All posts in the topic Parents - yes and no to American freedoms (Short link)
Summary
- There are 4 posts — by 3 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Joe Nathan at 2008 Feb 19 11:22 UTC
Below is a 500 word piece written after listening last week to about 30
Somali-American and Oromo-American parents. These families send their
children to the Twin Cities International Elementary or TC Int Middle
Schools in north Mpls.
The visit was a part of a regular monitoring done by Century College. My
goal is not to point fingers or criticize others - but to offer some
insights into why these families are sending their children to these
schools. Together the two schools enroll approximately 900 students.
Reactions welcome.
Joe Nathan
Center for School Change
Humphrey Institute
Yes and no to American freedom
Many Minnesota parents might share some of the provocative views some
Somali American and Oromo (Ethiopia) parents presented last week. In a
wide ranging meeting, about 30 men and women said they strongly support
some, and strongly oppose other freedoms that their children are
encountering in America. Their reactions have helped guide the schools
their children attend.
These parents, most of whose families came here. in the last decade,
respect and admire our freedoms to select schools, careers and
government leaders. Many of these parents had professional jobs in
Africa, and are bringing their talents to local companies and
organizations. But they reject things that also trouble many American
parents. These African-American parents do not want their children to be
part of a melting pot that
promotes disrespect for parents, educators and older people
highlights negative images of women in movies and music
allows some students to make negative, disrespectful comments about
conservative clothes that young women wear
Sound familiar? Readers also will agree with the strong desire these
Somali and Oromo parents at the Twin Cities International Elementary and
Middle Schools have for their youngsters to excel in school.
Parents also want students to retain and respect aspects of their
culture. 97% of the students at these two schools, with total enrollment
of 900, do not speak English at home. 93% of them are eligible for free
or reduced cost lunch. Families say their children are in good hands
in these schools.
As one mother put it, this school helps my children stay away from
getting lost. Parents with older children who had not attended either
of these schools described some of them as no-where, or not sure who
they are neither African nor American.
The Twin City International Elementary and Middle Schools are charter
public schools. But that is less important to the families than several
features of these schools:
There is a bi-lingual aide for every two classrooms. Some aides speak
not just two, but three or four languages or dialects.
The school helps young people learn about American history,
government, culture etc. It also includes and honors parts of African
culture.
The school serves food that respects the Somali and Oromo traditions
The schools are relatively small. Families report that their children
feel safe (a key aspect of many small schools Ive written about in the
past)
Administrators are bi or multi-lingual.
The ability to communicate immediately with educators means for some
parents, that their children are not classified as special education or
handicapped students at the Twin Cities International Schools, as had
happened in some district public schools.
Academic achievement is constantly honored.
Parent learn immediately in their own language if students
misbehave or do not complete assignments.
An evening program is helping many parents learn to speak English.
Our best public schools help youngsters learn about this country, while
retaining respect for where they have come from, be it Ireland, Italy,
Sweden or Somalia. Twin City International Schools seem to helping
hundreds of youngsters learn to use American freedom wisely.
Nice puff piece, Joe. Needs a little work, grammatically, but I think
folks still get the inspiring messages of the immigrant experience. I
always get a tiny bit envious when I read stuff about children
acquiring multiple language skills, because while I know that this
inevitably slows down their academic progress, it also expands the
neural structure of their brains beyond that of your basically
monolingual troglodytes like me. Says I this, as I strain my inferior
intellectual organ to write this missive in reaction to Joe's: it is
a fine thing being done to educate these kids. I want to see more,
much more of it.
One day, I hope to acquire and pass on to the next generation, the
languages of my ancestors: Dutch, English, German, Hebrew, and
perhaps more I have yet to discover. I want to include Japanese, a
language my grandmother spoke, as she was born in Japan to Christian
missionaries; it should prove useful along with Chinese, as much of
our country is owned by those who speak it. I should also learn and
pass on Arabic for the same reasons. Spanish, American Spanish, North
and South of course, will always prove useful in our neck of the
woods. I really do think that kids should learn one or two languages
in school besides English, but if the bill is to be paid by all of
us, I think the extra language should be something useful overall,
like the languages of our close neighbors or of our landlords and
trading partners: the Chinese, Japanese, Arabs, etc. We must be able
to communicate with those whom we serve; perhaps we could even get
them to foot part of the bill. Who knows?
I'm certain we'll all look forward to the monitoring report from
Century College and that you will post that as well when it is
provided. I'm certain the report will include the handsome pay for
the talented multi-lingual educators at these schools and how other
schools in systems at large can match the performance of these public
charters by matching everything about them, i.e., this model will
scale up and serve all students at a cost to be paid by the public
through taxes levied for the purpose. Why am I so cock sure about all
of this? Because Joe says absolutely nothing about it and doesn't
"mess with Mr. In Between." Joe does what he has to do: "accentuate
the positive," "eliminate the negative," "etc., etc., etc." Isn't it
nice? We should teach the kids many show tunes as well so they can
understand all the quotations and irony in this paragraph and some of
the rest of my own missive.
The bills come due and will be paid or not. If they are paid, fine
and dandy. If they are not, then school systems become bankrupt, and
are replaced by something else that operates with greater constraints
on all aspects of the school programs under them. What will become of
the programs in the latter, less fine and dandy case of system
failure? Will all educators be compensated less and expected to
provide more for the insult? Will our all of our school programs
shine with not only the pride and joy of the immigrant experience,
but also the hard and long work with those requiring special
education when the full costs are born by each under the new system?
Are you, Joe, and the rest of us, "part of the problem or part of the
solution?"
What do you know, Joe? A second or third language? Is obfuscation
one of them? That last one's a useful one when you are driving
education in one direction or another. We don't want it driven
downward, Do we, Joe?
Was this a welcome reaction, Joe? Too rude? Constructive? Is there
room at the Humphrey Institute for me? Am I a cruel man? Or is it a
"cruel, cruel world?" One thing's for certain though, Joe: This is
America, Joe, not East Africa. Our African roots go as deep as Oromo
or Somali roots, and there are those of us in America with ancestors
from Africa know this. We all meet here in America, all Africans,
whether we realize it or not.
Well. How did the rest of the forum spend their Sunday morning?
Thanks to several of you for responding to this note. Since many in Mpls
would like to attract more students to Mpls Public Schools, my goal was to
try to help give voice to some Mpls area parents who generally do not post
here. I thought this might be useful to those who are trying to help
improve education in Mpls and help attract more students to MPS.
One reaction asked if there is a place at the Humphrey Institute for
different voices. Of course. We constantly have debates, discussions,
forums. (please see www.hhh.umn.edu)
The Center for School Change (CSC) also helps bring various folks to town
via the Hope Collaborative. In the last year we helped bring successful
urban educators from Boston, Pueblo Colorado and Cincinnati.
One of us challenged me to work with MPS and then asserted that I would
not. As mentioned in previous emails, the CSC worked extensively with MPS
on the Schools First project, helped arrange for Humphrey Institute
students to do free research for MPS in the summer of 2007, has
participated in several meetings with MPS official over the last year, and
has proposed some cooperative funding proposals. We currently are working
with a north Mpls district public school on a proposal to help increase
achievement and family involvement.
You of you asserted that "It looks to me that those who are trying to get
rid of public education in the U.S. are winning." People of good will can
and do disagree in their interpretation of events.
When I was a teenager in Kansas and participated in civil rights marches, I
was told that these efforts (including allowing black and white students to
attend school together would 'destroy public education.' When some of us
worked on the Post-Secondary Enrollment options program, we were told this
would do irreparable damage to high schools.
When a multi-racial group of mothers convinced the St. Paul Public Schools
to start a k-12 public option in 1971, opponents aid this would "destroy
public education." In fact, the St. Paul Open School attracted some private
school students into public education.
The Minnesota School Board Association lobbyist was quoted in Education
Week as believing that Post Secondary Options was "the worst piece of
(education) legislation passed in the last 25 years." PSEO worked out
pretty well, and we now have lots more AP,IB and College in the Schools
courses. Most families and students think that's good.
This goes on and on. Public education has and will evolve.
MPS has important resources, opportunities, and talent. Two source of
talent are the many committed, hardworking, creative teachers and families
in the district, some of whom I've had a chance to work with and learn
from.
My hope is that MPS will provide opportunities and assistance for those
folks to help the system evolve and improve. CSC will try to work with you
to help make a difference.
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