I thought this was an interesting article on how culture affects a black male's education. It was posted this past Sunday in the Star-Ledger. There are very few ELL at my school, so the principal shared this article. This is a problem at the middle school where I am teaching at. Maybe some of you can relate. However, this article took some interesting and perhaps controversial standpoints. The image came out small, I was hoping to find a copy of it online but I couldn't. I scanned it hoping that maybe you can enlarge it in your browser if you click "view image." I hope this is of interest...If the image doesn't work, here are some of the main points:
1) "Black youths, and black boys in particular, perform more poorly on standardized tests than white and Asian youths, regardless of income."
2) The authors trace underachievement to the breakdown of the family, when he reported that 25% of black children were born to single mothers in 1965. Nowadays, the percentage has jumped to 70%.
3) "[The report] quotes a Cleveland boy who said he ceased to be taunted at school when he let his grades fall. And it includes the observations of a youth mentor, who said he has been told by children he is the only adult in their lives excited to see their report cards."
*4) The report calls that the federal NCLB act be amended to treat black boys as a distinct category deserving special attention, including a longer school year.
3 comments:
I found this article extremely interesting because this is a definite problem at the school I am in now in Hillside. Twenty out of the twenty-five students in the class I am in are African-American. Out of these twenty students, maybe seven or eight of them take their education seriously. This deeply saddens me because the potential that so many of them have is unbelievable. For whatever reason education was never made out to be a priority to them. Even when my cooperating teacher makes attempts to contact their parents/guardians reguarding their poor performance, nothing is done about it. It is just not a big deal. Maybe they expect it? Maybe they think that is all their children are capable of? I surely hope that is not the case because that is so far from the truth. Something needs to be done to change how education is viewed among African-Americans.
This is not a problem that can be addressed throught legislation. The fundamental,undeniable problem is the structure of the family within the black community. Single mothers having kids that grow up without a male authority figure account for a staggering majority and is, unbevievabley, an accepted practice within the black community. This is the situation that needs to change, not passing more bills and spending our way to a one-generation solution. A fundamental change at the core of the black community needs to happen for permanent change to occure.
Elizabeth HS is mostly African Americans. For some,education is not a priority. for others they think they want to be "rappers and business people" and they don't even know theyre times table. On the other hand, parents are not around and unaware of what they children wants. It's sad but there is no guidence, love, careness and family instruction.
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