www.startribune.com/stories/1519/4105372.html [from Bediako's column] "It is unfortunate that the Star Tribune would use the hardships of this new teacher to reinforce the negative stereotypes of public education in Minneapolis and of African-American youth...[snip]
[Doug Mann] Publishing that article may do more good than harm if it shifts the discussion away from what isn't happening in the schools and toward what is happening in the schools. I believe that negative stereotypes of African-American youth are rooted in a "learning gap" and will fade away to the degree that the district makes progress toward educating all students to the same high standard. I suspect that a huge majority of MPS teachers have negative images and feelings about African-American students because of negative experiences. Data on disciplinary actions indicates that teachers generally have far more interactions of a negative character with African-American students than they do with Euro-American students. It stands to reason that negative stereotypes are not reinforced by positive experiences, and negative stereotypes are not reinforced by positive experiences. Teachers who have mostly positives experiences with African-American students, at least within their own classroom, will have a fairly high opinion of African-American students. This is probably the case with the fairly small minority of teachers who are pretty successful in educating all students to the same, high academic standard. [Again from Bediako's column] I also question the timing of the diary's publication, which subtly suggests that this is what education looks like under Carol Johnson's leadership. It is unfair, untrue and racist. To the contrary, Johnson helped improve test scores and psychologically supported Minneapolis teachers and staff through hard economic times. Is that to say that the Minneapolis Public Schools have no problems? Of course not. The learning gap between white students and students of color is deplorable, but Johnson acknowledged it, worked on the problem and showed progress. [Doug Mann] The district's claim about making progress toward closing the gap is fraudulent. The district is cooking its data. A narrowing of the test score gap shown by the district is an uncorrected statistical effect of low-performing students being pushed out of school. A progressively lower proportion of the low-performing students are in the district's year-to-year comparisons for that reason. That method of analysis produces higher test scores and narrows the gap. On the other hand, a comparison of standardized test scores from one year to the next for the same sets of students has shown that the racial gap has been opening, not closing. I think that efforts by Carol Johnson's supporters to whitewash the schools and to brand Johnson's critics as racists have helped Johnson's career, but have not helped to lay the basis for closing the academic achievement gap between black and white students. [From Bediako's column] By writing about her hardships, Maynard also exposed the need for teachers to know the cultures of the students they teach. Students only get away with as much as we as teachers allow them to get away with. It is extremely important that educators create limits for children. Contrary to popular belief, children want to do the right thing, but if they have the option to get into mischief they will take it. One of the greatest frustrations for me as a teacher of so-called at-risk students was the constant discussion about why some African-Americans were not more successful in school. The reasons always included things like poverty, drugs, gangs, homelessness and family problems... [Doug Mann] One of my greatest frustrations as a parent has been the insistence of district leaders that the primary problem is defective learners and not ineffective teaching. I think that most MPS teachers can do a better job of teaching all students, especially those who are being left behind, and would be happier if they did. But that is not going to happen as long as school policy is decided by people who operate on the assumption that primary problem is defective learners and not ineffective teaching. -Doug Mann, King Field Soon to publish a pamphlet entitled Flight from Equality: School reform in the US since 1983 Mann for School Board web site: http://educationright.tripod.com - - REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
