Were you aware?....

A picture to highlight some of the issues discussed in class this weekAccording to my test results, I am not at all aware of equity and diversity in the US. I have fallen victim to the many myths embedded within American culture, which perpetuate a deceptive notion of a lovely diverse melting pot where everyone is created and treated equally. Much to my surprise and dismay, I answered two questions correctly. My strategy for answering the questions on the Equity and Diversity Awareness Quiz was to choose moderate answers. The possible answers were either percentages or something to do with comparing numbers. So, I thought things in the US are obviously not equal, but I didn't imagine the answers being to either extreme of too low or too high. I sat with confidence, reading and answering the test questions, thinking that even if i didn't know the correct answer, my strategy wouldn't steer me wrong and I would be better off than merely guessing the answers.  My strategy failed me miserably.I will begin by addressing the two miserly questions I answered correctly. The first one dealt with the issue of the US military budget.  The question was: 

The U.S. military budget is by far the highest of any country in the world. How much higher is the U.S. military budget than that of China, the world’s second biggest military spender?- I answered 7 times higher. It baffles me that we can spend so much money to kill people (essentially that is what happens in a war) but we are having an issue reforming health care so that every citizen can aafford to see a physician or reform our school systems so that all school are given the same resources to excel. Just a thought.

The next question I answered correctly was:

A Princeton study of elite universities in the U.S. found that legacy applicants—people, usually white and wealthy, with a parent or grandparent who attended the institution—are far more privileged by legacy status than applicants of color are by affirmative action policies. The study determined that legacy status was roughly equivalent to how much of a boost to an applicant’s SAT score?- I answered 160 points. Basically legacy status allows a university to offer preferential treatment to a college applicant who has a family member who attended the university. What a joy to know that I could work as hard as I want but if my parent didn't attend my school of interest it could cost me 160 points added to my SAT score. This validates the statement that it's not what you know but who you know. Very sad but true.

Two questions shocked me when I learned the answers. The first dealt with drug possesion laws for conviction:

Powder cocaine (largely used by wealthy people) and crack cocaine (largely used by economically disadvantaged people) contain roughly the same amount of the drug per gram. Under federal law, how much of these substances must an individual be convicted of possessing to be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of five years in prison?- I answered 5 gram of powder or crack cocaine. This is because I didn't read the question thoroughly, I know I have heard of this before, the laws are called the Rockerfeller laws in NY. The answer was actually 500 grams of powder or 5 grams of crack cocaine. Looking at who usually uses what drug by race signifies the embedded racism in our legislative system. If this isn't blatant racism, I don't know what would be considered such. This exemplifies the use of government and law to uphold a tradition of racist ideologies. 

The second question addressed the issue of the inequity in health care. Health care is a present topic of interest, the results of the following question highlight the issue of unequal access to health care:
Compared with White women, how likely are African American women in the U.S. to die during childbirth due to a lack of access to prenatal care, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality?- I answered twice as likely, the answer was in fact four times as likely. As a country, it is our duty to examine and heed to such statistics which attest to the current state of health care. This is among the many inequalities faced by people of color. It is something we need to get under control. It is unreal to be named one of the "richest countries in the world" and have citizens dying because of a lack of access to healthcare.


As an aspiring helping professional,it is imperative to begin to first educate myself and then others of the facts of inequality in the US. Addressing these issues is the only way to begin to remedy the wrongs caused by inequities in all aspects of society.


This is the link for the Equity and Diversity Awareness Quiz
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/quiz/quizNEW.pdf

Go Tell It On The Mountain...

This past Thursday Sigma Gamma Rho and Malik Fraternity held a program which invited Reverend Erwin Lee Trollinger to speak on the plight of inner city youth. The purpose of this program was to discuss the "threats and uncertainties of inner city youth". Reverend Trollinger has been working with inner city youth in Mount Vernon for about 20 years. He is the director of a community center and from the recounting of his experiences he has seen it all when it comes to youth within the inner city. I commend Rev. Trollinger for his commitment and dedication to youth in need especially those within the foster care system. But I must say, I was left unimpressed by the program.


I felt that Rev. Trollinger would be most effective speaking to those he seeks to help more. It sounded more as a motivational speech and I think that would have been more appropriate for youth in which he was more versed in addressing. I am fully aware of the need to mentor youth from the community I am from and this is the very basis of my career choice. So I think although Rev. Trollinger's speech was very well presented, I feel that he brought nothing new to the discussion on helping black youth. I felt as though I had heard everything he said before, such as being a positive role model for kids in my "hood" and  mentoring those who may not be on the right path. I would have wished for something more thought provoking, something fresh on this issue.


The video that was shown before he began to speak was insightful. But once again brought up arguments that I have already heard.  The statistic presented were rather grim associated with students of color, it was said that there was only a 50% high school graduation rate. Which meant 50% of students of color were dropping out of high school. The video also made a connection between schooling and imprisonment. There is a connection between failing schools and successful prisons. In fact, in the US fourth grade reading scores are used to predict how much prisons will be needed as stated in the video. I spent some time trying to find a credible source to validate this assertion but had a hard time, nevertheless I can't say I doubt it. This then connects to the multi-billion dollar business of prisons, because full prisons means cheap labor. And this translates to a modern form of slavery. This is what I took most from the program.


Knowing the statistics and what potentially happens to youth of color from the inner city, I do see the need in me being a mentor and example for those in my community. But I hope that by taking on the career choice that I am, I will be able to move beyond being a mentor and facilitate change in some of the systemic and structural issues that may be the cause of the "plight of inner city youth".

NCLB... Beginning to remedy the wrongs

This week happened to be my favorite, for both assigned readings and class discussion because these are some of the issues I want to study when I get to grad school. Our focus this week was on the achievement gap. We examined different explanations for it and for possible ways to begin to close the achievement gap. The No Child Left Behind Act sought to reform eduction and attend to the achievement gap. But due to misguided execution, NCLB may be a culprit in maintaining the gap and harming most the children it promised to help.

As stated in Hammond's reading this week, a debt is owed to those students of color and of lower status that have been historically disenfranchised by the education system; those who have been repeatedly forced into a place of disadvantage because of unequal access to quality education. NCLB is currently helping to perpetuate the inequalities faced "minority" and low-income students. NCLB was written with great prospects in mind, "a victory for American children" is what Hammond reported. Today, it seems more children are losing as a result of NCLB.

Accountability is a great point raised by NCLB, without teacher's being held accountable for their students failure is sure to go unchallenged. I believe that the way in which teacher's are being held accountable is the deficiency in NCLB lies. As we discussed, it is so much easier to quantify a teacher's success by the grades his/her class receives on a standardized test. This method is cost efficient and allows for ease in data collection and analysis. Unfortunately, a student is more than a test score and it is careless to base a student's ability and achievement on one score. The process of assessment is destroying our schools and forcing teachers to deliver low-quality education.

Ironically, this past Monday President Obama sent his plans for NCLB to congress, which would retain annual testing and data-driven accountability  but would add resources and flexibility to meet new goals. His goal is to take emphasis off yearly improvement, and federal outlines of school failure and begin to utilize broader measures of progress. The current goal of proficiency by 2014 is being replaced by the goal having all high school graduates prepared for college and a career by 2020. This is a point we brought up in class, I think that by expanding the goal beyond proficiency benefit the students in the long run. It will be visible to the students that a greater investment is being made into their futures.

Obama's plans make a shift from punative measures to a system of remediation for the lowest 5% of schools who don't meet performance goals and rewards the schools that do. Personally, I believe that this is a start. But ultimately will not completely remedy the achievement gap. Based on the reform suggested by President Obama, there is still a heavy dependence on high stakes testing for measuring student and school progress. Hammond calls for a paradigm shift in national education policy, what President Obama has outlined is just a remodel of NCLB. In the end I think it will take a complete new plan which doesn't depend on assessment, and is committed to supplying high-quality teachers and resources to all students to ensure that no child is indeed left behind.

This is a news article speaking on President Obama's plans for NCLB. It more descriptively outlines some of the attentive plans for education policy reform.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/15/opinion/la-ed-nclb16-2010mar16

This is a CNN news report on President Obama's plans for reforming NCLB. I'm curious to know what your thoughts are on these plans for reform, do you all think they have potential?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/15/obama.education/index.html?eref=rss_us&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_us+%28RSS%3A+U.S.%29

Expanding on the Conversation of Racism...

In our conversation this week in class the conversations became a bit candid and even comedic at times, when discussing the issues of race and racism. You could sense some uncomfortable-ness by the lack of talking by some, the confusion by some and then offense by others. A very important question came up in the conversation when someone asked "why can't black people be racist?" This is something I feel very strongly about and just want to expand my thoughts as to why I don't think black people can be racist.
The basis of my argument is that prejudice and racism are two completely distinct terms. Racism, as we have discussed can not be deduced to interpersonal relationships, but is a system of advantage. The determining factor of who is advantaged and who isn't is based on race. Racism in the US is built on a historic system of oppression. This system includes cultural devaluation of the other, while exalting the culture of the majority. This is coupled with beliefs that are supported by institutional policies and practices. Based on these premises it is clear that the US operates as a racist system in which whites inherit a status of advantage while people of color are subjected to a position of disadvantage. A status of advantage grants power which lead to the institutionalizing of racist beliefs and practices.This system of advantage is referred as white privilege, which we began to discuss. As I stated Peggy McIntosh is responsible for writing a piece on the societal privileges available to whites that aren't available to people of color. I am reposting it again. http://www.antiracistalliance.com/Unpacking.html. I think this brings to reality for many whites who are unaware of the benefits of being white.
Based on the definition of racism being grounded by power, I contend that blacks can not be racist. I can not place myself in my classmates shoe and think of a racially "hatefully charged word" like Nigger to call a white person who has wronged me in some way. I can't use such a word against a white person and at once assault them with a history of oppression and degradation. I can not benefit systemically by being racist. A black person can exhibit prejudice attitudes or behaviors. So in all I do not believe a black person can be racist.



Here is Dave Chapelle addressing issues of racism through comedy. We discussed this on Monday for a bit. He touches on issues of white privilege and the use of the word Nigger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU28Pv26nNQ&NR=1

How do we do this- for real?

This week we spent time getting a taste of what students labeled different feel when immersed into a class in which their first language isn't spoken. Although the class activity was very humorous it was was also insightful. Even for myself, I am of West Indian descent, when Prof. Smith began instructing in Patwa, I thought to myself, she has officially lost her mind. I mean I could clearly understand what she was instructing us to do, but I wondered how everyone else would make out, I even tried to "translate" at some points. And even though I understood her fine I was reluctant to raise my hand and respond because after all, my imitation Patwa stinks and I was intimidated to make an ass of myself. Although I took the message away of what a student labeled different goes through in the US school system, I also saw what not to do when trying to bring multiculturalism into the classroom. Linguistically different students have a very hard time learning when transitioning into a system that expects them to learn a new language while concurrently learning a new language. Logically this makes no sense, as a result students tend to fall behind, not because they aren't capable of the work, but because they are unable to communicate what they know.

We began to speak on what are some ways to practically introduce and maintain multiculturalism in the classroom. It think it is first essential to understand that as Tenorio said children aren't too young to have "real conversations" about race and bias. The truth of the matter is that they are learning these things at very early ages, this was evident in their responses. I think that the earlier you begin to address these issues, the easier we can begin to irradiate racist ideas and bias. I think my favorite activity from the Wu reading this week was the Me Pockets, in which the students were asked to take home plastic sleeves and fill it with anything that says me! This activity not only brought knowledge to the other students in the class, it also aided in reaffirming the students identity. Even the "Let's Talk About Skin" candidly revealed the way children are affected by issues of race, and how they were being impressed upon at such an early age.

We began to discuss the ways in which we would deal with multiculturalism in the classroom if we were teachers. This is something I struggled with but with some more time to think, I came up with a few things that support multiculturalism in the classroom setting:


HELLO- this i would use for grade school children. Each day the students would be required to great the classroom by saying "Hello my name is...." in a different language. If there is a native speaker in the class, they would develop a "lesson" for the class and teach some words in their language. This again promotes and reaffirms the students home culture by bringing it into the classroom and showing the student that their culture is indeed important.

URBAN IQ TEST- tests don't usually test students on relevant things. IQ tests are rarely if ever made with culturally diversity in mind. I found a test called the Redden-Simmons Rap Test. Although the language is a bit outdated I would incorporate this into a lesson with either JHS or HS students.
http://wilderdom.com/personality/intelligenceReddon-SimonsRapTest.html 

PROVERBS- this one I found online. It's goal is to show students that people from different cultures and backgrounds share a lot of the same morals and beliefs. It's explained in the pdf on the link below on page 7&8. pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/ui335.pdf