It seems that the Eagle may have a ridicule-wish. This morning they published a story about a tragic double murder and rape of a white couple. The suspects are black. The article suggests that, because this story did not get enough coverage outside of the Knoxville, Tennessee area where it happened, this is indication of reverse discrimination by journalists. The picture accompanying this article was of the young white couple happy and smiling.
You know who is pushing this? Charlie Denials!!!! The old star of redneck rock who has long been associated with racism and even the KKK. Give me a break!!!!
As if this was not enough, right above this article the Eagle published a picture that showed young black people holding signs protesting that Bryan High Students are being kept from graduation ceremonies because they did not pass the TASK test. What juxtaposition, the smiling pretty young white couple that had been murdered, supposedly by black kids, and above that a picture you black kids protesting.
Do you know how often the Eagle puts pictures of black people on the front page? Neither do I, but I’m pretty sure it’s not often. In fact I challenge anyone to look back at the Why I’m Smiling pictures over the last year and tabulate what percentage of those pictures that are of black and brown people. I bet that it doesn’t come close to the racial demographics of our community.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Is The Eagle Racist?
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11 comments:
I was very proud to see the African American students standing up for some of their fellow classmates. It was encouraging and uplifting. We need more minorities to protest and get involved, and not be afraid to seek what they believe is fair and just. These will be our future leaders, people we can trust. Way to go guys!
I agree that the Eagle does not adequately report on positive role models in the minority community, although we are barely the minority anymore. It might be a good idea for this blog to seek the input of some of those protesters named in the Eagle article.
Exellent idea!!! We will do that. There are other issues that relate to empowering our minority communities that we will be reporting on as well. Of course this blog remains open to all in our community to post to. With ideas like the one presented above, we will more proactively seek that involvement.
As a former and very successful middle school remedial reading teacher, I would offer a different perspective. A grave injustice is happening in our schools when it comes to educating average and below average students. These are the youngsters that need the absolute best basic education possible because of the usually accompanying financial issues. It is cruel to short-change the poor or below average in their desperate need for a strong foundation in reading, writing, and 'ciphering to the best of their ability. What is happening is shameless pandering due to silly pseudo-caring which either shrugs away discipline or education failure issues because of social class or focuses on punishing a select few to their detriment. The former allows for classroom anarchy, the later for a righteous anger that creates social unrest. The tragedy is that average and below average students were not educated to the point to pass a test of MINIMUM skills. To pander to the protesters promotes the same blatant reverse racism that created one of the problems in the first place which excuses the teaching of the below average student to strive for achievement to the best of his ability. To under educate the average and below average in basic skills is a crime against humanity.
Nancy,
Well put. I could not agree with you more. This is not a contradiction of my earlier point. There are two distinct issues here. One is the Eagle's motivation in the way it composed its front page and the other is what the kids were protesting. While I do not agree with the perspective of these students, I will support and encourage them to fully articulate that perspective. My guess is that the heuristic would serve both the students and us.
The people in College Station are more compassionate. They give the students a blank diploma and let them walk across the stage. Kindness and encouragement work better than intimidaton and humiliation, which carry life-long scars.
Walking across the stage to receive a blank diploma is compassionate? (!) This is exactly the sort of silliness I decry with great vehemence. It is despicable when our community cares more about their feelings on graduation night than when these kids try to find a job to provide for their future. Compassion is giving average and below average students the absolute best foundational education possible. To treat these students in any other manner is to handicap them for life. Caring about their feelings over the sensibility of a basic education is how we arrived at the current educational trainwreck. This is not to be interpreted as mean or heartless. This philosophy is the depths of true compassion that demands that we teach all students to the absolute best of their ability. This philosophy is especially vital for those average and below average students because the above average will achieve anyway. I believe that any one with an IQ above 70 is capable of passing a minimum skills test and I taught my class with that conviction. We did very well and even better on our CAT tests. Requiring the most from every student makes the minimum skills tests a moot point.
I have emailed one of the students and ask for them to provide a post on this issue. Hopefully, they will respond.
Regardless of what we feel to be the best way for them to make the most of themselves, it is important what they think and feel. Ultimately, their buy-in will be one of the biggest determinants in the success of any effort. This is also an opportunity to show them that they can be heard. So much of what they have gotten to this point are lessons in being quiet.
One of the best ways to give people a sense that they can do something for themselves is to let them do something for themselves.
These kids have taken the initiative to speak up. That is more than we can say for most people. While that does not make them right about what they have to say, it does earn my respect. I am willing to work to suspend judgment enough to give them an honest listen. With any luck that respect will be reciprocated.
I have only love and compassion for all. There is no disrespect for the students in the Eagle. I can certainly appreciate their concern for their friends. That is a true friend indeed.
In the community we must take the responsibility to properly shepherd our young adults. I would urge the students that protested to speak to their friends still in high school concerning their part in creating a culture of learning. For instance, it's fun to be a classroom clown, and it's selfish to allow a personal issue to create a tense atmosphere. However, the cost is not only their education, but also the education of their friends. When it becomes important to young people to do everything they can to create a culture of learning in the classrom, the benefit to all will be extraordinarily sublime.
Young people can talk to their friends in a way that adults can't. I hope you do bring these young adults to the blog. I think something wonderful could happen. Caring about your friends can be one of the greatest learning tools available.
Nancy, you are heartless and arrogant. I am truly glad that you were not my school teacher.
This is an interesting article by the Austin American Statesman Editorial Board:
"Bills could flunk TAKS right out of high school"
http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/05/22/22taks_edit.html
...editorial/stories/05/22/22taks_edit.html
Cap,
This statement of yours seems heartless and arrogant. It is, in fact, a perfect example of why so many people shy away from open discussions like this blog where people can say any ignorant thing they want from behind the vial of anonymity.
It is very clear from her clear writing that Nancy's primary concern is the wellbeing of the students. What's more, she has a very qualified perspective from which to speak.
The issue here is not how well the standardized tests work so much as it is how much we expect from our students. These tests are not difficult. It seems sad that this is the benchmark to which we hold our students.
On the one hand it is sad that these students will miss the ceremony that obviously means a lot to them. If the school were to let them walk and give them an empty canister, how many of them would feel that the task had been accomplished, and blow off going back to take the test to get their high school diploma? Letting those kids slip through the system having come so close seems irresponsible. I don't think that this is an issue of denying the kids. I think it is an issue of encouraging the kids.
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