** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
Wilmot,
The community has the knife and the yam. Parents have the power to get
a racist teacher or administrattor out of the system if enough facts
can be amassed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he or she is
guilty of unfair discrimination in the performance of his duties as an
educator. Teachers are paid by the taxpayers' money. Most of these
taxpayers are either parents or sympathizers of parents.
We have the power! Something happened to one of my sons in one of the
middle schools in the vicinity which I perceived as racially motivated.
I wrote a letter to the principal, quoting profusley from the school
handbook. I later called him to vent my anger and things have changed
drastically for my son.
The long and short of all this is that:
1. we need to know our rights as taxpaying parents
2. we need to be very conversant with the grievance procedure in the
school district
3. we need to be bold enough to stick our necks out when our kids are
put at risk by bigoted persons.
Hope that anwers your query
PETER W.VAKUNTA
DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON
602 VAN HISE HALL
1220 LINDEN DRIVE
MADISON WI 53706-1525
U.S.A
Office 608 262 4067
Home 608 422 6089
Cell 608 381 0407
"The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is
in his heart."
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wilmot B. Valhmu" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, September 15, 2005 1:07 pm
Subject: Re: Darlinne Kambwa: RACIAL DIVIDE IN HIGH SCHOOLS
> Uncle Aggo,
>
> After reading this article, I agree with the author that something
> needs to be done. But what? How does the community address this
> issue?
> - Wilmot
>
>
> Aggo Akyea <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
>
> Darlinne Kambwa: RACIAL DIVIDE IN HIGH SCHOOLS MUST BE
> BRIDGED BY GROUP EFFORT
>
> By Darlinne Kambwa
> The Capital Times
> September 14, 2005
> http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion//index.php?ntid=54049&ntpid=11
>
>
> Most students attend school five days a week,
> approximately eight hours a day, for at least 11
> years. With all of the time spent at school, it
> literally becomes a second home.
>
> Students should never feel uncomfortable, unsafe or
> unwanted in our public schools. However, many do.
>
> This fall I am a senior at La Follette High School. As
> a minority student, I feel that the environment has
> not been inviting to the entire student population.
> Racial divisions at La Follette are a serious problem
> that need to be addressed before it becomes worse.
>
> The racial divisions make students, particularly
> minority students, feel uncomfortable and unwanted.
>
> Students at La Follette High School, just like any
> other high school, tend to draw toward people they
> feel comfortable around or have something in common
> with. Groups are often formed based on race, age,
> gender or social class.
>
> As you walk through La Follette's halls, the first
> thing that stands out is race. The halls are crowded
> with little clusters of students everywhere - but most
> of these groups are full of students of the same race.
>
> Students are often told they can always approach a
> teacher or faculty member with their problems. But not
> all students know a faculty member they feel
> comfortable talking with. This is just one example of
> how the administration and teaching staff do not
> connect with the entire student body.
>
> How teachers interact with minority students has a
> large impact on how the minority student body feels in
> school.
>
> Another striking example of how the teachers' and
> administrators' actions at La Follette negatively
> affect the minority student body is the unequal
> enforcement taking place. Oftentimes African-Americans
> and other minorities are stopped in the hallway for
> passes or receive detention for being tardy, while
> whites do not.
>
> Teachers and administrators need to decide on one
> system for enforcing the rules.
>
> This is not to imply that students are not responsible
> for their own actions, but rather that their actions
> need to be fairly judged by the entire staff. Being an
> African-American, I know this treatment makes students
> feel unwanted and discourages success.
>
> There is no one reason that racial division exists at
> La Follette, but it is an issue that needs to be
> discussed. Whatever the solution may be, it must be a
> group effort. Teachers, students and administrators
> need to come together to solve it.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
> www.madison.com is operated by Capital Newspapers,
> publishers of the Wisconsin State Journal, The Capital
> Times, Agri-View and Apartment Showcase. All contents
> Copyright ©2005, Capital Newspapers. All rights
> reserved.
>
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