Ebonics being pushed - idiot educators

Prudence · 07-19-2005, 09:33 AM

It wasn't clear to me from the article what the specific intentions of this schooling program were, as I alluded to earlier. I wasn't aware that the particular district was advocating a "focus" on Ebonics.

If, for example, there were a program for Spanish-speaking kids that educated them solely in Spanish, I would find that counter-productive.

If, for example, there were a program for Spanish-speaking kids that allowed to take an elective literature course in Spanish, I would have no objection.

If a particular community has decided to allocate their educational resources to elective literature courses instead of music, I see that as their right.

And I think that telling kids that their cultural experience is bad and should be discarded *IS* paternalistic and extremely counter-productive and not particularly likely to encourage continued involvement with the educational system. Who wants to participate in a system that tells them they're bad?

There is a distinct difference between telling kids that they shouldn't ever speak a certain way and teaching kids what speech is appropriate in which settings.

Let's take it further. As I've said, objectively one dialect is no better or worse than another. Are you prepare to make a judgment on which ones are approved and which are not? Because some argue that a Kentucky twang makes one sound stupid or that a Georgian drawl implies laziness. And so forth for the California surfer, the Maine lobsterman, the Bronx firefighter, etc. I don't get to say "dude" every third word at work. I make no such promises for speech at home! Perhaps you are advocating a standard, "broadcast" English which every student would be required to speak while at school?

Or is it just Ebonics that you don't like? So in a Louisiana school yard, if two friends over here were speaking to one another in Creole that would be fine, but the two kids over there speaking in Ebonics would be given detention and a lecture on how that is inappropriate language?

07-19-2005, 09:33 AM	#23
Prudence Beelzeboobs, Esq. Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Gavel - I haz it Posts: 6,287	It wasn't clear to me from the article what the specific intentions of this schooling program were, as I alluded to earlier. I wasn't aware that the particular district was advocating a "focus" on Ebonics. If, for example, there were a program for Spanish-speaking kids that educated them solely in Spanish, I would find that counter-productive. If, for example, there were a program for Spanish-speaking kids that allowed to take an elective literature course in Spanish, I would have no objection. If a particular community has decided to allocate their educational resources to elective literature courses instead of music, I see that as their right. And I think that telling kids that their cultural experience is bad and should be discarded IS paternalistic and extremely counter-productive and not particularly likely to encourage continued involvement with the educational system. Who wants to participate in a system that tells them they're bad? There is a distinct difference between telling kids that they shouldn't ever speak a certain way and teaching kids what speech is appropriate in which settings. Let's take it further. As I've said, objectively one dialect is no better or worse than another. Are you prepare to make a judgment on which ones are approved and which are not? Because some argue that a Kentucky twang makes one sound stupid or that a Georgian drawl implies laziness. And so forth for the California surfer, the Maine lobsterman, the Bronx firefighter, etc. I don't get to say "dude" every third word at work. I make no such promises for speech at home! Perhaps you are advocating a standard, "broadcast" English which every student would be required to speak while at school? Or is it just Ebonics that you don't like? So in a Louisiana school yard, if two friends over here were speaking to one another in Creole that would be fine, but the two kids over there speaking in Ebonics would be given detention and a lecture on how that is inappropriate language? __________________ traguna macoities tracorum satis de
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