Segregation in PA schools--NOW

I am all for trying new things in order to improve education, but I just cannot wrap my mind around this. . . .
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/27/pennsylvania.segregation/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Pandora said:

I am all for trying new things in order to improve education, but I just cannot wrap my mind around this. . . .
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/27/pennsylvania.segregation/index.html?hpt=Sbin

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Segregation is a powerful word, chock full of so many negative connotations.

I am not sure I'd use that particular word for what this school is doing, because #1.) the children are separated by race & gender for a FEW MINUTES a day to meet with those who can encourage them to choose to succeed, and #2.) the separation is not done with the intent to keep different races completely apart, and finally #3.) The English, math, science, etc. classrooms are NOT segregated, so all children are receiving the same education.....

Having grown up in Louisiana, and personally attending a newly desegregated high school, I can tell you that the reasons for desegregation were because an entire race of students was being kept apart. Nobody except their families really cared if those students received a good education or not, and very few people outside of their race even tried to encourage them to succeed. Their schools did not receive the same up-keep, books, attention that schools built for other races received as a matter of routine.

This school seems to me to working in a pro-active way to ensure each child's success.

kgeaux said:

Segregation is a powerful word, chock full of so many negative connotations.

I am not sure I'd use that particular word for what this school is doing, because #1.) the children are separated by race & gender for a FEW MINUTES a day to meet with those who can encourage them to choose to succeed, and #2.) the separation is not done with the intent to keep different races completely apart, and finally #3.) The English, math, science, etc. classrooms are NOT segregated, so all children are receiving the same education.....

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Angela Tilgham wants to improve the academic performance of the schools black students.

How is a few minutes of homeroom going to do that? If that is her goal then why not have the English, math and science classes segregated as well?

All the children have been receiving the same education all along. Now she wants to seperate the kids by race and gender? For homeroom?

None of the other students are seperated along racial lines. Why not? This is in Lancaster, PA and if I am not mistaken there's a large population of Mexican Americans in Lancaster. I'm not sure if the kids in this school make up a significant number of Mexican Americans, but perhaps they need to have a choice during homeroom to be seperated by gender and have a Mexican teacher?

Ms. Tilgham IMO is going backward. It's also ashame for any black student that has excelled all along and a slap in the face for their teachers no matter their gender or race who have given their all to teach these children.

Filly said:

Angela Tilgham wants to improve the academic performance of the schools black students.

How is a few minutes of homeroom going to do that? If that is her goal then why not have the English, math and science classes segregated as well?

All the children have been receiving the same education all along. Now she wants to seperate the kids by race and gender? For homeroom?

None of the other students are seperated along racial lines. Why not? This is in Lancaster, PA and if I am not mistaken there's a large population of Mexican Americans in Lancaster. I'm not sure if the kids in this school make up a significant number of Mexican Americans, but perhaps they need to have a choice during homeroom to be seperated by gender and have a Mexican teacher?

Ms. Tilgham IMO is going backward. It's also ashame for any black student that has excelled all along and a slap in the face for their teachers no matter their gender or race who have given their all to teach these children.

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Love ya, Filly, love your posts! You are always such a clear thinker, and I respect that. You always make me think through my own opinions, and indeed, sometimes you've been the catalyst to CHANGE my opinion! :great:

However, I do disagree with you on this issue. (Sorry!)

If the students were segregated for all educational classes, then there would be a chance for separate classes to have unequal quality. I know here in Louisiana, the state tried the old "separate but equal" stance for years, but there is nothing equal if the QUALITY of the education differs, and here, oh boy, it differed! If all the children are being taught academics in the same classes, then that chance is erased.

This program has been implemented because of studies that show that some children respond in a much more positive manner to education when they receive the right encouragement in the right atmosphere........ there are many, many programs that I vehemently disagree with--in fact, I am not a supporter of public education in general and homeschooled my own children with great results--but I do agree with this program.

All children are not created equal, but in order to give them equal opportunities, we must find how, when and where to reach them. In my mind it is sort of like how we treat IEP students now.....inclusion in regular classrooms while acknowledging that they need an individualized approach if they are to reach their highest potential.

I (now y'all can really jump on me!) also really, truly believe the studies that show that boys perform better in all boy schools that allow them more chances to be physical, and that girls perform better in all girl schools. I would welcome the day that acknowledged that boys and girls aren't identical and do not respond identically to the same methods of teaching! In fact, the fact that I had all boy children factored greatly into my decision to homeschool!

I'm in my mid-50's, a daughter of a great teacher, an award winning teacher, a daughter-in-law of a great teacher. Much of what I've come to believe, I learned at their knees.

kgeaux said:

Love ya, Filly, love your posts! You are always such a clear thinker, and I respect that. You always make me think through my own opinions, and indeed, sometimes you've been the catalyst to CHANGE my opinion! :great:

However, I do disagree with you on this issue. (Sorry!)

If the students were segregated for all educational classes, then there would be a chance for separate classes to have unequal quality. I know here in Louisiana, the state tried the old "separate but equal" stance for years, but there is nothing equal if the QUALITY of the education differs, and here, oh boy, it differed! If all the children are being taught academics in the same classes, then that chance is erased.

This program has been implemented because of studies that show that some children respond in a much more positive manner to education when they receive the right encouragement in the right atmosphere........ there are many, many programs that I vehemently disagree with--in fact, I am not a supporter of public education in general and homeschooled my own children with great results--but I do agree with this program.

All children are not created equal, but in order to give them equal opportunities, we must find how, when and where to reach them. In my mind it is sort of like how we treat IEP students now.....inclusion in regular classrooms while acknowledging that they need an individualized approach if they are to reach their highest potential.

I (now y'all can really jump on me!) also really, truly believe the studies that show that boys perform better in all boy schools that allow them more chances to be physical, and that girls perform better in all girl schools. I would welcome the day that acknowledged that boys and girls aren't identical and do not respond identically to the same methods of teaching! In fact, the fact that I had all boy children factored greatly into my decision to homeschool!

I'm in my mid-50's, a daughter of a great teacher, an award winning teacher, a daughter-in-law of a great teacher. Much of what I've come to believe, I learned at their knees.

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Awwwww, me a clear thinker, Kgeaux? Thank you so much. That means alot to me coming from you.

Absolutely agree with you in regards to all boys or all girls only schools. Heck, I'm a product of one. See how that worked out? My siblings are and they're not too shabby. Sent my DD to an all girls private school.

However, in this particular case and I understand your point but I don't see how a half hour of homeroom will change that. Pardon me, but it sounds like Bill Cosby dreamed it up.

Of course I'm from an extremely diverse city. Our school system is so much different than those down South. At least what I've garnered from my nephew.

Kgeaux I'll try and find a link to a debate they had here recently. Something about African American children not being taught correctly or at least not retaining or paying attention because the teachers are not African American. It caused a firestorm by teachers of every race, religion and non religion alike. When I get a chance I'll find it for us.

Bless your mom and your MIL. Teaching is the most important job in the world after parenting IMO. Bless you with homeschooling. I give you great props. I so wish I would have had the patience and education myself to have done it.

We'll see what happens up in Lancaster. Meanwhile they have a huge Amish community there that does their own schooling.