  Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 10077 Registered: 10-2003 |
Toronto has o.k'ed a school that will be "afrocentric" in nature. Do you believe that the DPS or the surrounding area should do the same? Is it divisive or common sense? http://www.canada.com/windsors tar/story.html?id=8ce64655-a18 d-469f-a2d5-d762bc10cac9&k=861 00 | ||
Fury13 Member Username: Fury13 Post Number: 3705 Registered: 10-2003 |
Detroit already has some Afrocentric schools, I believe. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 1470 Registered: 09-2007 |
Unofficially, we already have Afrocentric schools. | ||
Melody Member Username: Melody Post Number: 110 Registered: 11-2007 |
Before creating a school like this, I think a smarter thing to do is make sure that Black History is tought AS A PART of American and World History classes in ALL schools all over the U.S. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11303 Registered: 10-2003 |
Detroit as well as cities like Washingon, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, etc. I agree 100% with Melody. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 3376 Registered: 06-2006 |
Melody: Isn't that a separate issue though? The idea of these schools isn't to teach kids black history...it's to help them be more successful in school... The concept of including more black history in American history classes might have its benefits, but it doesn't seem like it would raise black students' GPAs much... | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 1051 Registered: 07-2007 |
Before they wanted to integrate schools and bus kids here and there because they supposedly didn't receive a good education. Now they want to separate kids because they aren't getting a good education. When this doesn't work, what will be tried next. | ||
Fmstack Member Username: Fmstack Post Number: 34 Registered: 06-2007 |
I have to imagine that the prospects for any sort of school differentiation are harder in the US than in Canada, just because of the constraints imposed by the federal high-stakes standardized testing system (of which "No Child Left Behind" is just one part). Likewise, the Canadian system has a lot more funding flexibility than the US one does; instead of a local property-tax funding system, they've got a system whereby funding for schools is evenly distributed across all districts -- so there's not situations like here, where the Troy school districts have more money than they can spend, while the Detroit districts would be absolutely boned, moneywise, even without the corruption and incompetence that marks DPS. Basically, between the lack of funding and federal mandates, Detroit's schools don't have much of a chance to do much of anything at all. So, yeah, an "afrocentric" school could be successful -- if it were in Birmingham. | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 10079 Registered: 10-2003 |
What I am not understanding is why do studies have to pertain to black people or white peole only? The only course where any ethnic group could increase their GPA is in history as it pertains to them only. Is not math just math in all cultures? Is not science just science in all cultures? Why would being from a different ethnic origin degrade anyone's marks? Maybe someone of another ethnic group can enlighten me on this subject. | ||
Frumoasa Member Username: Frumoasa Post Number: 106 Registered: 03-2007 |
The Nataki Talibah Schoolhouse has a model that uses many African learning methods, such as "call and response" participation and oral histories as a way of learning. From the website: Nataki Talibah Schoolhouse of Detroit grew out of a desire for children to develop in an academic and social environment in which their cultural and individual identity would be the vantage point from which information, experiences and ideas were absorbed. In this endeavor our objective is not to attempt to convince children of their cultural or individual importance in the human family, but rather to provide an atmosphere in which this conclusion in inevitable. Source: http://www.ntsd.com I've heard nice things about the school. | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 775 Registered: 07-2004 |
This black focus school idea has been very heated here in Toronto. First, the schools are not only for black people. White people and any other person from any backround can attend these courses and school. Second, I don't think the black focus school is going to help much in the grand scheme of things. 40% of black students in Toronto do not graduate high-school. This is what has caused the issue of black focus schools and improving the conditions for black people a big deal in Toronto. Because black students on a whole are not graduating like their counterparts from all other nationalities and races in Toronto. The black focus school is only going to be in one north west Toronto school at the moment, in a troubled areas out in suburban Rexdale. I really am not sold on the black focus idea. As has been mentioned in the news here, I think the biggest issue in black students doing bad in Toronto schools, is the lack of a stable family life. The kids with the largest amount of broken families, no fathers, and parents who don't care, are the black kids of Toronto. And I think that is a bigger issue then learning about Africa in school. In some areas of Toronto as much as 80-90% of the black kids have no father at home and in most cases don't even know their father. They live with mothers who have 5 other kids all from different fathers, and the mothers have no time to help their kids with school or anything else. I say fix the family life before the schools. This is a huge issue that no one wants to talk about in Toronto for fear of sounding racists. But I believe the family life is much more of an issue. And by the way it does not have to do with all black kids. Black kids from Jamica and the Carabian are the ones falling behind and not graduating. So we have to be asking why it is just this segment that is not advancing. Black focus schools won't fix the broken family lives most of these kids come from. On a side note, I went to school with many black people. And the black people who came from stable families did just as great as their non-black peers. But the large large number of black kids who came from troubled families are the ones that were not doing good. | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 4690 Registered: 10-2003 |
When I began to attend Wayne State University, I met some exotic girls who came from that exotic place some refer to as the East Side. Some of them told me that they had been educated in a place called "Ukie School"... I guess that could also be called a Ukraniancentric School... Man, those girls were smart, and they could speak more languages than me. The biggest failure of education has to be the "one size fits all" model. So if people want an Afro-centric school, let them have it, as long as any child of any color can attend. Ditto for an Anglo-Centric school. The theme of education brings to mind a quote by the head of the nation and head of the Bush Crime Family: "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.'' -George W. Bush, Feb. 21, 2001 (Here's hoping our next president will be fluent in English) | ||
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln Post Number: 353 Registered: 06-2007 |
Barnesfoto- Have you written ONE post in which you dont bash Bush? Making every post political propaganda destroys your credibility. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1409 Registered: 11-2003 |
"Before creating a school like this, I think a smarter thing to do is make sure that Black History is tought AS A PART of American and World History classes in ALL schools all over the U.S." ^^^^ Black history is taught... but it's kinda like one small chapter in one huge book. | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 4694 Registered: 10-2003 |
I remember reading an interview with the woman who runs NTS, and she seemed to find fault in having a "special month" rather than simply teaching history and including black people in it. How sensible is that? As for my credibility, some people might think that a president who, when discussing the topic of education, says things like "The illiteracy level of our children are appalling." (—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004) has a credibility problem himself. But to leave on a positive note, it's heartwarming to think that even morons, (or morans) are concerned about education. More "presidential" quotes on education and other topics here: http://www.slate.com/id/76886/ | ||
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin Post Number: 5470 Registered: 10-2003 |
He is an idiot... | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 245 Registered: 11-2007 |
Part of the issue here in Toronto with this trial school is that no one is exactly sure what it will look like and some who voted against it don't want it coming back at them if it's a dismal failure. The problem is treating blacks in Toronto all the same. Toronto has few African Americans in relation to the number of blacks from many Caribbean countries. Exactly what culture are they to teach? As well, there is a problem with impoverished Vietnamese teens in gangs. Should they get their own schools? I think in the U.S. there has been far greater success with all male shools regardless of race. Give the kids a decent meal, teach some discipline and get rid of the "show off to impress the chicks" mentality. Then you can add some multi-cultural history and pride in the curriculum. It's all about developing self-worth and a belief that a future exists. Mentoring programs from successful people of different backgrounds is extremely important in this regard. | ||
Jenniferl Member Username: Jenniferl Post Number: 420 Registered: 03-2004 |
The Ukrainian school that Barnesfoto referred to is Immaculate Conception, a private Catholic school. I think it's OK for private schools to have an ethnic or racial focus, but not public schools. | ||
Wfw Member Username: Wfw Post Number: 326 Registered: 03-2004 |
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has announced that he's against the plan and that the Ontario government won't fund it. That should make things a little more difficult. | ||
Sludgedaddy Member Username: Sludgedaddy Post Number: 5 Registered: 01-2008 |
Barnesfoto, Not only did those Ukie girls speak more languages than you, they probably could drink you under the table,too. I ought to know, I hung out with a lot of IC alumni at Lili's 21 in Hamtown, plus my brother married a Uke. | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 4701 Registered: 10-2003 |
^^correct! ah, Lilis, yes, I met one of their barmaids in Prof. Bergoines film class many cold winters ago... | ||
Detroite Member Username: Detroite Post Number: 31 Registered: 12-2006 |
Malcolm X Academy is considered an "Afro-centric Education". It doesn't mean that they learn specifically African history, although they do include a great deal more of it than most elementary/middle schools do. They focus on the theory that all people can trace their lineage back to Africa. | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 1195 Registered: 10-2003 |
When I was a child, I went to Gaelic-centric school...well actually, it was Nemos...my uncle brought me there before the Tigers game, explained how everybody in the place was my cousin...and we were just stopping by to get our thinking straight before the game...I'm sure that the Afro-centric school will follow a similar syllabus. | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 1074 Registered: 07-2007 |
hahahahaha too funny | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 2535 Registered: 07-2004 |
401don, technically speaking, Toronto should have very few, if any, "African Americans" attending their schools. People who can trace their ancestry back to Africa and live in Canada should be called "African Canadians." Now, if the person can trace their ancestry to Jamaica and they live in Canada, then ,technically speaking, they should be called a "Jamaican Canadian." All of the political correctness has got people naming people in strange ways. Personally, I feel that the way that you describe a person should be based on the country that they live in and then their ethnicity. Therefore, an American who traces their ancestry back to Africa should be called an American of African descent. If that person is Irish, then they should be called an American of Irish descent. If Canadian and from Ireland, then they should be called a Canadian of Irish descent. People think it's politically incorrect to use the term "black" to describe someone who has African features or whose ancestors come from Africa, but it's less confusing than calling a black person in Canada an "African American." Actually, if you follow history, the oldest human remains were found in Africa. Therefore, technically speaking, all people in the world are of African descent. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 1205 Registered: 06-2006 |
All of DPS is already Afrocentric...according the the Board, we have an Afrocentric curriculum. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 251 Registered: 11-2007 |
Royce, I always thought of African American as a more generic term that applied to North American blacks of African ancestry. You rarely hear blacks in Canada call themselves African Canadians. On the other hand, since African Canadians or their ancestors pretty well all came through the U.S. I guess they could call themselves African American Canadians.  | ||
Sludgedaddy Member Username: Sludgedaddy Post Number: 6 Registered: 01-2008 |
Can we now refer to Hillbillies as Appalachian-Americans? | ||
Jenniferl Member Username: Jenniferl Post Number: 421 Registered: 03-2004 |
Actually, I have heard hillbillies referred to as Appalachian-Americans. I don't think anyone would allow them to have their own school, though. | ||
321brian Member Username: 321brian Post Number: 566 Registered: 02-2006 |
401, Maybe blacks in Canada just aren't as sensitive and maybe whites in Canada treat them a little better. | ||
Sludgedaddy Member Username: Sludgedaddy Post Number: 7 Registered: 01-2008 |
Jenniferl, I guess the Minnie Pearl Truck Stop of Advanced Learning might be a good idea as long as they get to raise the Stars and Bars. |
