The Morning Call and Express Times have reported that the federal government is making inquires regarding opportunities for minorities in honor, gifted and advanced placement courses in the Allentown School system. These investigations usually result from a complaint. Yesterday, in a Facebook comment, a local Latino accused the school administration of institutional racism.
What will it take until the parents of this district take to the streets. ASD is institutionally hostile to students and educators of color. No question. So what are you going to do about it?
Those making such comments base their accusation on the small number of minorities represented in the administration and teaching staff, vs. the high percentage of minority students in the system. Although minorities are now a majority in the Allentown School System, this transition occurred in just the last decade. The career of the average education professional is about thirty five years. Before the fiscal crunch, when Allentown was in the hiring mode, it took aggressive action looking for minority candidates. Almost half the population of Puerto Rico now resides in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Florida. Many communities in these states are competing for Hispanic educators. Hispanic teachers cannot be manufactured. The activists should expend their energy cultivating an appreciation of education in their community. In the meantime, they should show more appreciation for the dedicated teachers of ASD.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteIsn't this just what the doctor ordered(note sarcasm)? A claim this ugly thrown into the mix with the district's dire fiscal problem. The same government that is starving the district of funds has now decided discrimination is the cause of low test scores. Typical!
Scott Armstrong
Remember when the dream was that a person wouldn't be judged by the color of ther skin?
ReplyDeleteI guess that only goes one way, and doesn't apply to teachers.
Excellent post Michael. Completely on target.
ReplyDeleteTheir approach was absolutely the wrong way to address this perceived problem.
The activists are doing more harm than they are good.
If they would look at the financial condition of the school district and the calamitous prospects for the future, they may have to think about who will be running the school in a few years.
It will only get worse. Couldn't they find a more constructive way to address this issue?
It would be interesting to see where Mayfield is going and how much he is going to get paid.
If the city's school budget is $200M why not just give each family a million and let them find the school of their dreams. Where is this enormous sum going?
ReplyDeleteHow much will ASD have to spend on defending itself in this "audit." Seems like this just puts the district that much closer to ultimate bankruptcy, which is where it will be sooner or later anyways.
ReplyDeleteWhat constitutes institutional racism, anyways? I will be very curious to see the evidence.
Who needs evidence when you've got raw emotion that is guaranteed to influence the masses enormously?
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many white teachers are in schools in Harlem, Bed Sty, etc.
ReplyDeleteThese kids are failing miserably and all the press concerns itself with is the dreaded "n" word.
"What will it take until the parents of this district take to the streets."
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this question all day. What WILL it take to get parents' interest in this town?
The children of Allentown are relegated to crumbling institutions, while a boatload of grants and improvement zones and opportunity zones are used to line the pockets of the politically connected.
The children of this town deserve better. Parents should have been rebelling and protesting a long time ago. Unfortunately, the overwhelming number of ASD parents have already spoken loudly and clearly, and their resounding message, in too many cases, is "I DON'T CARE."