The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) discriminate against boys who are gay or atheist. Our school district has a non-discrimination policy. Because of the school’s “Limited Open Forum” policy, our former superintendent believed we are required to send out recruitment letters on behalf of the BSA and other nonprofit youth groups. In the past, the disclaimer (copied below) has been sent out attached to the flyer. However, it has more often than not been a problem to get the correct disclaimer sent out, to have it sent out stapled on the flyer rather than printed on the back, or to have it included at all. How would you resolve this issue?
Distribution of Information from the Boy (Cub) Scouts of America
As a service to parents, the Davis Joint Unified School District customarily allows local youth groups to use school-home communication channels. When the school district allows some non-profit youth groups this service, the district creates what the law terms a “limited open forum.” Under the first amendment rights of the constitution this means that all local, non-profit youth groups must be offered the equal opportunity to use those school-home communication channels.
The local DJUSD policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of race/ethnic group, gender, sexual orientation, mental disability, physical disability, physical condition, family structure, religion, political beliefs or age. The national policy of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) does not allow persons who express themselves as atheist or gay to participate in the BSA. In that way, the BSA’s national policy is inconsistent with the local school district’s policy. However, the First Amendment rights of the constitution supercede any local school district policy. Therefore, the school district does allow BSA (and Cub Scouts) to use the school’s home-school communication channels.
Joe Spector: “It’s my understanding that this is about rules of non-discrimination and freedom of speech. I studied this in law-school. There are groups out there that spread hate and discrimination, but we know that freedom of speech is very important. There can’t be hate speech allowed.” Joe offered some recommendations suggesting that, “we as a community need to educate ourselves and look at policies that discriminate towards some groups,” and have a clearer understanding of what we need to do.
Bob Schelen: “If you’re a good solider it doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is. If you’re a good Boy Scout it doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is.” Bob said that although this may be a management issue the correct disclaimer does need to be stapled on a flyer, so that parents see it. He further stated public schools should not allow discriminatory practices at all and that he is bothered with the policy on the national level.
Susan Lovenburg: Susan sad that it’s her understanding that federal law provides an open forum. “My understanding is that federal law, which provides additional funding to our schools, specifically protects the ability of the Boy Scouts and other groups to distribute their messages through our school to home channels. I also know that the current Board recently reviewed the distribution policy and made changes to the language of the disclaimer.” She believes that the work was appropriate and does not need to be revisited.
She further stated that it’s her understanding that a mistake was made this year in distributing flyers with the old version of the disclaimer rather than the new, stating that “mistakes happen, but we need to be sure we learn from them and don’t repeat them.”
Richard Harris: Richard believes that the school board has set a good policy and come up with a good disclaimer. He too stated that the policy on a national level is abhorrent, but made it clear that he knows people involved with the Boy Scouts at a local level who are doing a great job. He expressed hope that with the new superintendent this issue will be resolved. “We just have to put the disclaimer on and do it the right way.”
The next question pertained to the boycott of the STAR exam which took place in Spring, of 2007. The question was asked:
In Spring 2007, some parents boycotted the STAR exam in protest of suspension rates, in-house and otherwise, that are at least twice as high among Black and Latino students as they are among White and Asian students. When surveyed in 2004 and then again in 2006, a majority (50-80%) of Black and Latino students at Davis High and substantial (20-50%) proportion of White and Asian students surveyed believed that Black and Latino students were disciplined more harshly for the same behavior and had their behavior monitored more closely by school officials. 2002/2003 was first and last time in-house suspension rates were measured (at BECA’s request) for 7th through 12th graders. Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once. How did you feel about the parents’ boycott? After several years of DJUSD boards and administrations knowing about these same data, if you’re elected, how can students and parents have confidence that these data, which suggest double standards of behavior, will change for the better, and when should they expect results?
Joe Spector: Joe said that he is an educator and works “within the system.” He has spent much of his time educating students to take the exam, since it prepares them for higher education. However, he understands that, “there is a time when people with courage no longer tolerate injustice.”
He reflected on a time when he was a member of the negotiating team and there was a potential boycott of teachers. Parents felt that something had to change.
He offered two suggestions.
Joe said that a number of issues relate to problems, so when students are referred to the office to meet with the vice principal the process needs to be improved so that the results are more evenhanded. The conferences with students, parents, teachers, and administrators need to have more sensitivity. Administrators need this training.
He further added that students can be best helped by training them to discuss problems in a calm and collective way to work through the problems.
Bob Schelen: Bob said that he understood the frustration that led to the boycott. He was hesitant to support the boycott of the STAR Test, since if there are not enough students that take the test then the school doesn’t get proper funding. He said that if schools are, “not doing well it makes sense to help them do better to score higher so that schools can get more money.” He believes that the STAR Tests are culturally biased and that the key answer is that we have to treat all students equally and have those policies in place that ensure this.
Susan Lovenburg: Susan said that the school board needs to look at policies in place since many are outdated. She further added that data needs to be collected on an ongoing basis to see if the problem is still going on. She added that we need to look at suspension to see if it’s working. Is suspension working? What is the underlying cause? While she supports automatic suspension for drug and alcohol related issues, she said that when kids challenge authority and are suspended we need to look at communication and how kids get frustrated and let that dictate their behavior. Furthermore, she added that rather than a one time effort we need to look at an ongoing solutions to address this issue.
Richard Harris: “I think a boycott was a manifestation of the frustration with the administration. If I am on the board and I am setting policy, I am not going to tolerate double standards. There is no reason for it to be different.” He said that he has always been concerned about suspensions, because we’re taking kids out of the environment that is going to help them. If kids are a harm to themselves or to others that is different, but it never has made any sense to take a kid out of a learning environment.
In what ways, if any, does a racially/ethnically diverse teaching staff – because of its diversity – impact children’s educational success? Are there ways that teacher racial/ethnic diversity impacts White children as well? Not including high housing costs in Davis and the relatively poor salary and benefits package that DJUSD offers, what obstacles exist in hiring a more diverse group of teachers? What remedies do you recommend to remedy those
obstacles?
Joe Spector: Joe stated that it’s a question about modeling and mentoring. He stated that working in Davis he has noticed that male teachers are the most rare but also, the most sought out. He has talked to teachers outside of Davis who have expressed that they feel that there is little diversity in Davis, so showing them that we support them while addressing issues of high housing costs, poor salary and benefits, we can address the issue of having a more diverse teaching staff.
Bob Schelen: Bob believes that racially or ethnically diverse teaching staff will serve as role models. He further added that all students would be able to have them as role models not just minority students. He believes that a diverse teaching staff would show students that authority figures can be people of different ethnicities. He pushed for a community discussion on the issue stating that, “it is going to be a difficult discussion, but must take place in order to have a more diverse teaching staff.”
Susan Lovenburg: Most positive impact is that students have the opportunity to see teachers from diverse backgrounds as teachers. She stated that she grew up on military bases where people came in all colors and families were often multi-racial and multi-cultural. She further added that these differences were simply unremarkable within our context.
Richard Harris: Richard said that he is probably the person that grew up in the least diverse system having grown up in Sacramento. He believes that the way the district will be successful is to make sure that the teaching staff is diverse. “We have to have more parents who would be willing to come and participate. Just like a business.”
If Valley Oak closes, as a Board member, how, if at all, would you document and publicize, as a means of public accountability and the protection of vulnerable learners’ educations, the educational impact on especially English Learners because of this decision? How will you attempt to ensure that all ELs, especially those from Valley Oak, receive the level of educational services recommended in the UC Davis research report and recommendations?
Joe Spector: “The school that we know right now will close at the end of the year. I’ve been supporting it from the very beginning. I’ve been handing out Valley Oak charter information; because I think it is critical. Now is the time for sign ups.”
Joe expressed concern about the impact it will have on children, not just adults. “If we lose the school they will be separated from friends, adults they know and trust, and from their community that knows their language.”
He said that if we build trust with families and provide long-term training for teachers we can address some of the concerns.
Bob Schelen: Bob believes that the report was excellent. He stated that “we need to look at them [recommendations] and implement them sooner rather than later.” He further made it clear that he is a strong supporter of the Valley Oak charter proposal saying that as a school board member he would make sure that it happens.
Susan Lovenburg: Success for any student starts with learning core curriculum. Our classroom teachers, specialist teachers and paraeducators need the tools to evaluate achievement data and the techniques to address diverse learning needs within the classroom.
With respect to the closure of Valley Oak, we must make timely and effective program and boundary decisions, so that everyone understands the choices available to them.
Richard Harris: “The English learners will be put into situations where their needs are met. When we are presented with the charter if we are on the board then we will have a full analysis by the school district staff. The study that UC Davis did was remarkable.”
—Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald sitting in for Doug Paul Davis
1. Organizations that violate the anti-discrimination laws should not be allowed to use the Public Schools. The Boy Scouts of America discriminate. Where is the debate?
2. Star Testing discriminates against certain students. Parents have a right to protest any concern they have with government. Protest is a form of speech and should be honored. Parents who are willing to stand up publically have courage and should not be looked upon negatively. The district needs to address Star Testing Concerns.
3. The need for a diverse faculty is a no brainer. This has been an on-going concern in the DJUSD for as long as I can remember. I started teaching at Davis HS in 1970.
4. Valley Oak students will not be served better elsewhere. Their school community will vanish. Their friends will scatter. When you look at it carefully it begins to resemble a local reversal of Brown vs Topeka Board of Education, 1954. Of course to those concerned with money, the neighborhood comes last.
1. Organizations that violate the anti-discrimination laws should not be allowed to use the Public Schools. The Boy Scouts of America discriminate. Where is the debate?
2. Star Testing discriminates against certain students. Parents have a right to protest any concern they have with government. Protest is a form of speech and should be honored. Parents who are willing to stand up publically have courage and should not be looked upon negatively. The district needs to address Star Testing Concerns.
3. The need for a diverse faculty is a no brainer. This has been an on-going concern in the DJUSD for as long as I can remember. I started teaching at Davis HS in 1970.
4. Valley Oak students will not be served better elsewhere. Their school community will vanish. Their friends will scatter. When you look at it carefully it begins to resemble a local reversal of Brown vs Topeka Board of Education, 1954. Of course to those concerned with money, the neighborhood comes last.
1. Organizations that violate the anti-discrimination laws should not be allowed to use the Public Schools. The Boy Scouts of America discriminate. Where is the debate?
2. Star Testing discriminates against certain students. Parents have a right to protest any concern they have with government. Protest is a form of speech and should be honored. Parents who are willing to stand up publically have courage and should not be looked upon negatively. The district needs to address Star Testing Concerns.
3. The need for a diverse faculty is a no brainer. This has been an on-going concern in the DJUSD for as long as I can remember. I started teaching at Davis HS in 1970.
4. Valley Oak students will not be served better elsewhere. Their school community will vanish. Their friends will scatter. When you look at it carefully it begins to resemble a local reversal of Brown vs Topeka Board of Education, 1954. Of course to those concerned with money, the neighborhood comes last.
1. Organizations that violate the anti-discrimination laws should not be allowed to use the Public Schools. The Boy Scouts of America discriminate. Where is the debate?
2. Star Testing discriminates against certain students. Parents have a right to protest any concern they have with government. Protest is a form of speech and should be honored. Parents who are willing to stand up publically have courage and should not be looked upon negatively. The district needs to address Star Testing Concerns.
3. The need for a diverse faculty is a no brainer. This has been an on-going concern in the DJUSD for as long as I can remember. I started teaching at Davis HS in 1970.
4. Valley Oak students will not be served better elsewhere. Their school community will vanish. Their friends will scatter. When you look at it carefully it begins to resemble a local reversal of Brown vs Topeka Board of Education, 1954. Of course to those concerned with money, the neighborhood comes last.
Is anyone else seeing that Richard and Susan are just plain bad for our schools? Vote Joe and Bob for school board.
Is anyone else seeing that Richard and Susan are just plain bad for our schools? Vote Joe and Bob for school board.
Is anyone else seeing that Richard and Susan are just plain bad for our schools? Vote Joe and Bob for school board.
Is anyone else seeing that Richard and Susan are just plain bad for our schools? Vote Joe and Bob for school board.
Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once.
This has nothing to do with the racial background of the child and a lot to do with the family structure of the home. Children raised in chaotic households don’t know how to behave properly in school or in society. This is particularly true of boys raised in single-female-parent headed households. If you look at the proportion of dysfunctional or broken families by race in America, you will find they are much more common in black and brown homes than they are in yellow or white homes. The children of stable, intact, two-parent black and brown homes are no more likely to cause problems or ultimately go to prison than are white or yellow children who are raised in similar intact households. The differences in outcome are due to their families, not their races.
Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once.
This has nothing to do with the racial background of the child and a lot to do with the family structure of the home. Children raised in chaotic households don’t know how to behave properly in school or in society. This is particularly true of boys raised in single-female-parent headed households. If you look at the proportion of dysfunctional or broken families by race in America, you will find they are much more common in black and brown homes than they are in yellow or white homes. The children of stable, intact, two-parent black and brown homes are no more likely to cause problems or ultimately go to prison than are white or yellow children who are raised in similar intact households. The differences in outcome are due to their families, not their races.
Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once.
This has nothing to do with the racial background of the child and a lot to do with the family structure of the home. Children raised in chaotic households don’t know how to behave properly in school or in society. This is particularly true of boys raised in single-female-parent headed households. If you look at the proportion of dysfunctional or broken families by race in America, you will find they are much more common in black and brown homes than they are in yellow or white homes. The children of stable, intact, two-parent black and brown homes are no more likely to cause problems or ultimately go to prison than are white or yellow children who are raised in similar intact households. The differences in outcome are due to their families, not their races.
Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once.
This has nothing to do with the racial background of the child and a lot to do with the family structure of the home. Children raised in chaotic households don’t know how to behave properly in school or in society. This is particularly true of boys raised in single-female-parent headed households. If you look at the proportion of dysfunctional or broken families by race in America, you will find they are much more common in black and brown homes than they are in yellow or white homes. The children of stable, intact, two-parent black and brown homes are no more likely to cause problems or ultimately go to prison than are white or yellow children who are raised in similar intact households. The differences in outcome are due to their families, not their races.
Jeffrey:
Your answer is presumptuous and quite possibly racist. You are making stereotypes based on race about what their family structure is like, when there is a good amount variability in those factors.
The most telling statistic to that effect is the gap between students who are black and hispanic and thsoe who are white and asian with college educated parents. These are not children in broken homes or children living in poverty and yet even they have a gap in their performance. Why is that?
Jeffrey:
Your answer is presumptuous and quite possibly racist. You are making stereotypes based on race about what their family structure is like, when there is a good amount variability in those factors.
The most telling statistic to that effect is the gap between students who are black and hispanic and thsoe who are white and asian with college educated parents. These are not children in broken homes or children living in poverty and yet even they have a gap in their performance. Why is that?
Jeffrey:
Your answer is presumptuous and quite possibly racist. You are making stereotypes based on race about what their family structure is like, when there is a good amount variability in those factors.
The most telling statistic to that effect is the gap between students who are black and hispanic and thsoe who are white and asian with college educated parents. These are not children in broken homes or children living in poverty and yet even they have a gap in their performance. Why is that?
Jeffrey:
Your answer is presumptuous and quite possibly racist. You are making stereotypes based on race about what their family structure is like, when there is a good amount variability in those factors.
The most telling statistic to that effect is the gap between students who are black and hispanic and thsoe who are white and asian with college educated parents. These are not children in broken homes or children living in poverty and yet even they have a gap in their performance. Why is that?
I don’t understand your comment, Vincente. It makes no sense. You are blaming black and brown children for getting in trouble, when the problem as the statistics show is with their parents, not the kids. You are being racist. Please don’t be racist, Vincente. This has nothing to do with a college education. I don’t know why you brought that up. You are changing the subject. That is unfortunate.
I don’t understand your comment, Vincente. It makes no sense. You are blaming black and brown children for getting in trouble, when the problem as the statistics show is with their parents, not the kids. You are being racist. Please don’t be racist, Vincente. This has nothing to do with a college education. I don’t know why you brought that up. You are changing the subject. That is unfortunate.
I don’t understand your comment, Vincente. It makes no sense. You are blaming black and brown children for getting in trouble, when the problem as the statistics show is with their parents, not the kids. You are being racist. Please don’t be racist, Vincente. This has nothing to do with a college education. I don’t know why you brought that up. You are changing the subject. That is unfortunate.
I don’t understand your comment, Vincente. It makes no sense. You are blaming black and brown children for getting in trouble, when the problem as the statistics show is with their parents, not the kids. You are being racist. Please don’t be racist, Vincente. This has nothing to do with a college education. I don’t know why you brought that up. You are changing the subject. That is unfortunate.
The local Boy Scouts performs a favor each Fall by sending out the recruitment flyer through school channels. This prompts the Davis community to discuss the discriminatory policy of the national organization annually in the Davis community and keeps the subject alive. Until the Boy Scout national organization changes their policy, even if the disclaimer was written to everyone’s satisfaction and attached properly to the flyer, I believe that people will still find a way to create some kind of reason to have the policy discussed again.
The local Boy Scouts should just stop distributing their flyers through the schools, but then again maybe they shouldn’t.
The local Boy Scouts performs a favor each Fall by sending out the recruitment flyer through school channels. This prompts the Davis community to discuss the discriminatory policy of the national organization annually in the Davis community and keeps the subject alive. Until the Boy Scout national organization changes their policy, even if the disclaimer was written to everyone’s satisfaction and attached properly to the flyer, I believe that people will still find a way to create some kind of reason to have the policy discussed again.
The local Boy Scouts should just stop distributing their flyers through the schools, but then again maybe they shouldn’t.
The local Boy Scouts performs a favor each Fall by sending out the recruitment flyer through school channels. This prompts the Davis community to discuss the discriminatory policy of the national organization annually in the Davis community and keeps the subject alive. Until the Boy Scout national organization changes their policy, even if the disclaimer was written to everyone’s satisfaction and attached properly to the flyer, I believe that people will still find a way to create some kind of reason to have the policy discussed again.
The local Boy Scouts should just stop distributing their flyers through the schools, but then again maybe they shouldn’t.
The local Boy Scouts performs a favor each Fall by sending out the recruitment flyer through school channels. This prompts the Davis community to discuss the discriminatory policy of the national organization annually in the Davis community and keeps the subject alive. Until the Boy Scout national organization changes their policy, even if the disclaimer was written to everyone’s satisfaction and attached properly to the flyer, I believe that people will still find a way to create some kind of reason to have the policy discussed again.
The local Boy Scouts should just stop distributing their flyers through the schools, but then again maybe they shouldn’t.
[jeffrey barridon said…
Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once.
This has nothing to do with the racial background of the child and a lot to do with the family structure of the home. Children raised in chaotic households don’t know how to behave properly in school or in society. This is particularly true of boys raised in single-female-parent headed households. If you look at the proportion of dysfunctional or broken families by race in America, you will find they are much more common in black and brown homes than they are in yellow or white homes.]
Davis residents and governmental officials always have a reason for signaling out African Americans for such treatment, in-house detentions, vehicle stops, refusal to prosecute the perpetrators of violence against them for hate crimes, allowing students to be subjected to racially demeaning situations . . . Davis has a notorious historical reputation for its treatment of African Americans, and everyone around here knows it . . . except the people of Davis.
It has happened for so long that I’ve come to the conclusion that it has been conscious Davis policy to communicate to the region at large that blacks aren’t welcome here. What other explanation is there?
And, if you complain? Even otherwise liberal school board members malign educated people of color, with long histories of involvement in the community, like Bill Calhoun, Sue Chan, Pattie Fong, Jann Murray-Garcia, as belligerent malcontents, using subtle racial stereotypes to discredit them.
And, apparently, if the Buzayan case is any indication, the Puntillos, the Souzas, the Asmundsons of the Davis world want to extend to practice to discourage Muslims as well.
–Richard Estes
[jeffrey barridon said…
Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once.
This has nothing to do with the racial background of the child and a lot to do with the family structure of the home. Children raised in chaotic households don’t know how to behave properly in school or in society. This is particularly true of boys raised in single-female-parent headed households. If you look at the proportion of dysfunctional or broken families by race in America, you will find they are much more common in black and brown homes than they are in yellow or white homes.]
Davis residents and governmental officials always have a reason for signaling out African Americans for such treatment, in-house detentions, vehicle stops, refusal to prosecute the perpetrators of violence against them for hate crimes, allowing students to be subjected to racially demeaning situations . . . Davis has a notorious historical reputation for its treatment of African Americans, and everyone around here knows it . . . except the people of Davis.
It has happened for so long that I’ve come to the conclusion that it has been conscious Davis policy to communicate to the region at large that blacks aren’t welcome here. What other explanation is there?
And, if you complain? Even otherwise liberal school board members malign educated people of color, with long histories of involvement in the community, like Bill Calhoun, Sue Chan, Pattie Fong, Jann Murray-Garcia, as belligerent malcontents, using subtle racial stereotypes to discredit them.
And, apparently, if the Buzayan case is any indication, the Puntillos, the Souzas, the Asmundsons of the Davis world want to extend to practice to discourage Muslims as well.
–Richard Estes
[jeffrey barridon said…
Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once.
This has nothing to do with the racial background of the child and a lot to do with the family structure of the home. Children raised in chaotic households don’t know how to behave properly in school or in society. This is particularly true of boys raised in single-female-parent headed households. If you look at the proportion of dysfunctional or broken families by race in America, you will find they are much more common in black and brown homes than they are in yellow or white homes.]
Davis residents and governmental officials always have a reason for signaling out African Americans for such treatment, in-house detentions, vehicle stops, refusal to prosecute the perpetrators of violence against them for hate crimes, allowing students to be subjected to racially demeaning situations . . . Davis has a notorious historical reputation for its treatment of African Americans, and everyone around here knows it . . . except the people of Davis.
It has happened for so long that I’ve come to the conclusion that it has been conscious Davis policy to communicate to the region at large that blacks aren’t welcome here. What other explanation is there?
And, if you complain? Even otherwise liberal school board members malign educated people of color, with long histories of involvement in the community, like Bill Calhoun, Sue Chan, Pattie Fong, Jann Murray-Garcia, as belligerent malcontents, using subtle racial stereotypes to discredit them.
And, apparently, if the Buzayan case is any indication, the Puntillos, the Souzas, the Asmundsons of the Davis world want to extend to practice to discourage Muslims as well.
–Richard Estes
[jeffrey barridon said…
Unduplicated rates showed that 4.7% of White students, 19.2% of Black students, 14.9% of Latino students, 2.1% of Asian students, and 3.4% of Native American students were sent to in-house suspension at least once.
This has nothing to do with the racial background of the child and a lot to do with the family structure of the home. Children raised in chaotic households don’t know how to behave properly in school or in society. This is particularly true of boys raised in single-female-parent headed households. If you look at the proportion of dysfunctional or broken families by race in America, you will find they are much more common in black and brown homes than they are in yellow or white homes.]
Davis residents and governmental officials always have a reason for signaling out African Americans for such treatment, in-house detentions, vehicle stops, refusal to prosecute the perpetrators of violence against them for hate crimes, allowing students to be subjected to racially demeaning situations . . . Davis has a notorious historical reputation for its treatment of African Americans, and everyone around here knows it . . . except the people of Davis.
It has happened for so long that I’ve come to the conclusion that it has been conscious Davis policy to communicate to the region at large that blacks aren’t welcome here. What other explanation is there?
And, if you complain? Even otherwise liberal school board members malign educated people of color, with long histories of involvement in the community, like Bill Calhoun, Sue Chan, Pattie Fong, Jann Murray-Garcia, as belligerent malcontents, using subtle racial stereotypes to discredit them.
And, apparently, if the Buzayan case is any indication, the Puntillos, the Souzas, the Asmundsons of the Davis world want to extend to practice to discourage Muslims as well.
–Richard Estes
Suspension is supposed to be used very sparingly and only after all other avenues of correction have been exhausted. However, DJUSD has little to offer in the way of services to under-achievers or troubled kids. It is easier and cheaper to suspend or expel a child than to actually take the time to help them succeed.
I actually liked Susan’s response: “Is suspension working?”
I would take that further – What is suspension accomplishing? Is it helping students achieve or is it a precursor to getting them out of the school?
Suspension is supposed to be used very sparingly and only after all other avenues of correction have been exhausted. However, DJUSD has little to offer in the way of services to under-achievers or troubled kids. It is easier and cheaper to suspend or expel a child than to actually take the time to help them succeed.
I actually liked Susan’s response: “Is suspension working?”
I would take that further – What is suspension accomplishing? Is it helping students achieve or is it a precursor to getting them out of the school?
Suspension is supposed to be used very sparingly and only after all other avenues of correction have been exhausted. However, DJUSD has little to offer in the way of services to under-achievers or troubled kids. It is easier and cheaper to suspend or expel a child than to actually take the time to help them succeed.
I actually liked Susan’s response: “Is suspension working?”
I would take that further – What is suspension accomplishing? Is it helping students achieve or is it a precursor to getting them out of the school?
Suspension is supposed to be used very sparingly and only after all other avenues of correction have been exhausted. However, DJUSD has little to offer in the way of services to under-achievers or troubled kids. It is easier and cheaper to suspend or expel a child than to actually take the time to help them succeed.
I actually liked Susan’s response: “Is suspension working?”
I would take that further – What is suspension accomplishing? Is it helping students achieve or is it a precursor to getting them out of the school?
“These are not children in broken homes or children living in poverty and yet even they have a gap in their performance. Why is that?”
Cultural and institutional racism leave indelible “scars” even on those(and their children) now wearing three-piece suits and driving a Lexus.On a historic cultural scale, it was only the day before yesterday that it was OK to own, dispossess or violently oppress anyone who was not White. For some, being allowed only to get one foot through the door is potentially more enervating than in the past when the door was simply closed and “dreams” were focused outside of the rejecting dominant culture.
“These are not children in broken homes or children living in poverty and yet even they have a gap in their performance. Why is that?”
Cultural and institutional racism leave indelible “scars” even on those(and their children) now wearing three-piece suits and driving a Lexus.On a historic cultural scale, it was only the day before yesterday that it was OK to own, dispossess or violently oppress anyone who was not White. For some, being allowed only to get one foot through the door is potentially more enervating than in the past when the door was simply closed and “dreams” were focused outside of the rejecting dominant culture.
“These are not children in broken homes or children living in poverty and yet even they have a gap in their performance. Why is that?”
Cultural and institutional racism leave indelible “scars” even on those(and their children) now wearing three-piece suits and driving a Lexus.On a historic cultural scale, it was only the day before yesterday that it was OK to own, dispossess or violently oppress anyone who was not White. For some, being allowed only to get one foot through the door is potentially more enervating than in the past when the door was simply closed and “dreams” were focused outside of the rejecting dominant culture.
“These are not children in broken homes or children living in poverty and yet even they have a gap in their performance. Why is that?”
Cultural and institutional racism leave indelible “scars” even on those(and their children) now wearing three-piece suits and driving a Lexus.On a historic cultural scale, it was only the day before yesterday that it was OK to own, dispossess or violently oppress anyone who was not White. For some, being allowed only to get one foot through the door is potentially more enervating than in the past when the door was simply closed and “dreams” were focused outside of the rejecting dominant culture.
Yeah Jeffrey you don’t understand my comment. That is clear. We have an achievement gap between blacks/ hispanics and whites/ asians.
Following me.
Now if we control for parents education and look at only students whose parents have a college education, that gap holds.
So in other words, we are not looking at kids that are from troubled backgrounds.
Are you following this much?
Yeah Jeffrey you don’t understand my comment. That is clear. We have an achievement gap between blacks/ hispanics and whites/ asians.
Following me.
Now if we control for parents education and look at only students whose parents have a college education, that gap holds.
So in other words, we are not looking at kids that are from troubled backgrounds.
Are you following this much?
Yeah Jeffrey you don’t understand my comment. That is clear. We have an achievement gap between blacks/ hispanics and whites/ asians.
Following me.
Now if we control for parents education and look at only students whose parents have a college education, that gap holds.
So in other words, we are not looking at kids that are from troubled backgrounds.
Are you following this much?
Yeah Jeffrey you don’t understand my comment. That is clear. We have an achievement gap between blacks/ hispanics and whites/ asians.
Following me.
Now if we control for parents education and look at only students whose parents have a college education, that gap holds.
So in other words, we are not looking at kids that are from troubled backgrounds.
Are you following this much?
The warped and tortured reality of Supreme Court Justice Thomas is a good example of anonymous 11:02’s observations. He states, in his recent book, that his Yale Law diploma is essentially worthless(I believe that he gave its value as 10 cents).
The warped and tortured reality of Supreme Court Justice Thomas is a good example of anonymous 11:02’s observations. He states, in his recent book, that his Yale Law diploma is essentially worthless(I believe that he gave its value as 10 cents).
The warped and tortured reality of Supreme Court Justice Thomas is a good example of anonymous 11:02’s observations. He states, in his recent book, that his Yale Law diploma is essentially worthless(I believe that he gave its value as 10 cents).
The warped and tortured reality of Supreme Court Justice Thomas is a good example of anonymous 11:02’s observations. He states, in his recent book, that his Yale Law diploma is essentially worthless(I believe that he gave its value as 10 cents).
For heaven’s sake, get a grip! Use some common sense here –
1. If ethnic minorities are achieving lower scores on the STAR testing, then the schools need to give those students extra help, so they can achieve success. Do whatever it takes to help any student being left behind to catch up. I know – as a teacher and junior college instructor I’ve worked with kids who supposedly were too “slow” to succeed according to their teachers and the administrators. It is fundamentally not true that “slow” students cannot learn. Given the appropriate tools, just about every child can achieve a basic education – and I proved it. As a brand new 8th grade math teacher, I was given the slower students. When it came time for them to be tested for the ability to go on in Algebra in high school, I was given only enough tests for my top 25 students to take. That left the other 100 out in the cold. I vigorously fought back. In the end, 84 of my students were allowed to take the test. 82 passed!!! My students scored far better than those with teachers given the supposedly brighter students. The other math teachers were infuriated with me – and tried to keep me from learning just how well my students did. So don’t tell me there are many students who cannot learn – it just isn’t so. Take a lesson from Woodland schools, and their new Homework Hotline project!!! Get cracking on some innovative programs so parents don’t feel the need to have their children boycott STAR testing.
2. Who cares what the diversity of the faculty is? I want the very best teachers for my students, no matter what the teacher’s race or ethnicity is. And I expect the teachers to make every effort to teach all children of any ethnicity, no matter what it takes. I don’t want teachers getting their position because they are the right “flavor of the month” – which produces mediocrity. I want my teachers to be the very best for all my students. And I don’t mind plucking teachers from the business world, and hang the dratted credentialing requirement. (Other school systems throughout the country are beginning to rethink this issue, and turning to the business world for teaching expertise.) We need better teachers, who are going to go back to the drawing board and teach the basics – reading, writing, arithmetic. You would be amazed at how many students don’t know their multiplication tables by the time they reach eighth grade. Many are struggling with the English language. Then by golly hire the best teachers possible, start with a can-do attitude, and catch those kids up who have fallen behind.
3. Valley Oak should never close. I applaud the parents for fighting back, and trying to override the lousy decision to close Valley Oak. Kids need their own neighborhood school. Good grief, how much sense does it make to close Valley Oak, as we build a new elementary school in South Davis for 4.5 million dollars??? The School Board needs to clean up its act, get it together, and start being more fiscally responsible. Valley Oak had a successful ELS program for those struggling with the English Language, but instead of supporting it, the School Board gave an entire school the heave- ho. That tells me that the School Board is not interested in the students, but favors other things (e.g. high administrative salaries).
4. Let me tell you a story. As an eighth grade teacher, struggling to find a way to get my kids to learn, I was faced with a strange situation one day. I taught in a school just outside the city of Baltimore, where kids’ parents worked in a shoe factory, on a military base, or for the local gov’t. Quite a diverse group. As I came up to my portable classroom from lunch that afternoon, which housed 42 kids at a time, I saw one of my African-American students (female) standing on the portable porch, trading racial slurs with a white student (male) standing beligerently below her. I don’t know who started the fight, nor did I care. The rest of the students were standing in a circle, watching fascinated as the two went at it with vigor. I have never been so angry in my life. I strode into the fray infuriated, told everyone to get inside, and stood with arms folded as all my class filed in sheepfaced. I waited until everyone was seated, glaring at everyone in the class. Through clenched teeth I snarled, “I don’t care what color anyone here is, black, white, purple, pink or green!!! We are all in here to do one thing – learn!!! I don’t want to ever see any of you engage in behavior like that again!!! Do you understand me???” You could have heard a pin drop in that room. I never had another racial incident in or around my class again. My students knew I cared about all of them – and whether they learned what I taught them – including good moral values. No one was suspended for hate speech – yet I was able to make sure nothing like that ever happened again on my watch. I was only five feet tall, and age 25 (and was often so young looking I was mistaken for one of the students). The African-American female who spewed racial slurs was about five feet eight, and must have weighed a good 185 lbs. The boy engaged in the fracas was a little taller, and probably weighed about 125 lbs. The African-American girl could have sat on that kid if she wanted to, and squashed him like a bug. The two were chronic truants – who liked nothing better than to come to school and stir up trouble. Why? Neither of them were good learners. In fact, looking back, I suspect they both had learning disabilities that were never addressed. Rounding up truants and forcing them into school is a disastrous policy. Putting programs into place that will help them overcome their learning problems is the much better approach – but is harder to implement than only thinking about the monetary loss to the school if such students are not present in the classroom.
I’ll get off my soapbox now!!! Sorry I am so passionate – but something better needs to begin happening for our students. I have had three of my children go through DHS, one with dyslexia that was essentially swept aside. My kids were bullied frequently, suspended for fighting back no questions asked. I was so thankful when they were graduated and out of there. I had to do a good deal of home schooling to keep them up to speed. Do you know I had to teach them how to write a business letter, because they never learned at DHS? Two have graduated from UCD, one with highest honors. My third is in the last year, planning to go to graduate school. The one who has dyslexia got the help needed at the college level, thank goodness. He graduated w a degree in Mathematics from UCD!!! Don’t ever tell me a student can’t learn – I will not accept it!!!
For heaven’s sake, get a grip! Use some common sense here –
1. If ethnic minorities are achieving lower scores on the STAR testing, then the schools need to give those students extra help, so they can achieve success. Do whatever it takes to help any student being left behind to catch up. I know – as a teacher and junior college instructor I’ve worked with kids who supposedly were too “slow” to succeed according to their teachers and the administrators. It is fundamentally not true that “slow” students cannot learn. Given the appropriate tools, just about every child can achieve a basic education – and I proved it. As a brand new 8th grade math teacher, I was given the slower students. When it came time for them to be tested for the ability to go on in Algebra in high school, I was given only enough tests for my top 25 students to take. That left the other 100 out in the cold. I vigorously fought back. In the end, 84 of my students were allowed to take the test. 82 passed!!! My students scored far better than those with teachers given the supposedly brighter students. The other math teachers were infuriated with me – and tried to keep me from learning just how well my students did. So don’t tell me there are many students who cannot learn – it just isn’t so. Take a lesson from Woodland schools, and their new Homework Hotline project!!! Get cracking on some innovative programs so parents don’t feel the need to have their children boycott STAR testing.
2. Who cares what the diversity of the faculty is? I want the very best teachers for my students, no matter what the teacher’s race or ethnicity is. And I expect the teachers to make every effort to teach all children of any ethnicity, no matter what it takes. I don’t want teachers getting their position because they are the right “flavor of the month” – which produces mediocrity. I want my teachers to be the very best for all my students. And I don’t mind plucking teachers from the business world, and hang the dratted credentialing requirement. (Other school systems throughout the country are beginning to rethink this issue, and turning to the business world for teaching expertise.) We need better teachers, who are going to go back to the drawing board and teach the basics – reading, writing, arithmetic. You would be amazed at how many students don’t know their multiplication tables by the time they reach eighth grade. Many are struggling with the English language. Then by golly hire the best teachers possible, start with a can-do attitude, and catch those kids up who have fallen behind.
3. Valley Oak should never close. I applaud the parents for fighting back, and trying to override the lousy decision to close Valley Oak. Kids need their own neighborhood school. Good grief, how much sense does it make to close Valley Oak, as we build a new elementary school in South Davis for 4.5 million dollars??? The School Board needs to clean up its act, get it together, and start being more fiscally responsible. Valley Oak had a successful ELS program for those struggling with the English Language, but instead of supporting it, the School Board gave an entire school the heave- ho. That tells me that the School Board is not interested in the students, but favors other things (e.g. high administrative salaries).
4. Let me tell you a story. As an eighth grade teacher, struggling to find a way to get my kids to learn, I was faced with a strange situation one day. I taught in a school just outside the city of Baltimore, where kids’ parents worked in a shoe factory, on a military base, or for the local gov’t. Quite a diverse group. As I came up to my portable classroom from lunch that afternoon, which housed 42 kids at a time, I saw one of my African-American students (female) standing on the portable porch, trading racial slurs with a white student (male) standing beligerently below her. I don’t know who started the fight, nor did I care. The rest of the students were standing in a circle, watching fascinated as the two went at it with vigor. I have never been so angry in my life. I strode into the fray infuriated, told everyone to get inside, and stood with arms folded as all my class filed in sheepfaced. I waited until everyone was seated, glaring at everyone in the class. Through clenched teeth I snarled, “I don’t care what color anyone here is, black, white, purple, pink or green!!! We are all in here to do one thing – learn!!! I don’t want to ever see any of you engage in behavior like that again!!! Do you understand me???” You could have heard a pin drop in that room. I never had another racial incident in or around my class again. My students knew I cared about all of them – and whether they learned what I taught them – including good moral values. No one was suspended for hate speech – yet I was able to make sure nothing like that ever happened again on my watch. I was only five feet tall, and age 25 (and was often so young looking I was mistaken for one of the students). The African-American female who spewed racial slurs was about five feet eight, and must have weighed a good 185 lbs. The boy engaged in the fracas was a little taller, and probably weighed about 125 lbs. The African-American girl could have sat on that kid if she wanted to, and squashed him like a bug. The two were chronic truants – who liked nothing better than to come to school and stir up trouble. Why? Neither of them were good learners. In fact, looking back, I suspect they both had learning disabilities that were never addressed. Rounding up truants and forcing them into school is a disastrous policy. Putting programs into place that will help them overcome their learning problems is the much better approach – but is harder to implement than only thinking about the monetary loss to the school if such students are not present in the classroom.
I’ll get off my soapbox now!!! Sorry I am so passionate – but something better needs to begin happening for our students. I have had three of my children go through DHS, one with dyslexia that was essentially swept aside. My kids were bullied frequently, suspended for fighting back no questions asked. I was so thankful when they were graduated and out of there. I had to do a good deal of home schooling to keep them up to speed. Do you know I had to teach them how to write a business letter, because they never learned at DHS? Two have graduated from UCD, one with highest honors. My third is in the last year, planning to go to graduate school. The one who has dyslexia got the help needed at the college level, thank goodness. He graduated w a degree in Mathematics from UCD!!! Don’t ever tell me a student can’t learn – I will not accept it!!!
For heaven’s sake, get a grip! Use some common sense here –
1. If ethnic minorities are achieving lower scores on the STAR testing, then the schools need to give those students extra help, so they can achieve success. Do whatever it takes to help any student being left behind to catch up. I know – as a teacher and junior college instructor I’ve worked with kids who supposedly were too “slow” to succeed according to their teachers and the administrators. It is fundamentally not true that “slow” students cannot learn. Given the appropriate tools, just about every child can achieve a basic education – and I proved it. As a brand new 8th grade math teacher, I was given the slower students. When it came time for them to be tested for the ability to go on in Algebra in high school, I was given only enough tests for my top 25 students to take. That left the other 100 out in the cold. I vigorously fought back. In the end, 84 of my students were allowed to take the test. 82 passed!!! My students scored far better than those with teachers given the supposedly brighter students. The other math teachers were infuriated with me – and tried to keep me from learning just how well my students did. So don’t tell me there are many students who cannot learn – it just isn’t so. Take a lesson from Woodland schools, and their new Homework Hotline project!!! Get cracking on some innovative programs so parents don’t feel the need to have their children boycott STAR testing.
2. Who cares what the diversity of the faculty is? I want the very best teachers for my students, no matter what the teacher’s race or ethnicity is. And I expect the teachers to make every effort to teach all children of any ethnicity, no matter what it takes. I don’t want teachers getting their position because they are the right “flavor of the month” – which produces mediocrity. I want my teachers to be the very best for all my students. And I don’t mind plucking teachers from the business world, and hang the dratted credentialing requirement. (Other school systems throughout the country are beginning to rethink this issue, and turning to the business world for teaching expertise.) We need better teachers, who are going to go back to the drawing board and teach the basics – reading, writing, arithmetic. You would be amazed at how many students don’t know their multiplication tables by the time they reach eighth grade. Many are struggling with the English language. Then by golly hire the best teachers possible, start with a can-do attitude, and catch those kids up who have fallen behind.
3. Valley Oak should never close. I applaud the parents for fighting back, and trying to override the lousy decision to close Valley Oak. Kids need their own neighborhood school. Good grief, how much sense does it make to close Valley Oak, as we build a new elementary school in South Davis for 4.5 million dollars??? The School Board needs to clean up its act, get it together, and start being more fiscally responsible. Valley Oak had a successful ELS program for those struggling with the English Language, but instead of supporting it, the School Board gave an entire school the heave- ho. That tells me that the School Board is not interested in the students, but favors other things (e.g. high administrative salaries).
4. Let me tell you a story. As an eighth grade teacher, struggling to find a way to get my kids to learn, I was faced with a strange situation one day. I taught in a school just outside the city of Baltimore, where kids’ parents worked in a shoe factory, on a military base, or for the local gov’t. Quite a diverse group. As I came up to my portable classroom from lunch that afternoon, which housed 42 kids at a time, I saw one of my African-American students (female) standing on the portable porch, trading racial slurs with a white student (male) standing beligerently below her. I don’t know who started the fight, nor did I care. The rest of the students were standing in a circle, watching fascinated as the two went at it with vigor. I have never been so angry in my life. I strode into the fray infuriated, told everyone to get inside, and stood with arms folded as all my class filed in sheepfaced. I waited until everyone was seated, glaring at everyone in the class. Through clenched teeth I snarled, “I don’t care what color anyone here is, black, white, purple, pink or green!!! We are all in here to do one thing – learn!!! I don’t want to ever see any of you engage in behavior like that again!!! Do you understand me???” You could have heard a pin drop in that room. I never had another racial incident in or around my class again. My students knew I cared about all of them – and whether they learned what I taught them – including good moral values. No one was suspended for hate speech – yet I was able to make sure nothing like that ever happened again on my watch. I was only five feet tall, and age 25 (and was often so young looking I was mistaken for one of the students). The African-American female who spewed racial slurs was about five feet eight, and must have weighed a good 185 lbs. The boy engaged in the fracas was a little taller, and probably weighed about 125 lbs. The African-American girl could have sat on that kid if she wanted to, and squashed him like a bug. The two were chronic truants – who liked nothing better than to come to school and stir up trouble. Why? Neither of them were good learners. In fact, looking back, I suspect they both had learning disabilities that were never addressed. Rounding up truants and forcing them into school is a disastrous policy. Putting programs into place that will help them overcome their learning problems is the much better approach – but is harder to implement than only thinking about the monetary loss to the school if such students are not present in the classroom.
I’ll get off my soapbox now!!! Sorry I am so passionate – but something better needs to begin happening for our students. I have had three of my children go through DHS, one with dyslexia that was essentially swept aside. My kids were bullied frequently, suspended for fighting back no questions asked. I was so thankful when they were graduated and out of there. I had to do a good deal of home schooling to keep them up to speed. Do you know I had to teach them how to write a business letter, because they never learned at DHS? Two have graduated from UCD, one with highest honors. My third is in the last year, planning to go to graduate school. The one who has dyslexia got the help needed at the college level, thank goodness. He graduated w a degree in Mathematics from UCD!!! Don’t ever tell me a student can’t learn – I will not accept it!!!
For heaven’s sake, get a grip! Use some common sense here –
1. If ethnic minorities are achieving lower scores on the STAR testing, then the schools need to give those students extra help, so they can achieve success. Do whatever it takes to help any student being left behind to catch up. I know – as a teacher and junior college instructor I’ve worked with kids who supposedly were too “slow” to succeed according to their teachers and the administrators. It is fundamentally not true that “slow” students cannot learn. Given the appropriate tools, just about every child can achieve a basic education – and I proved it. As a brand new 8th grade math teacher, I was given the slower students. When it came time for them to be tested for the ability to go on in Algebra in high school, I was given only enough tests for my top 25 students to take. That left the other 100 out in the cold. I vigorously fought back. In the end, 84 of my students were allowed to take the test. 82 passed!!! My students scored far better than those with teachers given the supposedly brighter students. The other math teachers were infuriated with me – and tried to keep me from learning just how well my students did. So don’t tell me there are many students who cannot learn – it just isn’t so. Take a lesson from Woodland schools, and their new Homework Hotline project!!! Get cracking on some innovative programs so parents don’t feel the need to have their children boycott STAR testing.
2. Who cares what the diversity of the faculty is? I want the very best teachers for my students, no matter what the teacher’s race or ethnicity is. And I expect the teachers to make every effort to teach all children of any ethnicity, no matter what it takes. I don’t want teachers getting their position because they are the right “flavor of the month” – which produces mediocrity. I want my teachers to be the very best for all my students. And I don’t mind plucking teachers from the business world, and hang the dratted credentialing requirement. (Other school systems throughout the country are beginning to rethink this issue, and turning to the business world for teaching expertise.) We need better teachers, who are going to go back to the drawing board and teach the basics – reading, writing, arithmetic. You would be amazed at how many students don’t know their multiplication tables by the time they reach eighth grade. Many are struggling with the English language. Then by golly hire the best teachers possible, start with a can-do attitude, and catch those kids up who have fallen behind.
3. Valley Oak should never close. I applaud the parents for fighting back, and trying to override the lousy decision to close Valley Oak. Kids need their own neighborhood school. Good grief, how much sense does it make to close Valley Oak, as we build a new elementary school in South Davis for 4.5 million dollars??? The School Board needs to clean up its act, get it together, and start being more fiscally responsible. Valley Oak had a successful ELS program for those struggling with the English Language, but instead of supporting it, the School Board gave an entire school the heave- ho. That tells me that the School Board is not interested in the students, but favors other things (e.g. high administrative salaries).
4. Let me tell you a story. As an eighth grade teacher, struggling to find a way to get my kids to learn, I was faced with a strange situation one day. I taught in a school just outside the city of Baltimore, where kids’ parents worked in a shoe factory, on a military base, or for the local gov’t. Quite a diverse group. As I came up to my portable classroom from lunch that afternoon, which housed 42 kids at a time, I saw one of my African-American students (female) standing on the portable porch, trading racial slurs with a white student (male) standing beligerently below her. I don’t know who started the fight, nor did I care. The rest of the students were standing in a circle, watching fascinated as the two went at it with vigor. I have never been so angry in my life. I strode into the fray infuriated, told everyone to get inside, and stood with arms folded as all my class filed in sheepfaced. I waited until everyone was seated, glaring at everyone in the class. Through clenched teeth I snarled, “I don’t care what color anyone here is, black, white, purple, pink or green!!! We are all in here to do one thing – learn!!! I don’t want to ever see any of you engage in behavior like that again!!! Do you understand me???” You could have heard a pin drop in that room. I never had another racial incident in or around my class again. My students knew I cared about all of them – and whether they learned what I taught them – including good moral values. No one was suspended for hate speech – yet I was able to make sure nothing like that ever happened again on my watch. I was only five feet tall, and age 25 (and was often so young looking I was mistaken for one of the students). The African-American female who spewed racial slurs was about five feet eight, and must have weighed a good 185 lbs. The boy engaged in the fracas was a little taller, and probably weighed about 125 lbs. The African-American girl could have sat on that kid if she wanted to, and squashed him like a bug. The two were chronic truants – who liked nothing better than to come to school and stir up trouble. Why? Neither of them were good learners. In fact, looking back, I suspect they both had learning disabilities that were never addressed. Rounding up truants and forcing them into school is a disastrous policy. Putting programs into place that will help them overcome their learning problems is the much better approach – but is harder to implement than only thinking about the monetary loss to the school if such students are not present in the classroom.
I’ll get off my soapbox now!!! Sorry I am so passionate – but something better needs to begin happening for our students. I have had three of my children go through DHS, one with dyslexia that was essentially swept aside. My kids were bullied frequently, suspended for fighting back no questions asked. I was so thankful when they were graduated and out of there. I had to do a good deal of home schooling to keep them up to speed. Do you know I had to teach them how to write a business letter, because they never learned at DHS? Two have graduated from UCD, one with highest honors. My third is in the last year, planning to go to graduate school. The one who has dyslexia got the help needed at the college level, thank goodness. He graduated w a degree in Mathematics from UCD!!! Don’t ever tell me a student can’t learn – I will not accept it!!!
“Who cares what the diversity of the faculty is?”
I’ll tell you who cares, people who believe diversity is important. Students who are not white.
“Who cares what the diversity of the faculty is?”
I’ll tell you who cares, people who believe diversity is important. Students who are not white.
“Who cares what the diversity of the faculty is?”
I’ll tell you who cares, people who believe diversity is important. Students who are not white.
“Who cares what the diversity of the faculty is?”
I’ll tell you who cares, people who believe diversity is important. Students who are not white.
former teacher:
Bravo. Read through your whole post and loved every word. Keep up the good work!
vincente:
I can’t agree with you at all here. I’m a minority (asian-american), was heavily discriminated against as a child, and still don’t see diversity as essential in the classroom. Get the best teachers in there that you can. Intellectually and morally.
It’s a hell of a lot more important to have good teachers and role models than to have a United Nations of teachers representing different ethnicities.
former teacher:
Bravo. Read through your whole post and loved every word. Keep up the good work!
vincente:
I can’t agree with you at all here. I’m a minority (asian-american), was heavily discriminated against as a child, and still don’t see diversity as essential in the classroom. Get the best teachers in there that you can. Intellectually and morally.
It’s a hell of a lot more important to have good teachers and role models than to have a United Nations of teachers representing different ethnicities.
former teacher:
Bravo. Read through your whole post and loved every word. Keep up the good work!
vincente:
I can’t agree with you at all here. I’m a minority (asian-american), was heavily discriminated against as a child, and still don’t see diversity as essential in the classroom. Get the best teachers in there that you can. Intellectually and morally.
It’s a hell of a lot more important to have good teachers and role models than to have a United Nations of teachers representing different ethnicities.
former teacher:
Bravo. Read through your whole post and loved every word. Keep up the good work!
vincente:
I can’t agree with you at all here. I’m a minority (asian-american), was heavily discriminated against as a child, and still don’t see diversity as essential in the classroom. Get the best teachers in there that you can. Intellectually and morally.
It’s a hell of a lot more important to have good teachers and role models than to have a United Nations of teachers representing different ethnicities.
I should clarify that last part a little bit. What we need are teachers who actively encourage “diversity” and support children learning to respect each other and ignore things like the color of someone’s skin. “Former Teacher”, above, does exactly that. And it doesn’t matter at all what ethnicity he or she is.
Making quotas and enforcing “equal representation” of races in a faculty rather than trying to find teachers like this is stupid. If anything, we’re saying that people ARE different and that peoples’ races ARE important.
I should clarify that last part a little bit. What we need are teachers who actively encourage “diversity” and support children learning to respect each other and ignore things like the color of someone’s skin. “Former Teacher”, above, does exactly that. And it doesn’t matter at all what ethnicity he or she is.
Making quotas and enforcing “equal representation” of races in a faculty rather than trying to find teachers like this is stupid. If anything, we’re saying that people ARE different and that peoples’ races ARE important.
I should clarify that last part a little bit. What we need are teachers who actively encourage “diversity” and support children learning to respect each other and ignore things like the color of someone’s skin. “Former Teacher”, above, does exactly that. And it doesn’t matter at all what ethnicity he or she is.
Making quotas and enforcing “equal representation” of races in a faculty rather than trying to find teachers like this is stupid. If anything, we’re saying that people ARE different and that peoples’ races ARE important.
I should clarify that last part a little bit. What we need are teachers who actively encourage “diversity” and support children learning to respect each other and ignore things like the color of someone’s skin. “Former Teacher”, above, does exactly that. And it doesn’t matter at all what ethnicity he or she is.
Making quotas and enforcing “equal representation” of races in a faculty rather than trying to find teachers like this is stupid. If anything, we’re saying that people ARE different and that peoples’ races ARE important.
“Making quotas and enforcing “equal representation” of races in a faculty rather than trying to find teachers like this is stupid.’
It’s illegal anyway. I’m not sure what the candidates could have said other than generalities. A diverse teaching staff is a nice goal, but there’s no practical way to go about achieving it.
“Making quotas and enforcing “equal representation” of races in a faculty rather than trying to find teachers like this is stupid.’
It’s illegal anyway. I’m not sure what the candidates could have said other than generalities. A diverse teaching staff is a nice goal, but there’s no practical way to go about achieving it.
“Making quotas and enforcing “equal representation” of races in a faculty rather than trying to find teachers like this is stupid.’
It’s illegal anyway. I’m not sure what the candidates could have said other than generalities. A diverse teaching staff is a nice goal, but there’s no practical way to go about achieving it.
“Making quotas and enforcing “equal representation” of races in a faculty rather than trying to find teachers like this is stupid.’
It’s illegal anyway. I’m not sure what the candidates could have said other than generalities. A diverse teaching staff is a nice goal, but there’s no practical way to go about achieving it.
“I’ll tell you who cares, people who believe diversity is important. Students who are not white.”
It’s good to know that Vincente is an expert in all things and now thinks he can speak for all people who are not white. ¡Qué arrogante, cabrón!
I’m not saying to make quotas. What I am saying is hire some minorities–no specification as to numbers, but what is wrong with having that as a goal?
“I’ll tell you who cares, people who believe diversity is important. Students who are not white.”
It’s good to know that Vincente is an expert in all things and now thinks he can speak for all people who are not white. ¡Qué arrogante, cabrón!
I’m not saying to make quotas. What I am saying is hire some minorities–no specification as to numbers, but what is wrong with having that as a goal?
“I’ll tell you who cares, people who believe diversity is important. Students who are not white.”
It’s good to know that Vincente is an expert in all things and now thinks he can speak for all people who are not white. ¡Qué arrogante, cabrón!
I’m not saying to make quotas. What I am saying is hire some minorities–no specification as to numbers, but what is wrong with having that as a goal?
“I’ll tell you who cares, people who believe diversity is important. Students who are not white.”
It’s good to know that Vincente is an expert in all things and now thinks he can speak for all people who are not white. ¡Qué arrogante, cabrón!
I’m not saying to make quotas. What I am saying is hire some minorities–no specification as to numbers, but what is wrong with having that as a goal?
In the absence of preferential hiring, how would you achieve that goal?
In the absence of preferential hiring, how would you achieve that goal?
In the absence of preferential hiring, how would you achieve that goal?
In the absence of preferential hiring, how would you achieve that goal?
“It’s good to know that Vincente is an expert in all things and now thinks he can speak for all people who are not white. ¡Qué arrogante, cabrón!”
Slow down pony a little bit. I’m not speaking for all people who are not white. I am observing that there are a sizable number of non-white people who have for as long as I have been paying attention complained about this.
“It’s good to know that Vincente is an expert in all things and now thinks he can speak for all people who are not white. ¡Qué arrogante, cabrón!”
Slow down pony a little bit. I’m not speaking for all people who are not white. I am observing that there are a sizable number of non-white people who have for as long as I have been paying attention complained about this.
“It’s good to know that Vincente is an expert in all things and now thinks he can speak for all people who are not white. ¡Qué arrogante, cabrón!”
Slow down pony a little bit. I’m not speaking for all people who are not white. I am observing that there are a sizable number of non-white people who have for as long as I have been paying attention complained about this.
“It’s good to know that Vincente is an expert in all things and now thinks he can speak for all people who are not white. ¡Qué arrogante, cabrón!”
Slow down pony a little bit. I’m not speaking for all people who are not white. I am observing that there are a sizable number of non-white people who have for as long as I have been paying attention complained about this.
“In the absence of preferential hiring, how would you achieve that goal?”
The district has tried to achieve that goal by recruiting in places that they deem it likely that minority teachers will be. That has not produced minority hires, but that is a good start.
I’d also look into resources and support for new teachers and producing programs that are more likely to entice minority teachers to coming here.
“In the absence of preferential hiring, how would you achieve that goal?”
The district has tried to achieve that goal by recruiting in places that they deem it likely that minority teachers will be. That has not produced minority hires, but that is a good start.
I’d also look into resources and support for new teachers and producing programs that are more likely to entice minority teachers to coming here.
“In the absence of preferential hiring, how would you achieve that goal?”
The district has tried to achieve that goal by recruiting in places that they deem it likely that minority teachers will be. That has not produced minority hires, but that is a good start.
I’d also look into resources and support for new teachers and producing programs that are more likely to entice minority teachers to coming here.
“In the absence of preferential hiring, how would you achieve that goal?”
The district has tried to achieve that goal by recruiting in places that they deem it likely that minority teachers will be. That has not produced minority hires, but that is a good start.
I’d also look into resources and support for new teachers and producing programs that are more likely to entice minority teachers to coming here.
Shouldn’t we be working on programs that encourage education on issues like cultural acceptance and diversity rather than trying to be PC (often slang for “appearing to be progressive while doing something which doesn’t help the situation”) and hiring minorities?
Shouldn’t we be working on programs that encourage education on issues like cultural acceptance and diversity rather than trying to be PC (often slang for “appearing to be progressive while doing something which doesn’t help the situation”) and hiring minorities?
Shouldn’t we be working on programs that encourage education on issues like cultural acceptance and diversity rather than trying to be PC (often slang for “appearing to be progressive while doing something which doesn’t help the situation”) and hiring minorities?
Shouldn’t we be working on programs that encourage education on issues like cultural acceptance and diversity rather than trying to be PC (often slang for “appearing to be progressive while doing something which doesn’t help the situation”) and hiring minorities?
“I am observing that there are a sizable number of non-white people who have for as long as I have been paying attention complained about this.”
What size is this number, burro?
“I am observing that there are a sizable number of non-white people who have for as long as I have been paying attention complained about this.”
What size is this number, burro?
“I am observing that there are a sizable number of non-white people who have for as long as I have been paying attention complained about this.”
What size is this number, burro?
“I am observing that there are a sizable number of non-white people who have for as long as I have been paying attention complained about this.”
What size is this number, burro?
DD: This is not a PC issue. I find it interesting that a “democrat” would use the term PC and argue against minority hires. I wonder if you really are one.
Anonymous: Did you go to the Catalysts for Social Justice program last spring?
DD: This is not a PC issue. I find it interesting that a “democrat” would use the term PC and argue against minority hires. I wonder if you really are one.
Anonymous: Did you go to the Catalysts for Social Justice program last spring?
DD: This is not a PC issue. I find it interesting that a “democrat” would use the term PC and argue against minority hires. I wonder if you really are one.
Anonymous: Did you go to the Catalysts for Social Justice program last spring?
DD: This is not a PC issue. I find it interesting that a “democrat” would use the term PC and argue against minority hires. I wonder if you really are one.
Anonymous: Did you go to the Catalysts for Social Justice program last spring?
Good point Vincente. I too wonder if the person really is a Democrat. If one held to true Democratic values they would not espouse those views.
I would also like to point out to Don Shor and Davis Democrat that quotas are not needed in order to have a diverse teaching staff.
There are many people who graduate from UC Davis, CSU Sacramento, and other schools, who have high GPAs, are well rounded students, and make good candidates for teachers.
The problem? The reason they are not hired? They are a minority.
If they really wanted to hire minorities they could. David Murphy had a big hangup about this. I hope that the new sup. will make a sincere effort to address this problem.
In the end, it shortchanges the students for living and learning in such a homogeneous city.
Good point Vincente. I too wonder if the person really is a Democrat. If one held to true Democratic values they would not espouse those views.
I would also like to point out to Don Shor and Davis Democrat that quotas are not needed in order to have a diverse teaching staff.
There are many people who graduate from UC Davis, CSU Sacramento, and other schools, who have high GPAs, are well rounded students, and make good candidates for teachers.
The problem? The reason they are not hired? They are a minority.
If they really wanted to hire minorities they could. David Murphy had a big hangup about this. I hope that the new sup. will make a sincere effort to address this problem.
In the end, it shortchanges the students for living and learning in such a homogeneous city.
Good point Vincente. I too wonder if the person really is a Democrat. If one held to true Democratic values they would not espouse those views.
I would also like to point out to Don Shor and Davis Democrat that quotas are not needed in order to have a diverse teaching staff.
There are many people who graduate from UC Davis, CSU Sacramento, and other schools, who have high GPAs, are well rounded students, and make good candidates for teachers.
The problem? The reason they are not hired? They are a minority.
If they really wanted to hire minorities they could. David Murphy had a big hangup about this. I hope that the new sup. will make a sincere effort to address this problem.
In the end, it shortchanges the students for living and learning in such a homogeneous city.
Good point Vincente. I too wonder if the person really is a Democrat. If one held to true Democratic values they would not espouse those views.
I would also like to point out to Don Shor and Davis Democrat that quotas are not needed in order to have a diverse teaching staff.
There are many people who graduate from UC Davis, CSU Sacramento, and other schools, who have high GPAs, are well rounded students, and make good candidates for teachers.
The problem? The reason they are not hired? They are a minority.
If they really wanted to hire minorities they could. David Murphy had a big hangup about this. I hope that the new sup. will make a sincere effort to address this problem.
In the end, it shortchanges the students for living and learning in such a homogeneous city.
“In the end, it shortchanges the students for living and learning in such a homogeneous city.”
First, Davis is not a homogenous city. In comparison with probably 99% of all the cities in the world, Davis is more racially, religiously and linguistically diverse.
Second, people who grow up in homogenous places like Japan or Korea or Tunisia are not shortchanged. It is parochial of you to think that our heterogeneity is somehow superior. While their countries are mostly homogenous (and other than their big cities are entirely homogenous), they have much greater senses of community spirit and belonging to a united culture. They have as a result of that much less crime and much more personal security than we have.
Diversity has its advantages, but it has many disadvantages, too.
“In the end, it shortchanges the students for living and learning in such a homogeneous city.”
First, Davis is not a homogenous city. In comparison with probably 99% of all the cities in the world, Davis is more racially, religiously and linguistically diverse.
Second, people who grow up in homogenous places like Japan or Korea or Tunisia are not shortchanged. It is parochial of you to think that our heterogeneity is somehow superior. While their countries are mostly homogenous (and other than their big cities are entirely homogenous), they have much greater senses of community spirit and belonging to a united culture. They have as a result of that much less crime and much more personal security than we have.
Diversity has its advantages, but it has many disadvantages, too.
“In the end, it shortchanges the students for living and learning in such a homogeneous city.”
First, Davis is not a homogenous city. In comparison with probably 99% of all the cities in the world, Davis is more racially, religiously and linguistically diverse.
Second, people who grow up in homogenous places like Japan or Korea or Tunisia are not shortchanged. It is parochial of you to think that our heterogeneity is somehow superior. While their countries are mostly homogenous (and other than their big cities are entirely homogenous), they have much greater senses of community spirit and belonging to a united culture. They have as a result of that much less crime and much more personal security than we have.
Diversity has its advantages, but it has many disadvantages, too.
“In the end, it shortchanges the students for living and learning in such a homogeneous city.”
First, Davis is not a homogenous city. In comparison with probably 99% of all the cities in the world, Davis is more racially, religiously and linguistically diverse.
Second, people who grow up in homogenous places like Japan or Korea or Tunisia are not shortchanged. It is parochial of you to think that our heterogeneity is somehow superior. While their countries are mostly homogenous (and other than their big cities are entirely homogenous), they have much greater senses of community spirit and belonging to a united culture. They have as a result of that much less crime and much more personal security than we have.
Diversity has its advantages, but it has many disadvantages, too.
“I would also like to point out to Don Shor and Davis Democrat that quotas are not needed in order to have a diverse teaching staff.”
In my case, it was an honest question, not a rhetorical one. I don’t know what districts can do, and I’m curious. One of the reasons I opposed Ward Connerly’s initiative was that I thought it would really hamstring schools and universities in achieving diversity by direct means.
“I would also like to point out to Don Shor and Davis Democrat that quotas are not needed in order to have a diverse teaching staff.”
In my case, it was an honest question, not a rhetorical one. I don’t know what districts can do, and I’m curious. One of the reasons I opposed Ward Connerly’s initiative was that I thought it would really hamstring schools and universities in achieving diversity by direct means.
“I would also like to point out to Don Shor and Davis Democrat that quotas are not needed in order to have a diverse teaching staff.”
In my case, it was an honest question, not a rhetorical one. I don’t know what districts can do, and I’m curious. One of the reasons I opposed Ward Connerly’s initiative was that I thought it would really hamstring schools and universities in achieving diversity by direct means.
“I would also like to point out to Don Shor and Davis Democrat that quotas are not needed in order to have a diverse teaching staff.”
In my case, it was an honest question, not a rhetorical one. I don’t know what districts can do, and I’m curious. One of the reasons I opposed Ward Connerly’s initiative was that I thought it would really hamstring schools and universities in achieving diversity by direct means.
In comparison with probably 99% of all the cities in the world, Davis is more racially, religiously and linguistically diverse.
um, i’m guessing you haven’t traveled much. davis isn’t even especially diverse by californian standards, much less globally.
In comparison with probably 99% of all the cities in the world, Davis is more racially, religiously and linguistically diverse.
um, i’m guessing you haven’t traveled much. davis isn’t even especially diverse by californian standards, much less globally.
In comparison with probably 99% of all the cities in the world, Davis is more racially, religiously and linguistically diverse.
um, i’m guessing you haven’t traveled much. davis isn’t even especially diverse by californian standards, much less globally.
In comparison with probably 99% of all the cities in the world, Davis is more racially, religiously and linguistically diverse.
um, i’m guessing you haven’t traveled much. davis isn’t even especially diverse by californian standards, much less globally.
God forbid a person have their own thoughts instead of following party lines and sticking to rhetoric.
I absolutely, positively support diversity in our society, and recognize that all too often there is still plenty of discrimination which goes on. However, I think the way to deal with this problem is to educate people on the meaning of equality rather than treating people different based upon their race.
Schools need to include education on diversity. One of my earliest experiences was a third-grade classroom event where the teacher segregated children by whether they had light or dark eyes, and discriminated against one group for half of the day. By the end of it, we knew segregation and discrimination was BS, and as far as I know, no racial incidents ever occured in our school system.
Schools also need to adopt a zero tolerance policy for this kind of behavior. Looking at the Jena 6 event, I firmly believe the main reason it went as far as it did was that the students hanging nooses received only a 2-day suspension.
These are the ways to deal with the problem – not by having a black, hispanic, or asian teacher. Just because they’re a minority doesn’t make them a good teacher, nor does it necessarily mean they’ll teach equality. Indeed, many minorities are as racist as the white majority.
God forbid a person have their own thoughts instead of following party lines and sticking to rhetoric.
I absolutely, positively support diversity in our society, and recognize that all too often there is still plenty of discrimination which goes on. However, I think the way to deal with this problem is to educate people on the meaning of equality rather than treating people different based upon their race.
Schools need to include education on diversity. One of my earliest experiences was a third-grade classroom event where the teacher segregated children by whether they had light or dark eyes, and discriminated against one group for half of the day. By the end of it, we knew segregation and discrimination was BS, and as far as I know, no racial incidents ever occured in our school system.
Schools also need to adopt a zero tolerance policy for this kind of behavior. Looking at the Jena 6 event, I firmly believe the main reason it went as far as it did was that the students hanging nooses received only a 2-day suspension.
These are the ways to deal with the problem – not by having a black, hispanic, or asian teacher. Just because they’re a minority doesn’t make them a good teacher, nor does it necessarily mean they’ll teach equality. Indeed, many minorities are as racist as the white majority.
God forbid a person have their own thoughts instead of following party lines and sticking to rhetoric.
I absolutely, positively support diversity in our society, and recognize that all too often there is still plenty of discrimination which goes on. However, I think the way to deal with this problem is to educate people on the meaning of equality rather than treating people different based upon their race.
Schools need to include education on diversity. One of my earliest experiences was a third-grade classroom event where the teacher segregated children by whether they had light or dark eyes, and discriminated against one group for half of the day. By the end of it, we knew segregation and discrimination was BS, and as far as I know, no racial incidents ever occured in our school system.
Schools also need to adopt a zero tolerance policy for this kind of behavior. Looking at the Jena 6 event, I firmly believe the main reason it went as far as it did was that the students hanging nooses received only a 2-day suspension.
These are the ways to deal with the problem – not by having a black, hispanic, or asian teacher. Just because they’re a minority doesn’t make them a good teacher, nor does it necessarily mean they’ll teach equality. Indeed, many minorities are as racist as the white majority.
God forbid a person have their own thoughts instead of following party lines and sticking to rhetoric.
I absolutely, positively support diversity in our society, and recognize that all too often there is still plenty of discrimination which goes on. However, I think the way to deal with this problem is to educate people on the meaning of equality rather than treating people different based upon their race.
Schools need to include education on diversity. One of my earliest experiences was a third-grade classroom event where the teacher segregated children by whether they had light or dark eyes, and discriminated against one group for half of the day. By the end of it, we knew segregation and discrimination was BS, and as far as I know, no racial incidents ever occured in our school system.
Schools also need to adopt a zero tolerance policy for this kind of behavior. Looking at the Jena 6 event, I firmly believe the main reason it went as far as it did was that the students hanging nooses received only a 2-day suspension.
These are the ways to deal with the problem – not by having a black, hispanic, or asian teacher. Just because they’re a minority doesn’t make them a good teacher, nor does it necessarily mean they’ll teach equality. Indeed, many minorities are as racist as the white majority.
“um, i’m guessing you haven’t traveled much. davis isn’t even especially diverse by californian standards, much less globally.”
Wu ming,
Um, I’m guessing you don’t know what you are talking about, yet sadly you are under the impression that you actually have a clue.
I was the director of the U.S. Peace Corps Dept. of Agriculture program in Asia for 6 years, based in Manila in the Philippines. For 8 years prior to that I worked in the same office as a program coordinator. I’ve literally been in thousands of towns and villages in every country in Asia (including all of the former Soviet Republics) and in hundreds of others in other parts of the world. You are quite ignorant when it comes to diversity. You are living in a little bubble and don’t know it.
Go to any mid-sized town in Luzon or Laos or Myanmar or Pakistan and then talk to me. In those communities you will find that everyone speaks the same language, has the same religion and is of the same racial stock. You’ll find very few cities of 60,000 people in any of those countries where there is a choice of churches or mosques or temples to attend.
Since I’ve lived in Davis for the last three years, my kids have been in classrooms of 25 students where there are 20 different religions, 5 different races and 5 different languages being spoken in their homes. I don’t know how many linguistic backgrounds we have in Davis (I would guess about 75), but this is a very multilingual community. The university has faculty and students from all over the globe. I don’t know of another city in California this small where so many different languages are spoken in so many different homes. I’ve met people in Davis from Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Peru, Sri Lanka, Iran, Germany, China, Japan, Korea, etc, etc. Even the mayor of Davis comes from The Philippines and one other councilman is Indonesian.
If you ever have the chance to travel to Iran, and you get away from Teheran, try to find a town where there is more than one faith being practiced. Try to be a Baha’i or a Jew or a Zoroastrian in Iran these days. Even Christians are quite rare.
The same lack of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity is true in most small cities and villages in Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
I’m not saying that other countries have no diversity. Indonesia is very diverse on a national level, for instance. But only a few big cities, such as Jakharta, have these mixtures. Most people in Indonesia live in towns, villages and cities which have no linguistic, racial or religious differences.
So my statement stands: Davis is more diverse than 99% of all the cities in the world.
“um, i’m guessing you haven’t traveled much. davis isn’t even especially diverse by californian standards, much less globally.”
Wu ming,
Um, I’m guessing you don’t know what you are talking about, yet sadly you are under the impression that you actually have a clue.
I was the director of the U.S. Peace Corps Dept. of Agriculture program in Asia for 6 years, based in Manila in the Philippines. For 8 years prior to that I worked in the same office as a program coordinator. I’ve literally been in thousands of towns and villages in every country in Asia (including all of the former Soviet Republics) and in hundreds of others in other parts of the world. You are quite ignorant when it comes to diversity. You are living in a little bubble and don’t know it.
Go to any mid-sized town in Luzon or Laos or Myanmar or Pakistan and then talk to me. In those communities you will find that everyone speaks the same language, has the same religion and is of the same racial stock. You’ll find very few cities of 60,000 people in any of those countries where there is a choice of churches or mosques or temples to attend.
Since I’ve lived in Davis for the last three years, my kids have been in classrooms of 25 students where there are 20 different religions, 5 different races and 5 different languages being spoken in their homes. I don’t know how many linguistic backgrounds we have in Davis (I would guess about 75), but this is a very multilingual community. The university has faculty and students from all over the globe. I don’t know of another city in California this small where so many different languages are spoken in so many different homes. I’ve met people in Davis from Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Peru, Sri Lanka, Iran, Germany, China, Japan, Korea, etc, etc. Even the mayor of Davis comes from The Philippines and one other councilman is Indonesian.
If you ever have the chance to travel to Iran, and you get away from Teheran, try to find a town where there is more than one faith being practiced. Try to be a Baha’i or a Jew or a Zoroastrian in Iran these days. Even Christians are quite rare.
The same lack of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity is true in most small cities and villages in Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
I’m not saying that other countries have no diversity. Indonesia is very diverse on a national level, for instance. But only a few big cities, such as Jakharta, have these mixtures. Most people in Indonesia live in towns, villages and cities which have no linguistic, racial or religious differences.
So my statement stands: Davis is more diverse than 99% of all the cities in the world.
“um, i’m guessing you haven’t traveled much. davis isn’t even especially diverse by californian standards, much less globally.”
Wu ming,
Um, I’m guessing you don’t know what you are talking about, yet sadly you are under the impression that you actually have a clue.
I was the director of the U.S. Peace Corps Dept. of Agriculture program in Asia for 6 years, based in Manila in the Philippines. For 8 years prior to that I worked in the same office as a program coordinator. I’ve literally been in thousands of towns and villages in every country in Asia (including all of the former Soviet Republics) and in hundreds of others in other parts of the world. You are quite ignorant when it comes to diversity. You are living in a little bubble and don’t know it.
Go to any mid-sized town in Luzon or Laos or Myanmar or Pakistan and then talk to me. In those communities you will find that everyone speaks the same language, has the same religion and is of the same racial stock. You’ll find very few cities of 60,000 people in any of those countries where there is a choice of churches or mosques or temples to attend.
Since I’ve lived in Davis for the last three years, my kids have been in classrooms of 25 students where there are 20 different religions, 5 different races and 5 different languages being spoken in their homes. I don’t know how many linguistic backgrounds we have in Davis (I would guess about 75), but this is a very multilingual community. The university has faculty and students from all over the globe. I don’t know of another city in California this small where so many different languages are spoken in so many different homes. I’ve met people in Davis from Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Peru, Sri Lanka, Iran, Germany, China, Japan, Korea, etc, etc. Even the mayor of Davis comes from The Philippines and one other councilman is Indonesian.
If you ever have the chance to travel to Iran, and you get away from Teheran, try to find a town where there is more than one faith being practiced. Try to be a Baha’i or a Jew or a Zoroastrian in Iran these days. Even Christians are quite rare.
The same lack of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity is true in most small cities and villages in Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
I’m not saying that other countries have no diversity. Indonesia is very diverse on a national level, for instance. But only a few big cities, such as Jakharta, have these mixtures. Most people in Indonesia live in towns, villages and cities which have no linguistic, racial or religious differences.
So my statement stands: Davis is more diverse than 99% of all the cities in the world.
“um, i’m guessing you haven’t traveled much. davis isn’t even especially diverse by californian standards, much less globally.”
Wu ming,
Um, I’m guessing you don’t know what you are talking about, yet sadly you are under the impression that you actually have a clue.
I was the director of the U.S. Peace Corps Dept. of Agriculture program in Asia for 6 years, based in Manila in the Philippines. For 8 years prior to that I worked in the same office as a program coordinator. I’ve literally been in thousands of towns and villages in every country in Asia (including all of the former Soviet Republics) and in hundreds of others in other parts of the world. You are quite ignorant when it comes to diversity. You are living in a little bubble and don’t know it.
Go to any mid-sized town in Luzon or Laos or Myanmar or Pakistan and then talk to me. In those communities you will find that everyone speaks the same language, has the same religion and is of the same racial stock. You’ll find very few cities of 60,000 people in any of those countries where there is a choice of churches or mosques or temples to attend.
Since I’ve lived in Davis for the last three years, my kids have been in classrooms of 25 students where there are 20 different religions, 5 different races and 5 different languages being spoken in their homes. I don’t know how many linguistic backgrounds we have in Davis (I would guess about 75), but this is a very multilingual community. The university has faculty and students from all over the globe. I don’t know of another city in California this small where so many different languages are spoken in so many different homes. I’ve met people in Davis from Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Peru, Sri Lanka, Iran, Germany, China, Japan, Korea, etc, etc. Even the mayor of Davis comes from The Philippines and one other councilman is Indonesian.
If you ever have the chance to travel to Iran, and you get away from Teheran, try to find a town where there is more than one faith being practiced. Try to be a Baha’i or a Jew or a Zoroastrian in Iran these days. Even Christians are quite rare.
The same lack of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity is true in most small cities and villages in Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
I’m not saying that other countries have no diversity. Indonesia is very diverse on a national level, for instance. But only a few big cities, such as Jakharta, have these mixtures. Most people in Indonesia live in towns, villages and cities which have no linguistic, racial or religious differences.
So my statement stands: Davis is more diverse than 99% of all the cities in the world.
It doesn’t seem to me that a comparison of the diversity of population in Davis to the small isolate villages in Indonesia that have limited access to say, cars, buses or airplanes, is exactly the comparison that most people in Davis care to make. And in my view, diversity isn’t created by very small numbers of people of a different race or ethnicity that are present – diversity is created by relatively equal numbers of numerous races or ethnicities. And therein lies the problem for Davis – white people dominate the population here. Admittedly, Davis does have some diveristy if you simply count the number of races or ethnicities, but in comparison on a relative basis, we are not very diverse. Davis doesn’t compare favorably to even Woodland,(forget SF, Sac, east bay) based on sheer racial diversity.
Additionally, Davis is extremely homogeneous economically, b/c for the most part, the population is employeed by the state – either UCD or in Sacramento. That makes for a very large middle – upper middle class, but not much wealth and not much poverty.
It doesn’t seem to me that a comparison of the diversity of population in Davis to the small isolate villages in Indonesia that have limited access to say, cars, buses or airplanes, is exactly the comparison that most people in Davis care to make. And in my view, diversity isn’t created by very small numbers of people of a different race or ethnicity that are present – diversity is created by relatively equal numbers of numerous races or ethnicities. And therein lies the problem for Davis – white people dominate the population here. Admittedly, Davis does have some diveristy if you simply count the number of races or ethnicities, but in comparison on a relative basis, we are not very diverse. Davis doesn’t compare favorably to even Woodland,(forget SF, Sac, east bay) based on sheer racial diversity.
Additionally, Davis is extremely homogeneous economically, b/c for the most part, the population is employeed by the state – either UCD or in Sacramento. That makes for a very large middle – upper middle class, but not much wealth and not much poverty.
It doesn’t seem to me that a comparison of the diversity of population in Davis to the small isolate villages in Indonesia that have limited access to say, cars, buses or airplanes, is exactly the comparison that most people in Davis care to make. And in my view, diversity isn’t created by very small numbers of people of a different race or ethnicity that are present – diversity is created by relatively equal numbers of numerous races or ethnicities. And therein lies the problem for Davis – white people dominate the population here. Admittedly, Davis does have some diveristy if you simply count the number of races or ethnicities, but in comparison on a relative basis, we are not very diverse. Davis doesn’t compare favorably to even Woodland,(forget SF, Sac, east bay) based on sheer racial diversity.
Additionally, Davis is extremely homogeneous economically, b/c for the most part, the population is employeed by the state – either UCD or in Sacramento. That makes for a very large middle – upper middle class, but not much wealth and not much poverty.
It doesn’t seem to me that a comparison of the diversity of population in Davis to the small isolate villages in Indonesia that have limited access to say, cars, buses or airplanes, is exactly the comparison that most people in Davis care to make. And in my view, diversity isn’t created by very small numbers of people of a different race or ethnicity that are present – diversity is created by relatively equal numbers of numerous races or ethnicities. And therein lies the problem for Davis – white people dominate the population here. Admittedly, Davis does have some diveristy if you simply count the number of races or ethnicities, but in comparison on a relative basis, we are not very diverse. Davis doesn’t compare favorably to even Woodland,(forget SF, Sac, east bay) based on sheer racial diversity.
Additionally, Davis is extremely homogeneous economically, b/c for the most part, the population is employeed by the state – either UCD or in Sacramento. That makes for a very large middle – upper middle class, but not much wealth and not much poverty.
Wow…sigh…wow.
Here we are again…when we ask for racial/ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce, for the good of all students..some folks are assuming we NEED to settle for lower quality teachers. Wow.
I don’t know what to say, Neighbors. It’s 2007. A diverse teaching workforce does not HAVE TO mean a less qualified teaching workforce. Give us as applicants and as parents a little more credit than this.
Hear the implicit notion screaming from many of the comments: racial/ethnic diversity means inferiority.
Let me be clear….all things being equal (trust me; it’s possible)…
Wow.
And you know what? I am not going to leave this comment anonymously. I have never left a comment here in any form, but please assume that when we desire a more racially/ethnically diverse teaching staff – for its diversity – we mean well-qualified, just as qualified teachers. Wow, thought that would go without saying…but it is telling that it does not.
Jann Murray-Garcia
Wow…sigh…wow.
Here we are again…when we ask for racial/ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce, for the good of all students..some folks are assuming we NEED to settle for lower quality teachers. Wow.
I don’t know what to say, Neighbors. It’s 2007. A diverse teaching workforce does not HAVE TO mean a less qualified teaching workforce. Give us as applicants and as parents a little more credit than this.
Hear the implicit notion screaming from many of the comments: racial/ethnic diversity means inferiority.
Let me be clear….all things being equal (trust me; it’s possible)…
Wow.
And you know what? I am not going to leave this comment anonymously. I have never left a comment here in any form, but please assume that when we desire a more racially/ethnically diverse teaching staff – for its diversity – we mean well-qualified, just as qualified teachers. Wow, thought that would go without saying…but it is telling that it does not.
Jann Murray-Garcia
Wow…sigh…wow.
Here we are again…when we ask for racial/ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce, for the good of all students..some folks are assuming we NEED to settle for lower quality teachers. Wow.
I don’t know what to say, Neighbors. It’s 2007. A diverse teaching workforce does not HAVE TO mean a less qualified teaching workforce. Give us as applicants and as parents a little more credit than this.
Hear the implicit notion screaming from many of the comments: racial/ethnic diversity means inferiority.
Let me be clear….all things being equal (trust me; it’s possible)…
Wow.
And you know what? I am not going to leave this comment anonymously. I have never left a comment here in any form, but please assume that when we desire a more racially/ethnically diverse teaching staff – for its diversity – we mean well-qualified, just as qualified teachers. Wow, thought that would go without saying…but it is telling that it does not.
Jann Murray-Garcia
Wow…sigh…wow.
Here we are again…when we ask for racial/ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce, for the good of all students..some folks are assuming we NEED to settle for lower quality teachers. Wow.
I don’t know what to say, Neighbors. It’s 2007. A diverse teaching workforce does not HAVE TO mean a less qualified teaching workforce. Give us as applicants and as parents a little more credit than this.
Hear the implicit notion screaming from many of the comments: racial/ethnic diversity means inferiority.
Let me be clear….all things being equal (trust me; it’s possible)…
Wow.
And you know what? I am not going to leave this comment anonymously. I have never left a comment here in any form, but please assume that when we desire a more racially/ethnically diverse teaching staff – for its diversity – we mean well-qualified, just as qualified teachers. Wow, thought that would go without saying…but it is telling that it does not.
Jann Murray-Garcia
What don’t you get about “best qualified teachers”? Who cares what color/ethnicity they are? Jann, what part of “best qualified teachers” don’t you understand?
What don’t you get about “best qualified teachers”? Who cares what color/ethnicity they are? Jann, what part of “best qualified teachers” don’t you understand?
What don’t you get about “best qualified teachers”? Who cares what color/ethnicity they are? Jann, what part of “best qualified teachers” don’t you understand?
What don’t you get about “best qualified teachers”? Who cares what color/ethnicity they are? Jann, what part of “best qualified teachers” don’t you understand?