the African American students who are in college do not
view teaching as an attractive or lucrative career choice. More specifically, she placed
the reasons into three general categories: (a) economic, (b) educational, and (c)
social/cultural. Furthermore, African American teachers do not pursue the field of
teaching in part because of the low compensation offered by many school districts
(Gordon, 2000). Jacullo-Noto (1991) indicated that low compensation may be one of the
initial factors that push academically able African Americans from the field of education.
Here may be some information of interest to the discussion. It’s just an excerpt, but the whole text is available at the below noted web site
Volume 2 Issue 1 ISSN 1545-9055
December 2004 http://subr.edu/coeducation/ejournal
Copyright © Southern University – Baton Rouge College of Education, Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA
A Synthesis of Evidence-Based Research on the Status of African
American Teachers 50 Years after Brown and its impact on African American
Student Achievement: Implications for Teachers and Administrators
Chance W. Lewis, Ph.D., Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Ph.D., Malcolm E. Scott,
MSW, Bruce B. Douglas, M.S., and Val Middleton, Ph.D.
Abstract: This study presented a systematic review and synthesis of evidence-based
research on the status of the African American teacher 50 years after the famous Brown
vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. Specific attention was placed on empirical
studies, written from 1993-2003, that focused on the recruitment of African American
teachers into the K-12 school setting. More specifically, this study provided a brief
introduction on the status of African American teachers since Brown, chronicled the
search strategies to locate the final literature database, and described the process
involved in coding the identified studies. Based on the study’s findings, conclusions and
implications are provided to teachers and administrators.
Since the historic Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) U.S.
Supreme court decision, one problem that has continued to plague the field of education
is the lack of African American teachers in United States (U.S.) public schools. The
educational community has come to a consensus in recommending that more African
Americans are needed to deliver “culturally relevant pedagogy” (Ladson-Billings, 1994)
to a more ethnically diverse student population. According to Gordon (2000), reasons
include the continued low academic performance of students of color (Dentzer &
Wheelock, 1990; Ford & Moore, 2004; Moore & Pachon, 1985); the inability and/or the
unwillingness of middle-class teachers to teach low-income children of color (Book,
Byers, & Freeman, 1983); the need for all children to gain knowledge from a multiethnic
teaching force (Banks & Banks, 1989); the high cost of prisons and welfare (Doston &
Bolden, 1991); and “the desire for a more honest representation in the curriculum of the
diversity of ideas and skills that have contributed to the development of America”
(Dotson & Bolden, 1991, p. 11).
Five decades after Brown, the majority of U.S. public school students go through their
entire kindergarten to twelfth grade (K-12) education without having an African
100
American teacher, and approximately 70% of all ethnic minority students still attend
segregated predominately minority schools (Hawkins, 1994; Orfield & Lee, 2004).
Without fault of the positive aspects of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision, it has
become crystal clear that 50 years later, African Americans have failed to get the results
they envisioned from this landmark case. Consequently, this has become even more
evident in the African American teaching force. Over the years, since this historic
decision, scholars (Mercer & Mercer, 1986) have noted that “[operating] a public school
system without African American teachers is [like teaching] White supremacy without
saying a word” (p.105). As a result, this article argues that the significant loss of African
American teachers can be traced back to the Brown decision. Since the decision of this
landmark case, the loss of African American teachers has had a lasting negative effect
on all students, particularly African American students and the communities in which
they reside.
African American Participation in Teaching
Teaching in the African American community has been viewed as a noble profession by
many African American teachers. In the 1950s and 1960s, African American pre-service
teachers enrolled in teacher preparation programs at historically Black colleges and
universities (HBCUs) in record numbers because of the lack of opportunity in other
fields of study (Clem, 1986). In 1954, the year of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown
v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, approximately 82,000 African American
teachers were responsible for the education of the nation’s two million African American
public school students (Hawkins, 1994). After graduation, many African American
teaching graduates went back into their communities to serve the educational and social
needs for the next generation of African American students.
Historically, African Americans served not only as teachers but also as counselors, role
models, and spiritual leaders (Clem, 1986). According to Clem, African Americans were
entering teacher preparation programs at HBCUs more than any other time in U.S.
history. Kunjufu (2002) noted that many of the best African American minds were
denied opportunities outside of teaching. This exclusion of other career opportunities
allowed African American students the opportunity to be educated by the best minds in
the African American community. Regretfully, a decade after Brown, over 38,000
African American teachers, school counselors, and administrators lost their positions in
17 southern and border states because of integration and other ramifications of the
Brown decision (Ethridge, 1979; Holmes, 1990 ; Tillman, 2004).
Most recently, both the popular and scientific literature has indicated that the
percentages of African American teachers are not keeping pace proportionally with the
percentage of African American students in public schools across the United States
(Foster & Peele, 1999; Irvine, 2002; Kunjufu, 2002). According to the American
Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) (1999), historically, White
teachers have comprised 70% of the public school population. In the new millennium,
African American students comprise 20% of the total student enrollment, while African
American teachers make up only 8% of the teaching force nationwide, with African
101
American males teachers making up only 1% (Kunjufu, 2002; National Education
Association, 2001).
A disturbing theme that has emerged is that African Americans are not pursuing the
field of education, since other career opportunities are now more readily available to
them (Clem, 1986; Irvine, 1988; Wilder, 2000). Gordon (2000) interviewed current
African American teachers to ascertain their thoughts on why more African American
teachers are not pursuing the field of education. African American teachers in Gordon’s
study reported that many of the African American students who are in college do not
view teaching as an attractive or lucrative career choice. More specifically, she placed
the reasons into three general categories: (a) economic, (b) educational, and (c)
social/cultural. Furthermore, African American teachers do not pursue the field of
teaching in part because of the low compensation offered by many school districts
(Gordon, 2000). Jacullo-Noto (1991) indicated that low compensation may be one of the
initial factors that push academically able African Americans from the field of education.
I support Ms. Toney’s proposal to boycott the STAR test because it is the only option to get the parents concerns respected and acted upon in the absense of funding for a lawsuit. Those with the money for a lawsuit get immediate results. So far as getting other folks to listen and care about these issues, that doesn’t work. Those who initially care get frustrated and others get bored. Any agreement made often get tossed out at the first budget crisis. The immediate crisis right now is for the DJUSD to stop stalling and rescind the reckless suspension of the three black graduating students and expunge the matter from their records. The other is that the suspension of the Black Students Union be terminated and DHS put rules in place to justify singling out that one student culture club out of the 60 student clubs for special attention. In the meantime for these reasons and any others please honor this boycott.
I support Ms. Toney’s proposal to boycott the STAR test because it is the only option to get the parents concerns respected and acted upon in the absense of funding for a lawsuit. Those with the money for a lawsuit get immediate results. So far as getting other folks to listen and care about these issues, that doesn’t work. Those who initially care get frustrated and others get bored. Any agreement made often get tossed out at the first budget crisis. The immediate crisis right now is for the DJUSD to stop stalling and rescind the reckless suspension of the three black graduating students and expunge the matter from their records. The other is that the suspension of the Black Students Union be terminated and DHS put rules in place to justify singling out that one student culture club out of the 60 student clubs for special attention. In the meantime for these reasons and any others please honor this boycott.
I support Ms. Toney’s proposal to boycott the STAR test because it is the only option to get the parents concerns respected and acted upon in the absense of funding for a lawsuit. Those with the money for a lawsuit get immediate results. So far as getting other folks to listen and care about these issues, that doesn’t work. Those who initially care get frustrated and others get bored. Any agreement made often get tossed out at the first budget crisis. The immediate crisis right now is for the DJUSD to stop stalling and rescind the reckless suspension of the three black graduating students and expunge the matter from their records. The other is that the suspension of the Black Students Union be terminated and DHS put rules in place to justify singling out that one student culture club out of the 60 student clubs for special attention. In the meantime for these reasons and any others please honor this boycott.
I support Ms. Toney’s proposal to boycott the STAR test because it is the only option to get the parents concerns respected and acted upon in the absense of funding for a lawsuit. Those with the money for a lawsuit get immediate results. So far as getting other folks to listen and care about these issues, that doesn’t work. Those who initially care get frustrated and others get bored. Any agreement made often get tossed out at the first budget crisis. The immediate crisis right now is for the DJUSD to stop stalling and rescind the reckless suspension of the three black graduating students and expunge the matter from their records. The other is that the suspension of the Black Students Union be terminated and DHS put rules in place to justify singling out that one student culture club out of the 60 student clubs for special attention. In the meantime for these reasons and any others please honor this boycott.
Correction. I checked and was informed that none of the three suspended students are graduating students for 2007 Therefore, I am making the suspension of the BSU my top priority. The ground rules for student clubs in the student handbook require little beyond submitting a constitution written by the members. I am told that there is nothing fornally written that justifies the consequences exacted on the club.
Correction. I checked and was informed that none of the three suspended students are graduating students for 2007 Therefore, I am making the suspension of the BSU my top priority. The ground rules for student clubs in the student handbook require little beyond submitting a constitution written by the members. I am told that there is nothing fornally written that justifies the consequences exacted on the club.
Correction. I checked and was informed that none of the three suspended students are graduating students for 2007 Therefore, I am making the suspension of the BSU my top priority. The ground rules for student clubs in the student handbook require little beyond submitting a constitution written by the members. I am told that there is nothing fornally written that justifies the consequences exacted on the club.
Correction. I checked and was informed that none of the three suspended students are graduating students for 2007 Therefore, I am making the suspension of the BSU my top priority. The ground rules for student clubs in the student handbook require little beyond submitting a constitution written by the members. I am told that there is nothing fornally written that justifies the consequences exacted on the club.