| Black-only schools
Posted: 11/30/2007 10:33:10 PM | Segregation. So effective, we're bringing it back. (TM)  | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/2/2007 11:27:55 AM | Aahhh, the privilege of NOT being the "other."
That type of "separatist" attitude is prevalant in Canada.
(Ever heard about Rene Bouchard or the Bloq Quebecois?)
I wish that there was a 'Canadian focus' school. Perhaps this is what's truly missing.
Studies in Canadian History, Geograpy, Art/Drama/Music, Political Science, Law, Science/Technology, and Business/Trade might give students a better sense of cultural identity. Add in some elective courses to choose from and you've got an entire program that could take years to complete--ALL with a Canadian focus. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/11/2007 6:48:53 AM |
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is considering the idea of operating a "black-focus" school to serve the needs of their non-white students.
There have been many heated debates about this issue stating the pros and cons of such an arrangement.
Are these "focus" schools popular in other areas?
Has anyone ever attended one of these schools?
Is there a need for this type of school?
Talk about racist.... I mean just think about it if there was a "white" focus school proposed so that they could better fit the needs of the white community it would be racist would it not? Another example of a society that is so "anti-racist" that it's racist. The blacks can do it but they'd yell their heads off if whites did it. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/11/2007 11:15:08 AM | | I can understand if it is a private school. Public?? Then let the black parents pay extra taxes for it. I'm not paying taxes for specific race, color..etc....students. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/11/2007 11:22:35 AM |
There are French schools, Catholic schools, Aboriginal schools, Christian schools, military schools, all girls/boys schools, art schools, boarding schools, schools for the gifted and schools for the challenged.
Hmm. This made me laugh a bit as when I was going through elementary and junior high and slipped up in school my parents used to threathen to send me to an all boys school or a Catholic school. They were never serious about it, but it still scared me.
I did end up going to a public high school specializing in the sciences, but that was an informed decision on my part. Starting at the high school and esp. at the college level, you do see quite a few specialized schools, but most of the time I'd say that it's the students decision as to wether or not they want to attend a school specializing in art or something like that.
The idea behind a "black focus" school is to specialize in black History and cultural identity.
Supporters of this idea hope to lower the highschool drop-out rate of teens in this ethnic group by giving them a specialized cirriculum.
Quite frankly, I don't see how this would work. In high school and higher education, I've seen classes offered in all kinds of history and culture (black,muslim,nordic, etc) The people who take these classes, though a majority may come from a related culture, tend to vary in their backgrounds and races. Those classes bore the hell out of me. History seems to be a hit or miss subject with people, I don't see how forcing anyone to sit through something like that would be beneficial. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/11/2007 11:28:49 AM | the reason why american history (or canadian for that matter) is largely focused on european immigration is cause that is what vastly made up the majority of the population at the time. i know it's a hard concept to grasp...i mean, i personally wish federally funded general education would focus more on the history of mongolian american immigrants. all 2 of them in 1505.
and i dunno, maybe my education was different from others.....but i can recall a lot of predominant black americans in my history lessons. they only thing was....it was focused on their achievements or inventions....individuals over entire races/cultures. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/11/2007 1:41:39 PM |
The idea behind a "black focus" school is to specialize in black History and cultural identity.
Supporters of this idea hope to lower the highschool drop-out rate of teens in this ethnic group by giving them a specialized cirriculum.
What sort of "specialized curriculum" are you talking about? Last time I knew math was math, English was English, etc. I'm not sure how putting Ebonics or African American History in there would make the kids want to stay in school more.
It's the parents responsibilities to make sure that their children attend school until they're eighteen years of age if a kid is to drop out before then their parents have to okay it. I doubt that would change no matter the school they went to. There is an acceptance in the black community for people dropping out of school that needs to be addressed before any progress can be made towards lowering the drop out rate. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/11/2007 2:28:53 PM | Call it what you will....but we're headed right back to "segregation" all over again.! Martin Luther King would roll over in his grave if he heard of this.
Funny how they come up with a name like "black focus" school to make it sound different than what it actually is!
edit....I just did a quick check of the TDSB and it's make up. Out of 28 members that I found, only three are actually black community members. I tend to think this is more about the "needs"/wants of the white lobby.
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/11/2007 11:14:11 PM | I just did a quick check of the TDSB and it's make up. Out of 28 members that I found, only three are actually black community members. I tend to think this is more about the "needs"/wants of the white lobby.
Actually, it's the TDSB that's being pressured to consider this idea which was originally proposed by black parents lobbying under the "alternative school policy" loophole.
So, here you have a group of white administrators being pressured to decide upon this issue. (Damned if you do--damned if you don't!)
Since many educators within the TDSB are non-black, this proposed school would consist of black teachers, administrators and staff as role models for students to relate to, and would positively promote black culture throughout the entire cirriculum.
What sort of "specialized curriculum" are you talking about?
Students probably would not study the literary works of Margaret Atwood (Canadian author) or be asked to ponder artwork belonging to the Group of Seven (Canadian artists) or even rehearse any Celine Dion lyrics because of a lack of black influence.
The proposed cirriculum would instead feature black authors, artists, and musicians.
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simha
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Joined: 11/15/2007
Msg: 35 | |
| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/11/2007 11:27:38 PM | | wow, this is truly shocking. I think the problem is a misunderstanding of cultures, and I do believe schols should make more of an effort to teach them. However I don't think separating minority groups is the answer. I think it's very important for children to grow up knowing about their culture, but a lot of that should come from the parents as well. As for learning about other cultures, the schoolboard should make more of an effort. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 3:53:53 AM |
wow, this is truly shocking. I think the problem is a misunderstanding of cultures, and I do believe schols should make more of an effort to teach them. However I don't think separating minority groups is the answer. I think it's very important for children to grow up knowing about their culture, but a lot of that should come from the parents as well. As for learning about other cultures, the schoolboard should make more of an effort.
So, Black History Month and all the other special dedications that have been made to those of African American descent aren't enough? I mean I don't see a "European History Month" anywhere nor do I see an "Asian History Month", etc. Yes, a lot of this sort of thing comes from the parents, as does things such as encouragement to go to school. Though, I have yet to hear of someone of African American descent who was ignorant of their culture. Usually it's more like they're shoving it in everyone's faces, or at least some do. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 6:03:10 AM | I would support the idea of all schools teaching more about the positive acheivements of blacks. There are many noteworthy black people that have been ignored in most curriculums. Case in point:
Do you know this man? Please read below...
"America's High Tech "Invisible Man"
By Tyrone D. Taborn
You may not have heard of Dr. Mark Dean. And you aren't alone. But
almost everything in your life has been affected by his work.
See, Dr. Mark Dean is a Ph.D. from Stanford University. He is in the
National Hall of Inventors. He has more than 30 patents pending. He is
a vice president with IBM. Oh, yeah. And he is also the architect of
the modern-day personal computer. Dr. Dean holds three of the original
nine patents on the computer that all PCs are based upon. And, Dr. Mark Dean
is an African American.
So how is! it that we can celebrate the 20th anniversary of the IBM
personal computer without reading or hearing a single word about him?
Given all of the pressure mass media are under about negative
portrayals of African Americans on television and in print, you would think it
would be a slam dunk to highlight someone like Dr. Dean.
Somehow, though, we have managed to miss the shot. History is cruel
when it comes to telling the stories of African Americans. Dr. Dean isn't
the first Black inventor to be overlooked Consider John Stanard, inventor
of the refrigerator, George Sampson, creator of the clothes dryer,Alexander Miles
and his elevator, Lewis Latimer and the electric lamp.
All of these inventors share two things:
One, they changed the landscape of our society; and, two, society
relegated them to the footnotes of history. Hopefully, Dr. Mark Dean
won't go away as quietly as they did. He certainly shouldn't. Dr. Dean
helped start a Digital Revolution that created people like Microsoft's Bill
Gates and Dell Computer's Michael Dell. Millions of jobs in information
technology can be traced back directly to ! Dr. Dean.
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/computer-science/dean_mark.html
The above website directs you to information on the achievements and contributions of many other blacks. There should be no need of a Black History month. These things should be taught year around. This is how schoolchildren are taught of the contributions of white people to society. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 7:14:03 AM | i think the idea of opening a school for the black bassed on their history and cultural identity is ludicrous..im sure we could all justify opening schools for every cultural group then,the british, the chinese,etc etc.this is unbelievable and who is going to foot the bill for this?..if the black really feel the need for this, they should be self sufficient and provide their own funding as should other ethnic groups.the other option is to offer cultural courses in the high school just as we offer different language courses...why are the families not teaching their children their cultural identity..i teach my children!
i would have to wonder if segregation from the general public would only escalate the racist issues that already exist!.. we would be reverting back to the isolation issues prior to the 70's that were declared unconstitutional in the late 60's and that included the schools!!
i don't know to what extent these schools exist..but i think we are opening a can of worms if we condone this. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 1:15:02 PM | Baldy:
I understand what you're saying about the lack of teaching on black inventors. It seems like most people when they talk about black history focus on civil rights leaders and movements. This is something that black parents need to take to their local board of eduction. Every school district has a board of education meeting at least once a month if not once a week which anyone can attend and can address educational issues directly with the people who have the power to change things. If parents want to see things change they need to get involved. There are many ways that parents can enact change in the educational system. I do agree that there shouldn't be a Black History month and I remember being taught about all sorts of people from around the world in history class, not just during Black History month. We learned about inventors from around the world, they didn't specify just black inventors nor did they specify just white inventors. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 3:39:19 PM | Breaa; You know what else was distorted? The World Atlas!! . It was portrayed to show Europe almost as large as Africa and Asia. If you do research on the internet you will find out for yourself the square mileage of each Contitnent. Perhaps this was done to inflate the importance of Europeans? I have always wondered about that!! I went to school in the fifties and sixties, the map makers have now cleaned up their act. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 5:14:24 PM | Doh! Sorry, just realized the mistype of your name. I meant Blady, not Baldy.... >.<
Sometimes atlases are pretty far off. Unfortunately it's not simple to portray a three dimensional world in a two dimensional medium. Some people are better at this than others. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 8:49:35 PM | I did a bit of research and found out that the black parents are the ones who apparently want this due to the high drop out rate of black kids in Toronto. If that is the case and having them in a different environment would help increase the graduation rate, then I would be all for it.
I've heard about similar schools here in the states in Detroit and Philadelphia. In fact, we have a new school here in Atlanta started by acclaimed teacher, Ron Clarke.......not specifically geared towards blacks, but kids from low income families.
A lot of these institutions do a better job of educating and addressing the needs of of students who are at risk of falling through the cracks in the regular public schools. | |
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simha
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Joined: 11/15/2007
Msg: 43 | |
| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 10:27:53 PM |
So, Black History Month and all the other special dedications that have been made to those of African American descent aren't enough?
and what, "all other special decications" have there been in schools? All I ever had growing up was "If Muslims need to pray, go here" and saw that some classmates did not stand for the national anthem. As children we know we are all different(culture and religion wise), but we dont know what makes us different. As adults we have more opportunity to explore what those differences are. I just think they should integrate it into our school systems for youth. Not to devide us, but so we can understand the world around us. Why does that girl wear a scarf? Why is that boy wearing a cap? Why don't they stand for the national anthem? When I was a child, the best I could do was ask a parent or teacher, and let's face it, they don't know everything. But I'm sure they'd know more if they taught us. I believe there is a clash of cultures because they don't understand one another. People have always been afraid of the unknown, and things they are unfamiliar with. It's time we got rid of those fears and embraced our differences, so we can get past them and move on to being human again.
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/12/2007 11:01:45 PM | | [tangent] I'm tired of all the blame of failing kids being put on teachers & admin instead of putting the blame where it belongs, right back on the parents and their lack of involvement. Teachers aren't fucking babysitters. Raise your kids properly.[/tangent] | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/13/2007 9:58:40 AM | | So what if the school never put the label "black-focus," but still leaned toward teaching about the history, societies, politics, cultures of African descent. They could take the students on a carnival ride through mathematics and the ancient Egyptian influences on modern day calculus. Then they could move through African migration patterns (forced and unforced). Oohh, how about a comparitive cultures class examining North American black culture vs. West African culture to see where they converge and diverge. There could be classes on colonialism in the African diaspora and the modern day affects of it as well. As long as the school isn't called black, then would all of those subjects be okay to teach? What I'm trying to figure out is whether it's the label that has people up in arms or the subject matter period. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/13/2007 1:40:13 PM | Blady...reagarding Dr. Dean. He doesn't hold three of the six patents, IBM does. This is a tech world thing, it has nothing ot do with race. In computer sciences I've learned the comanies that IBM licensed all the technology from that the modern personal computer is based on. Intel is mentioned, but not the people behind the 8088 or x86 processors, or the ATX and BTX boards. No names other than company names are being dropped on who developed the PCI port or AGP.
Why? Because when you patent something for a company, THEY own it. That's why he isn't mentioned.
Don't squeeze sour grapes over the tech industry; their historians are company-centric. A better example would be to look people who still own their individual accomplishments, because your example was kinda poor. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/13/2007 2:49:13 PM | [quote[Teachers aren't ****ing babysitters-- some have been, but they went to jail.
Seriously, teachers are teachers. They should teach.Thats what our tax dollars help pay for.Why should a parent teach them after school. No homework should be sent home for parents to show our children how to work out a problem. I am not good with Math, so how can I help my daughter. And every time I try to show her how I learned it, she and my son would tell me they cant work the problem out the way I showed them.A parent should encourage studying, provide a quit place, but thats it and have time to raise our kids properly. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/13/2007 2:58:31 PM | teachers are teachers. They should teach.Thats what our tax dollars help pay for. Why should a parent teach them after school. No homework should be sent home for parents to show our children how to work out a problem. I am not good with Math, so how can I help my daughter.
Wow. You didn't feel the least bit of embarrassment after typing this? You should be ashamed after rereading those first few sentences; and the ones following should give you incentive to LEARN how to help your daughter.
Teachers don't send home problems for kids to teach themselves. It is practice work to make sure they're getting what was already taught. If they are not understanding what the teacher taught during class, it is their responsibility to use the resources they have and talk to their teacher or reread the chapter and examples. Parents should be able to help and if they don't know how, they should want to learn.
By the way, you totally missed my point. Way to go. | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/15/2007 12:41:01 PM |
What I'm trying to figure out is whether it's the label that has people up in arms or the subject matter period.
Politicians are scrambling to come up with a suitable label that doesn't contain the word "black".
I believe that the term "Africentric" has been agreed upon.
The subject matter that you mention should be available to all students.
Children need to learn about other cultures--not just their own.
How else can they be expected to integrate into a multi-cultural workforce?
Would black-oriented schools prepare students for black-only jobs?
What kind of jobs would these be? (Black History teachers?)
Would the workforce be able to accomodate all of these graduates? | |
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| Black-only schools
Posted: 12/15/2007 1:03:33 PM | | What bothers me is everything 'white' orientated seems to be unconstitutional,I honestly dont mid black only schools, No matter what name its given. Any name would be exceptable as far as I am concerned. Everyone wants racism to stop. But when the black community complained of segregation, the civil rights movement got it for them. But now, black tend to want to be a part of whats going on with white people , but also want things for just them. As an example, there is music awards,(for all races) then there is black,(black only} hispanic, (hispanic only)etc music awards., There is country music awards(for all races,) then there is"ceremony of the Best of the Black Country awards.It doesnt bother that blacks have black schools, it bothers me it cant be equal and there be a white only school.I have read it has been successful for black children, why not help the white children? | |
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