home

Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism

By TChris, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Fri Apr 29, 2005 at 06:44:09 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

by TChris

According to students at Santa Monica High School, the school administration has done little to address persistent racism within the school district. A coalition of students of color has decided to tackle the problem by creating a ten point plan to attack the root causes of racial violence.

The document calls for a variety of reforms that include more people of color in faculty and administrative positions, teaching conflict resolution and role modeling, using discipline in ways that “focus less on punishment and more on transformation” and instituting “culturally relevant teaching practices in every course” to “de-colonialize the curriculum.”

The plan comes "two weeks after inter-racial strife erupted into a lunchtime melee" at the school. The students contend that the school administration has long ignored the racial tension that underlies incidents of violence within the school district.

< Hooded Man in Abu Ghraib Photo Speaks Out | Juror Misconduct Leads to Overturned Conviction >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism (none / 0) (#1)
    by Wile ECoyote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:35 PM EST
    Just have to roll my eyes at this. I am trying to figure out what are the "culturally releveant teaching practices" in Physics, Trig, Chemistry, economics, vo-tech, etc. I am guessing this is dumbing down of the curriculum to prepare the students for the outside world. Do the students of color also include yellow and pink students?

    Re: Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism (none / 0) (#2)
    by Wile ECoyote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:35 PM EST
    TL: The preview button seems to wipe out the comments, not allowing those comments to post.

    Re: Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:35 PM EST
    Thanks, Wile, I'll let Mike know and see if he can fix it.

    Re: Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism (none / 0) (#4)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:36 PM EST
    wile, all kids learn differently. our school system is overburdened and does not have the resources or ability to address those different needs. hence the worship of test scores and rote memorization. also, the yellow and pink analogy is nice, but makes very stereotypical assumptions. all asian kids are good at math and get good grades, right? dude, asian gang violence is epidemic all over the los angeles basin. hmm, guess those are the asians who took thug math and not business math. people are all individuals. try to lump them together and you sound like a lump. think, bud. think, think, think.

    Re: Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism (none / 0) (#5)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:36 PM EST
    “people are all individuals. try to lump them together and you sound like a lump.” Right, and to suggest that Latinos need to learn from Latinos or that somehow by the sake of the teacher being Caucasian the education of black children will suffer isn’t any different. But if you go to the article the problem is black and latino kids fighting (not test scores) and the proposed solution is more black and latino teachers and administrators.

    Re: Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism (none / 0) (#6)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:36 PM EST
    pig, now now, don't get testy. you made my point for me. do you think, as you seem to imply, that because they are black and latino, they want teachers SOLELY on the basis of skin color? you wouldn't hold the same stereotype for asians, or pacific islanders, eastern europeans. and yet i'm sure they'd all love more of "their own" teaching their kids. we all do. flocking to the familiar is one thing and instinct, helping to tend the larger flock is another and called democracy. do i think it's good? not always. but inevitable in that you have to share the world, this democracy with people who want and will get things you don't think important or fair or what have you. it's the demographic reality. can't be wished away with niceties about meritocracy and colorblindness, when they still come largely in the shade of white. and you're telling me if you sent your kid to a public school where every teacher was an indian immigrant, that it wouldn't have any impact, you wouldn't think twice, consider it at all?

    Re: Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism (none / 0) (#7)
    by Wile ECoyote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:36 PM EST
    Dadler: I wasn't even thinking about asisan gangs when I mentioned colors. I was wondering if Pinks and yellows would be in on the people of color solutions. I am still wonding what the "culturally releveant teaching practices" in Physics, Trig, Chemistry, economics, vo-tech, etc. I alswys figured we live in a constitutional republic, not a democracy.

    Re: Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:37 PM EST
    Wile E. Sorry to deflate your GOP talking point, but the last time I checked the constitutional republic was a form of democracy. I guess Road Runner droped you on your head one time too many?

    Santa Monica Students Tackle Racism | 8 comments (8 topical)