Entry # 35:
The Sheep and the Goats
Forty years ago, young African American men and women were preparing themselves
to desegregate the schools of Atlanta. This weekend, Penn State University
will hold their commencement ceremonies in an atmosphere tainted by racial
threats.
Last week, a colleague and mother of a Penn State student shared her daughter's
fears with us. Her African American daughter was afraid to sleep in her
dorm and was staying at a friend's home near campus. This week, a few Caucasian
colleagues talked about their plans to attend their childrens' Penn State
graduation, where metal detectors will be used for the first time in the
university's history.
In 1961, child psychiatrist and author Robert Coles documented the experiences
of the students who desegregated Atlanta's schools. In Growing Up Poor,
A Literary Anthology, edited by Coles, I read about 15-year-old John
Washington, one of the African American students involved in the struggle.
John Washington's parents didn't want him to take a stand. They feared for
his life. "They wanted to try and spare him what they went through..."
John's mother spoke of "his generation as the first to be spared the
worst of it-- the constant possibility of lynching, the near total lack
of hope, the daily scorn that permitted no reply, no leeway."
John's parents eventually gave their permission, and he took his place in
history. The schools were desegregated and our society took a step forward.
Shouldn't hope be a right?
I was struck by the courage of John and his family. In particular, I was
moved by his mother's mention of "the near lack of hope" of previous
generations. When I hear or read about racial intimidation at Penn State
in 2001, I wonder how hopeful our students feel about their present or their
future.
What's our responsibility? Shouldn't hopefulness be an inalienable right
for our students? How can we promote true learning communities in a hostile
environment? How can we use our schools as sanctuaries that empower students
for the struggles waiting outside our walls?
Surely the first step for our students is our acknowledgement of the serious
nature of our/their social situation and our varied experiences within that
context. I'm feeling as though our students must think we're pretty lame
when we teach them about the "land of the free" without any discussion
of the limitations or disparities they face daily.
I'm not suggesting doom and gloom here, rather I'm trying to envision a
curriculum that's infused with their authentic experiences as well as the
lessons we've learned from the ongoing struggle for equity, both here and
abroad.
If we link our skills instruction with their needs, both immediate and long
term, we might see some of the student motivation we claim is missing. Maybe
a frank discussion about Algebra vs. General Math as a requirement is in
order. If our kids researched the views on both sides of this debate and
had the conversation, it might be powerful. It might make some kids angry
to know that lots of people think "they" won't need algebra. I
know it makes me mad!
I can deal with mad. I have a hard time with lethargy. I have a hard time
with hopelessness.
I also think we need to engage our children in writing and discussion about
situations like the one at Penn State. They should be writing to the newspapers.
They should be writing to the university's administration. We should be
showing them how to proceed.
Do high-stakes tests separate students and teachers?
The same holds true for the standardized tests. They hate taking the tests,
most of us hate giving them, but how often do we discuss it? Does our seemingly
blind acceptance of high stakes testing separate us from our students ?
Aren't we supposed to be their advocates?
I made a speech against the standardized testing craze in my administrative
class last night, but I've never discussed these opinions with my students
or their families. I think I'll share the piece that Good Morning America
ran about the protesting parents in Scarsdale with some parents in our Cluster.
We have a meeting scheduled for first thing Monday morning. I wonder how
they feel about the tests. . . .
I don't have my own classes at the moment, but I do have access to teachers
and I'm planning to start talking up the idea of more classroom conversation,
especially around issues of immediate student concern. I don't know if I
can make a dent in the silence. I don't know if I can encourage hope through
active conversation, but it's a beginning and I know I have to try.
If I/we don't do something, and quickly, I'm afraid the gains won by John
Anderson and countless others will be reduced to memories on the pages of
our history books. We can't afford to stand by while the gains of the 60's
continue to be eroded or erased.
Roland Barth compares people in the reform process to either sheep, who
follow along mindlessly, or goats that have minds of their own and are far
more interesting. Do we want our kids to behave like sheep, but think like
goats? I don't think we can have it both ways.
[Editor's note: Deb is co-moderator of the
MiddleWeb listserve.]
Read next week's entry >>>
<<< Read last week's entry
Comment on this week's entry
Read some background about Deb Bambino
Back to Deborah's 2000-2001
Diary Index