“Every educational system functions to perpetuate the larger society by acculturating its young into the order, and the purpose of the American colonial education system are to maintain this societal structure. Its claims of individual freedom, culture pluralism, and world democratization obscure its ideologies of elitism, cultural monism, and world Americanization; Black children are the acculturated victims…These cultural realties contribute to the academic and cultural problems of Black students; miseducation to believe in individual freedom, and that one is thus responsible for one’s own success and failure. Black students often question their own intelligence when they do not succeed in school” (Atkinson and Hord, 1983, p 3-4).
Twitter:@DrShanelleRD Facebook: @drshanellerdawson Instagram: @DrShanelleRDawson Though Black student achievement has made enormous strides over the past five decades, African American students, as a demographic group, continue to fall far below their same age white counterparts. A half-century since the Brown ruling attempted to make desegregation the law of the land, African American students, the very group of students who were supposed to benefit most from Brown, are arguably the most underachieving group of students in U. S. Schools (Miner and Howard, 2004). The U.S. Department of Education concluded, "The racial achievement gap is real and not shrinking (Saunders, Davis, Williams, & Williams, 2004). According to the NAPCS (2008), alternatives have been tried over the past five decades to bridge the gap between white and black student achievement, including magnet schools, curricula changes, and district takeovers (NAPCS, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, 2008). Considering the recent decision in Florida, one must wonder what school systems are willing to sacrifice at the expense of Black students. Educators know educating the whole child is a reliable indicator of student success. The whole child methodology understands education and life outcomes are contingent upon access to safe and welcoming learning environments and comprehensive learning experiences in and out of school. The Florida decision is based on deceit and fallacies. Under no circumstance will dishonesty and myths produce an educated populace prepared to govern and lead the next generation. I believe this is another form of enslavement. It is through the lack of knowledge that people perish. Therefore, this ruling will have far-reaching effects on all students. However, this educational injustice will compound the impact on black students. School systems are a microcosm of the greater society. Rewriting history books to meet the needs of one group at the expense of another is no different than creating laws to allow freedom and movement for one group yet shackle the other.
Students will resist, and this will have ripple effects. Teachers' bias and lack of student production will lead to lower expectations and decreased academic achievement, which results in re-segregation: the over-representation of black students in special education. Negative teacher attitudes lead to actual discrimination. When teachers expect Black students to fail regardless of their academic potential, they will adjust their teaching and behavior to help realize these expectations. Teachers have the power to steer students away from high expectations advertently or inadvertently because teachers believe students to be low achievers. Teachers must expect, encourage, and promote excellence among Black children even when the educational system says to do otherwise. It is the hope that teachers will embed truth in the curriculum. However, this is unlikely. Teachers tend to bring their own culture and values into the classroom. When faced with a cultural conflict, they often react by rigidly adhering to their values; thus, intentionally or unintentionally, their behavior interferes with learning. Prejudices and stereotyping lead to assumptions that influence actions and obstruct effective teaching. Consequently, a phenomenon will occur that fosters white supremacist ideology in education because students will challenge the ruling, and this resistance will lead to inflexibility, which will cause an increase in school disruptions, and Black students will suffer.
Fortunately, truth is widely available for all, yet the Florida School system has decided to teach misrepresentations. This distortion in education will most certainly lead to the over-suspension, expulsion, and removal of black students from school and swell the preschool-to-prison pipeline.
References
Milner, H. R. (2006). Culture, race and spirit: A reflective model for the study of African Americans. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), 19(3), 367.
Milner, H. R. (2003). Teacher Reflection and Race in Cultural Contexts: History, Meanings, and Methods in Teaching. Theory Into Practice, 42, (3), 173 - 180 August 2003.
Milner, H. R., & Howard, T. C. (2004). Black teachers, black students, black communities, and brown: Perspectives and insights from experts. Journal of Negro Education, 73(3), 285.
Saunders, J., Davis, L., Williams, T., & Williams, J. H. (2004). Gender differences in self-perceptions and academic outcomes: A study of African American high school students. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33, 81-90.
Students will resist, and this will have ripple effects. Teachers' bias and lack of student production will lead to lower expectations and decreased academic achievement, which results in re-segregation: the over-representation of black students in special education. Negative teacher attitudes lead to actual discrimination. When teachers expect Black students to fail regardless of their academic potential, they will adjust their teaching and behavior to help realize these expectations. Teachers have the power to steer students away from high expectations advertently or inadvertently because teachers believe students to be low achievers. Teachers must expect, encourage, and promote excellence among Black children even when the educational system says to do otherwise. It is the hope that teachers will embed truth in the curriculum. However, this is unlikely. Teachers tend to bring their own culture and values into the classroom. When faced with a cultural conflict, they often react by rigidly adhering to their values; thus, intentionally or unintentionally, their behavior interferes with learning. Prejudices and stereotyping lead to assumptions that influence actions and obstruct effective teaching. Consequently, a phenomenon will occur that fosters white supremacist ideology in education because students will challenge the ruling, and this resistance will lead to inflexibility, which will cause an increase in school disruptions, and Black students will suffer.
Fortunately, truth is widely available for all, yet the Florida School system has decided to teach misrepresentations. This distortion in education will most certainly lead to the over-suspension, expulsion, and removal of black students from school and swell the preschool-to-prison pipeline.
References
Milner, H. R. (2006). Culture, race and spirit: A reflective model for the study of African Americans. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), 19(3), 367.
Milner, H. R. (2003). Teacher Reflection and Race in Cultural Contexts: History, Meanings, and Methods in Teaching. Theory Into Practice, 42, (3), 173 - 180 August 2003.
Milner, H. R., & Howard, T. C. (2004). Black teachers, black students, black communities, and brown: Perspectives and insights from experts. Journal of Negro Education, 73(3), 285.
Saunders, J., Davis, L., Williams, T., & Williams, J. H. (2004). Gender differences in self-perceptions and academic outcomes: A study of African American high school students. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33, 81-90.