Reply to Wilson honors for all - how has it worked?

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Wilson honors for all - how has it worked?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

You distort every point ever so slightly to create the adversary you wish you had so you can be the good guy. Typical privileged white dude yelling at not privileged white dudes to watch their privilege.

Racism is absolutely a problem today. It is not, however, the driver of 90% of the decisions or opinions that posters on DCUM like to call racist. In the rare occasions that one accepts that it isn't the driver, one brings up the definition of racism that makes it an institutional problem. Therefore if your statement or action isn't actively anti-racist or seeking equity, it is racist. That isn't sustainable.

I didn't see the PP you bullied say that racism and white privilege don't exist. She did say that they are used as just a tactic to shut down debate. Just because a baseball bat is used as a weapon doesn't mean it isn't also bona fide sports equipment.

[/quote]

What do YOU believe drives the achievement gap at Wilson?  How would you address is?  Do you believe a long history of unequal treatment of black people by civil institutions (segregated schools, closed professions, restrictive deeds, segregated public facilities, employment discrimination, government investment in homeownership overwhelmingly in white neighborhoods) has anything to do with this achievement gap or not?  If not, what do you think are the causes?[/quote]

[b]I don't have time[/b] to be an armchair sociologist. That's for rich white dudes.
I don't think cramming four grade levels in one physics classroom is a solution to a long history of unequal treatment of black people by civil institutions. Why would you?[/quote]

You have time to type three paragraphs of totally ad hominem attacks, but not to discuss policy?

To answer your question, I have said a bunch of times that I doubt HFA is the solution.  I do get why thoughtful, well meaning people support it.  It has certainly already achieved one explicit goal meant to address the long history of unequal treatment -- namely getting more kids of color into honors and AP classes.  That's awesome.  Also, several posters have posted observational research indicating that de-tracking raised achievement levels for minority kids without lowering achievement levels of white kids.

However, other studies suggest that the results in big districts that have tried it on a large scale have not had good results (the Chicago study).  It's important to discuss results like these and come up with ways to address documented unequal treatment and unequal results with the best outcomes for everyone.

What's not useful is strawman arguments about "cramming people into physics classes".  As I understand it, kids who are multiple years behind will still have remedial classes available.  And there will still be at least two levels of physics classes.

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics