I think there are probably ways to improve the program but honestly breaking a cycle takes effort.
If you think anyone can waltz in and change the attitudes of people rebuild old or broken infrastructure and just convince great teachers to go into failing often dangerous schools to change the world good luck.
Some of the issues are personal attitudes, and Obama winning probably gives some people a great deal of hope they never had, it may mean a few people study harder, care more, or don't join a neighborhood gang not to stereotype a particular group here gangs are just part of lower income life.
Hopefully this presidency will be a return to focus on our affairs internally and namely our infrastructure.
I believe Nebraska eliminated their affirmative action program in this election for the record.
My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
Speaking as a minority I have never been a huge fan of Affirmative Action. It had it's time and place but I think in this day and age we should get rid of it, not because I believe that the playing field is level but because it reflects poorly on minorities. In my opinion the playing field is not level but not because of race, but because of poverty and education. It just so happens that more minorities are affected by poverty and poor education, per capita, than whites so it looks like a racial issue.
"When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
Speaking as a minority I have never been a huge fan of Affirmative Action. It had it's time and place but I think in this day and age we should get rid of it, not because I believe that the playing field is level but because it reflects poorly on minorities. In my opinion the playing field is not level but not because of race, but because of poverty and education. It just so happens that more minorities are affected by poverty and poor education, per capita, than whites so it looks like a racial issue.
makes a lot of sense to change that takes work in the communities though with parents and getting them to care along with teacher retention, quality of education and that brings up other horrific Federal Education policies like NCLB. Yikes.
My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
A black child born to a upper middle class family is going to have a better chance of success than a white child born to a poor family. The black child will have the opportunity to go to a good school, the white child will probably not. The black child's family will have the financial means to send their child to college, the white child's family will not. The white child will probably be raised in a high crime neighborhood while the black child will not. All of these factors are economic and educational, not racial, so we need to take the focus off of the inequality being a racial issue and of it being one of economics and education.
I grew up in a poor neighborhood but was fortunate to have been placed in the advanced class in elementary school. These course there had me better prepared for high school and my parent's worked their asses off to send me to a private high school. The local high school was a mess and was more akin to a juvenile detention center than a place of learning. Had my parent's not had the financial means to send me to the private school who knows where I would be today and my race or ethnicity never played a factor and it bothers me that my acceptance to high school or college may have been judged not solely on my merits but on my last name.
"When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
Comments
If you think anyone can waltz in and change the attitudes of people rebuild old or broken infrastructure and just convince great teachers to go into failing often dangerous schools to change the world good luck.
Some of the issues are personal attitudes, and Obama winning probably gives some people a great deal of hope they never had, it may mean a few people study harder, care more, or don't join a neighborhood gang not to stereotype a particular group here gangs are just part of lower income life.
Hopefully this presidency will be a return to focus on our affairs internally and namely our infrastructure.
I believe Nebraska eliminated their affirmative action program in this election for the record.
makes a lot of sense to change that takes work in the communities though with parents and getting them to care along with teacher retention, quality of education and that brings up other horrific Federal Education policies like NCLB. Yikes.
A black child born to a upper middle class family is going to have a better chance of success than a white child born to a poor family. The black child will have the opportunity to go to a good school, the white child will probably not. The black child's family will have the financial means to send their child to college, the white child's family will not. The white child will probably be raised in a high crime neighborhood while the black child will not. All of these factors are economic and educational, not racial, so we need to take the focus off of the inequality being a racial issue and of it being one of economics and education.
I grew up in a poor neighborhood but was fortunate to have been placed in the advanced class in elementary school. These course there had me better prepared for high school and my parent's worked their asses off to send me to a private high school. The local high school was a mess and was more akin to a juvenile detention center than a place of learning. Had my parent's not had the financial means to send me to the private school who knows where I would be today and my race or ethnicity never played a factor and it bothers me that my acceptance to high school or college may have been judged not solely on my merits but on my last name.