California school district considers teaching classes in Ebonics

[RickM]

Wow, statements like these blow me away.

"Ebonics, a dialect of American English that is spoken by many blacks throughout the country, was recognized as a separate language in 1996 by the Oakland school board."

"Ebonics is a different language, it's not slang as many believe,' Texeira said. "For many of these students Ebonics is their language, and it should be considered a foreign language. These students should be taught like other students who speak a foreign language."


Guess we're not going to settle on one language for this country.

http://www.sbsun.com/cda/article/print/0,1674,208~12588~2969790,00.html

[Moses]

Great. Exactly what the public schoolchildren of Oakland need; yet another barrier to achievement.

Where is the outcry from the NEA or CTA? Who represents these kids?

[Moneyguy1]

It will sure help the kids to land a job...Oh wait, they will stay in the 'hood, right? Lots of bling to be gotten dealing on the corner.

I once again find myself agreeing with Moses.

[Neilk]

Originally posted by Moses
Where is the outcry from the NEA or CTA? Who represents these kids?

No one wants the feel the wrath of Jesse... just not worth it. Just don't tell that to the poor, bad choice of words, I mean, unfortunate kids who suffer the consequences in the future.

[gaijindabe]

That was my minor in Public School in NY and I came out O.K.

[legion]

Teaching children that everyone will bend over backwards to accomodate you accomplishes what?

It breeds a sense of entitlement and inflated expectations for the future.

[island911]

Originally quoted by RickM
Wow...
"Ebonics is a different language, it's not slang as many believe, '

yeah right. A true language has some semblance of stability about it.

"Ebonics" changes so fast . . .it's slang.

Though, I'm sure it gets 'gubmint funding' if they can call it a language.

[pbs911]

Legalized racial segregation of the 21st Century.

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by pbs911
Legalized racial segregation of the 21st Century.

Exactly.

Feel free to speak all the ebonics you want, just don't expect get to a JOB.

Its shocking. African Americans fighting for the right to fail.

Sickening.

[bryanthompson]

I really want to hear a lecture on molecular biology or quantum physics being taught in ebonics.

Side note...
Is alfred banned this month, or will we be hearing from him on this

[Jeff Higgins]

I heard the Miss Ebonics Pageant had to be cancelled when only 49 states entered. No one wanted to be Miss "I - da - ho".

[Moses]

Originally posted by HardDrive

Its shocking. African Americans fighting for the right to fail.

Sickening.

The civil rights leadership have betrayed their constituency yet again.

In the 70's the people of Oakland begged for charter schools and increased funding to supplement teachers salaries so that every neighborhood in Oakland could have a place for the bright, hardworking kids to get a solid education. What did they get? Bad schools, academic failures and affirmative action.

Side note; Who does affirmative action really help? I work closely with 8 or 10 black physicians. guess what they all have in common. Their parents were also doctors. They are bright and well educated. They didn't need preferential admissions. So what happens the the bright kid in west Oakland whose only crime is being born in west Oakland? His public education will not provide even the most basic skills he will need to perform academically and achieve his potential. This kid has been sold out.

[FrayAdjacent911]

damn. Just.... damn.

[dd74]

To me this is another excuse for not putting effort into a society which has its own basis of belonging. Every culture has one. We speak English here, not eubonics, not Spanglish, or whatever other bastardization of American English there is.

Proper English is one of the biggest selling points for education and business, both domestically and internationally. Fortunately this debate over one's right to utilize improper grammar lost all credibility before, and will do so again - no one takes it in any other way than just pure laziness. If I was Schwarzenegger, I'd personally fire these teachers and administrators for even entertaining the idea.

If such a policy is accepted, however, I'd hate to see the lasting ramifications on not just blacks in Oakland, but nationwide. They will double-negative and improper-pronoun themselves into a sub-class within the U.S. and everywhere else.

[Moses]

Originally posted by dd74
They will double-negative and improper-pronoun themselves into a sub-class within the U.S. and everywhere else.

That's already been done. This is an attempt by the Oakland school district to legitimize its failures.

[strother]

The article says:

1. The school district is not going to include ebonics in their program;
2. A sociology professor has "suggested" that adding ebonics would help -- it seems to me that he made the suggestion to the interviewer, not the school district.

Ebonics are a joke, but let's not make a big deal out of nothing.

[strother]

Originally posted by dd74
We speak English here, not eubonics, not Spanglish, or whatever other bastardization of American English there is.

Maybe at country clubs. I speak whatever it takes to communicate, which is often Spanglish and sometimes Vietnamese for Dummies. I've been known to break out into sign language if necessary. I thought it was the French who were protective of their language.

[Moses]

Originally posted by strother
The article says:

1. The school district is not going to include ebonics in their program;
2. A sociology professor has "suggested" that adding ebonics would help -- it seems to me that he made the suggestion to the interviewer, not the school district.

Ebonics are a joke, but let's not make a big deal out of nothing.

Here is a copy of the resolution adopted by the Oakland school board in '96;

WHEREAS, numerous validated scholarly studies demonstrate that African-American students as a part of their culture and history as African people possess and utilize a language described in various scholarly approaches as "Ebonics" (literally "Black sounds") or "Pan-African Communication Behavior" or "African Language Systems"; and

WHEREAS, these studies have also demonstrated that African Language Systems are genetically based and not a dialect of English; and

WHEREAS, these studies demonstrate that such West and Niger-Congo African languages have been officially recognized and addressed in the mainstream public educational community as worth of study, understanding or application of its principles, laws and structures for the benefit of African-American students both in terms of positive appreciation of the language and these students' acquisition and mastery of English language skills; and

WHEREAS, such recognition by scholars has given rise over the past fifteen years to legislation passed by the State of California recognizing the unique language stature of descendants of slaves, with such legislation being prejudicially and unconstitutionally vetoed repeatedly by various California state governors; and

WHEREAS, judicial cases in states other than California have recognized the unique language stature of African-American pupils, and such recognition by courts has resulted in court-mandated educational programs which have substantially benefited African American children in the interest of vindicating their equal protection of the law rights under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Bilingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1402 et seq) mandates that local educational agencies "build their capacities to establish, implement and sustain programs of instruction for children and youth of limited English proficiency; and

WHEREAS, the interests of the Oakland Unified School District in providing equal opportunities for all of its students dictate limited English proficient educational programs recognizing the English language acquisition and improvement skills of African-American students are as fundamental as is application of bilingual education principles for others whose primary languages are other than English; and

WHEREAS, the standardized tests and grade scores of African-American students in reading and language arts skills measuring their application of English skills are substantially below state and national norms and that such deficiencies will be remedied by application of a program featuring African Language Systems principles in instructing African-American children both in their primary language and in English; and

WHEREAS, standardized tests and grade scores will be remedied by application of a program with teachers and aides who are certified in the methodology of featuring African Language Systems principles in instructing African-American children both in their primary language and in English. The certified teachers of these students will be provided incentives including, but not limited to salary differentials.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED that the Board of Education officially recognizes the existence, and the cultural and historic bases of West and Niger-Congo African Language Systems, and each language as the predominantly primary language of African-American students; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education hereby adopts the report recommendations and attached Policy Statement of the District's African-American Task Force on language stature of African-American speech; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Superintendent in conjunction with her staff shall immediately devise and implement the best possible academic program for imparting instruction to African-American students in their primary language for the combined purposes of maintaining the legitimacy and richness of such language whether it is known as "Ebonics," "African Language Systems," "Pan-African Communication Behaviors" or other description, and to facilitate their acquisition and mastery of English language skills; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education hereby commits to earmark District general and special funding as is reasonably necessary and appropriate to enable the Superintendent and her staff to accomplish the foregoing; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Superintendent and her staff shall utilize the input of the entire Oakland educational community as well as state and federal scholarly and educational input in devising such a program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that periodic reports on the progress of the creation and implementation of such an educational program shall be made to the Board at least once per month commencing at the Board meeting of December 18, 1996.

[strother]

The linked article was talking about a specific program put into place in San Bernardino County. Not Oakland. I'm only pointing this out so that we don't turn into Chicken Littles and scream that the sky is falling. The article doesn't imply that San Bernandino County ever seriously contemplated ebonics.

[Moneyguy1]

You are repeating yourself!!!!

(grin)