Sunday, August 30, 2009

Our education system cheats blacks, here's why | thestarpress.com | The Star Press


Our education system cheats blacks, here's why thestarpress.com The Star Press:

"The education system is fundamentally broken, and all attempts at artificial reform would only prove futile in the long run. What is needed at this junction is a transformation of not only school policies, but of attitudes, values and perceptions in a way that holds sacred the humanity of every child -- especially the black ones.

For too long, misconceptions about black students' academic abilities have gone unchallenged, creating an atmosphere in which teachers, principals and, inevitably, parents believe that African American kids lack the intellectual capacity to function parallel with their white and Asian counterparts. And, for too long, much has either not been done about it, or much too little has been done to bridge this ever-widening gap of inequality. It's time for substantive engagement of these issues that deeply affect kids whose socio-economic background is often the indicator of how far toward the goal of success they're likely to get."