http://www.sbsun.com/Stories/0,1413...2969790,00.html


Ebonics suggested for district

By Irma Lemus Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - Incorporating Ebonics into a new school policy that targets black students, the lowest-achieving group in the San Bernardino City Unified School District, may provide students a more well-rounded curriculum, said a local sociologist.

The goal of the district's policy is to improve black students' academic performance by keeping them interested in school. Compared with other racial groups in the district, black students go to college the least and have the most dropouts and suspensions.

Blacks make up the second largest racial group in the district, trailing Latinos.

A pilot of the policy, known as the Students Accumulating New Knowledge Optimizing Future Accomplishment Initiative, has been implemented at two city schools.

Mary Texeira, a sociology professor at Cal State San Bernardino, commended the San Bernardino Board of Education for approving the policy in June.

Texeira suggested that including Ebonics in the program would be beneficial for students. Ebonics, a dialect of American English that is spoken by many blacks throughout the country, was recognized as a separate language in 1996 by the Oakland school board.

"Ebonics is a different language, it's not slang as many believe,' Texeira said. "For many of these students Ebonics is their language, and it should be considered a foreign language. These students should be taught like other students who speak a foreign language.'

Texeira said research has shown that students learn better when they fully comprehend the language they are being taught in.

"There are African Americans who do not agree with me. They say that (black students) are lazy and that they need to learn to talk,' Texeira said.

Len Cooper, who is coordinating the pilot program at the two city schools, said San Bernardino district officials do not plan to incorporate Ebonics into the program.

"Because Ebonics can have a negative stigma, we're not focusing on that,' Cooper said. "We are affirming and recognizing Ebonics through supplemental reading books (for students).'

Beginning in the 2005-06 school year, teachers will receive training on black culture and customs. District curriculum will now include information on the historical, cultural and social impact of blacks in society. Although the program is aimed at black students, other students can choose to participate.

The pilot program at Rio Vista Elementary and King Middle schools focuses on second-, fourth- and seventh-grade classes. District officials hope to train teachers from other schools using the program as a model.

Board member Danny Tillman, who pushed for the policy, said that full implementation of the program at all schools may take years, but the pilot program is a beginning.

"At every step we will see positive results,' Tillman said.

Tillman hoped the new policy would increase the number of black students going to college and participating in advanced courses.

Teresa Parra, board vice president, said she worried the new program would have an adverse effect.

"I'm afraid that now that we have this the Hispanic community, our largest population, will say, 'We want something for us.' Next we'll have the Asian community and the Jewish community (asking for their own programs). When will it end?'

Parra said the district should focus on helping all students who are at risk.

"I've always thought that we should provide students support based on their needs and not on their race,' Parra said.

Tillman disagreed with Parra, saying programs that help Latinos already exist in the district. He cited the district's English- as-a-second-language program.

Texeira urged people not be quick to judge the new program as socially exclusive. She said people need to be open to the program.

"Everybody has prejudices, but we must all learn to control that behavior,' Texeira said. She said a child's self confidence is tied to his or her cultural identity.

She compared the low performance of black students to starvation. "How can you be angry when you feed a family of starving children?'

Ratibu Jacocks, a member of the Westside Action Group, a coalition of black activists, said they are working with the district to ensure the policy is implemented appropriately.

"This isn't a feel-good policy. This is the real thing,' Jacocks said.

Jacocks said he didn't believe the new policy would create animosity. He said he welcomed the idea of other ethnic groups pushing for their own programs.

"When you are doing what's right, others will follow,' Jacocks said. "We have led the way before the civil-rights movement opened the door for women's rights and other movements.'


When I first read this I was fucking amazed at how racist this is. This is for MY school discrict. This is another one of those times where black people are gunna get put down and given less oppurtunities. They say that this will somehow make school more enjoyable and interesting for black students like

Discuss or some shit.

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Soundclick

FUCKING

REDICULOUS

"There are African Americans who do not agree with me. They say that (black students) are lazy and that they need to learn to talk,' Texeira said.

^WORD...

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ridiculous....yea it is.... lol i speak piglatin.. i would like everyone else to start speakin piglatin.. and on top of that in school.... lol smartest idea yet.. i can imagine some 80 year old white lady speak'n ebonics hahahahha lmfao what a joke...and since when are the blacks so special.. i thought it was the mexi's crossin the border... damn there chalupas (knows they are American Tex Mex... minus the mex) but still so good...

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I was talking about this with my homies dad and he was saying that we can speak ebonics all we fuckin want, because I know I do myself, but knowing WHEN to use and when not to use it is the main concern. So now they're making it so people can use that as a means to graduate but end up going into job interviews like "Word." "fasho." "Oh, I be THAT nigga you wanna hire n shit." and I can't believe they're PROMOTING this shit.

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Soundclick

how is this suppose to help them in the real world?... if they goto college they are fucked.. job fucked....spit game to a upperclass white girl... fucked. ... not evey place is going to bend the rules for them..well maybe the white girl

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They suggested this in 98 or 99 to bring in Ebonics as a "foreign language" but it got shot down with the quickness. I think to re-suggest it is an insult, but it'll prolly pass. What ever it takes to alienate blacks form the rest of scociety they're gona push that shit foward as much as possible.

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^^it was prolly the blacks that wanted it...i don't know why they would want it..there is sucha taboo with ebonics...o yea couldn't they make it into a magnet school? or make one... yes waste of money but at least they wouldn't bitch

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That shit is weack.

Ebonics = "foreign language?"

..nah.

wow ...

There are African Americans who do not agree with me. They say that (black students) are lazy and that they need to learn to talk,' Texeira said.

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well i don't see to many black folk focusing on there grades around here they just act dumb and try to sport shit they can't afford or cause needless trouble... and you can hate on me all you want.. i know what i see...and if you say its not there fault that they are put in the position... well minnesota has alot of very nice highschools with soem nice test scores....mainly the white schools,.. the inner cities.. which get just as much funding ... well there test scores are blah.. i have some people i know... that goto em they don't even bother... none of them want to goto college.. or anything.. and they admit that they lazy as helland need to find jobs but they won't cuz they to focused on a piece of ass

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If that's the deepest you see you need help...

Knowledge and an education is VERY poorly supported in the black community. Why? Because of who are our "leaders" now, rap artists. And who are the most promoted and heavily succesful artists? The ones who talk about ditching school and selling crack and killing people. Look at what our priorities are made to be, as soon as someone gets their paycheck they wanna buy a chain, rims, gear, etc. making it harder for them to survive and get good homes etc.

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Soundclick

That's an interesting assumption. Now...why would you think something liek that? According to you, "black folk" wouldn't be intellegent enough to propose this to a comitte. Or to say "propose and comitee". Man, you're taking losing that mod spot pretty hard, lol.

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i dont think that their goal is to keep them more interested in school...i think their goal is to invent a class that the black students should be good at so that they can raise their averages and make that area's students look better, overall

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so... iz ebonics wen tha teachers talk like tha kids wif slang n shit? werd

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