OC district pushes pause on hip-hop curriculum [founding fathers called "old dead white men"]

NewsOK.com ^ | October 1, 2010 | MEGAN ROLLAND

[Daffynition]

Concern over a new hip-hop curriculum that refers to the founding fathers as "old dead white men" has delayed the program's rollout for at-risk students, Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Karl Springer said.

"We're making sure that whatever we do, first, we do no harm," Springer said. "The science behind the concept is wonderful. There may be some things, though, that are inappropriate that we need to be careful about."

Known as Flocabulary, the program is a music-based educational tool that uses raps, rhythms and rhymes to help students learn and memorize everything from vocabulary and English to math and social studies.

About 15 teachers have complained or expressed concern about the rap song lyrics, said Ed Allen, president of the Oklahoma City American Federation of Teachers.

"I just don't think we were real careful where we deployed it," Allen said. "Not all parts of it are real affective for the more troubled youth."

It is the U.S. history curriculum that has raised concern.

One of the rap songs — "Old Dead White Men" — chronicles the shortcomings of the early leaders in the United States.

Of President James Monroe's tenure, the rap says: "White men getting richer than Enron./ They stepping on Indians, women and blacks./ Era of Good Feeling doesn't come with the facts."

That's followed up by an assessment of President Andrew Jackson's checkered dealings with American Indians.

"Andrew Jackson, thinks he's a tough guy./ Killing more Indians than there are stars in the sky./ Evil wars of Florida killing the Seminoles./ Saying hello, putting Creek in the hell holes./ Like Adolf Hitler he had the final solution./ 'No, Indians, I don't want you to live here anymore.'"

Springer said he was concerned about some of the lyrics, and that's why the district is holding off on the program until it's been evaluated.

Flocabulary CEO and co-founder Alex Rappaport said the lyrics are made intentionally provocative and sometimes humorous to create student engagement among some of the toughest-to-reach students in the nation.

"In general, the purpose of our program is to motivate students, and we often say the enemy here is student apathy," Rappaport said. "We want students to ask questions and challenge assumptions that are made and think critically about historical themes."

Flocabulary is not used as a core textbook but rather as supplemental material that highlights certain academic standards and background knowledge. The rap songs also come with a corresponding guidebook that breaks down the lyrics line by line to explain what they mean.

"Some students are incredibly motivated to go on to read their history textbooks with more passion," Rappaport said.

The Oklahoma City School District has spent about $10,000 so far on the music and corresponding textbooks, Springer said. The Oklahoma City School Board authorized the district to spend up to $97,000 in federal funds on the program.

It was to be mainly used in the district's Extended Education sites, such as juvenile detention centers or hospitals. Springer said before the controversy, it also was to be used at Rogers Middle School.

In June, two of the program's founders visited an Oklahoma City charter school that had purchased the program. They also spoke to district administrators about the benefits of Flocabulary.

The program will begin later this year at Justice Alma Wilson SeeWorth Academy, Superintendent Janet Grigg said.

At SeeWorth, music teacher Henry Rice has been using raps and lyrics for years to help students learn. Last year, his classes wrote, sang and produced a song about the tragedy in Haiti and another about the Holocaust.

"All of our students are 'at promise,'" Grigg said. "They learn in a different way."

Grigg said Flocabulary seemed like a natural fit, and that while the program hasn't been implemented yet, it will be used this year in many courses, especially math.

"We won't be using anything in that program that is offensive," Grigg said. "Our motto is: 'We don't show disrespect, and we don't disrupt learning.'"

[Soothesayer]

Not surprising. Every rap thug wants top replace our constitutional republic with a thugocracy.

Is it at all surprising that gangsters, the ones who massacre random people walking down the streets, don’t believe in human rights?!

[ETL]

Rapper 'Ludacris'

Lyrics to Ludacris' Obama rap song, "Obama Is Here":

"Hey... I'm back on it

like I just signed my record deal, yeah the best is here

The Bentley Coupe paint is drippin wet, it got sex appeal

Never shoulda hated, you never shoulda doubted him

With a slot in the President's iPod, Obama shouted him

Said I handled my biz and I'm one of his favorite rappers

Well give Luda a special pardon if I'm ever in the slammer

Better yet put me in office, make me a Vice President

Hillary hated on you so that bitch is irrelevant

Now Jesse talkin slick and apologizin for WHAT~?!

If you said it then you MEANT it how you want it, head or gut

And all you other politicians tryin to hate on my man

Watch us win majority vote in every STATE on my man

You cain't stop what's 'bout to happen, we 'bout to make history

The first black President it's destined and it's meant to be

The threats ain't fazin us, the nooses or the jokes

Get off your ass black people it's time to get out and vote

Paint the White House black and I'm sure that's got 'em terrified

McCain don't belong in ANY chair unless he's paralyzed

Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped

Ball up all of his speeches and just throw 'em like candy wraps

Cause what you talkin I hear nothin even relevant

And you the worst of all 43 Presidents

Get out and vote, or the end'll be near

And the world is ready for change cause Obama is here

YEAHHH! Cause Obama is here

The world is ready for change cause Obama is here

Yeahhhh, cause Obama is here

Say world is ready for change cause Obama is here

Hey!

http://lyrics.rapbasement.com/Ludacris_Politics%20(Obama%20Is%20Here)_lyrics_2129.html

YouTube video: Ludacris - "Obama Is Here":
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=ludacris+obama+is+here&aq=0&oq=ludacris+obama

[ETL]

[goseminoles]

“Evil wars of Florida killing the Seminoles”

Not today against VA. Go Noles!

[CaspersGh0sts]

“Not all parts of it are real affective [SIC!!!!!!!!] for the more troubled youth.”

You think? It’s quite evident this story was written by a troubled youth. Unless we’re speaking about the emotional expression of our youth here, I have no idea what this author is getting at.

And quite frankly, I’m so sick of the “old dead white men” nonsense. Old dead white men made this nation. Period. They fought and died for this nation in war after war. Proudly. We owe them our heritage—what is left in the wake of troubled fools such as these who wrote this nonsense.

Let the young thugs be ripped apart by one another. Rap is trash, and anyone with any sense for music knows it. Why anyone would listen to rap when there’s jazz, classical, bluegrass or country is beyond me.

And I say that as a 20-something.

[Madame Dufarge]

The rap songs also come with a corresponding guidebook that breaks down the lyrics line by line to explain what they mean.

I'd love a peek at the guidebook.

I imagine it runs along the lines of, "Just in case it escaped you, this line illustrates why you should hate America and the white oppressors who are responsible for your present condition, none of which is your fault."

[wintertime]

Another day and another reason to homeschool!

Honestly, there are government schools in this nation that are soooooo horrific that it would be better for a child to NEVER attend. This is true even if he were to be completely illiterate and innumerate. Filling a child's mind with the pollution found in this school comes close to that level.

[NewCenturions]

Why don’t they write songs about all the honorable, honest Black leaders who sacrificed and made the world a better place??

[Daffynition]

I remember the *Weekly Reader*.....is this garbage a sequel?

There is a Flocab website.

Current Events for Students – Oct 1st - The Week in Rap:

Flocab came to rock till it’s over The Week in Rap live at the top of October

While we make records

People break records

Come along now listen up ya’ll check it

The University of California Irvine

Set a Guinness World Record for dodgeball

Now I’m gonna take it overseas for a flash

The deadline for the Israeli Settlements is heading fast

They’re thinking that the peace talks won’t last

As the West Bank gets built up

But will it crash?

It’s getting shaken like the White House staff

As the Cabinet switches up on their own path

But meanwhile this administration’s

Gonna propose internet tapping legislation

They wanna monitor your facebook and email

And know they’ll be able to decode every detail

And now we sail out to the Midwest

Where the flood victims wonder what’s next

Many hoping for a government buyout

So they can take a train or a plane and try to fly out

They could drive out

But if they were a teen The STANDUP Act would make it harder it seems

They wanna make it more difficult to drive

So the death toll decrease and more of ya’ll survive

Out in Cali it’s a heat wave, right

It’s hot in October like it was in July

Los Angeles hit 113

And the people lost power tryin’ to run the A.C.

North Korea’s leader may be heading on soon

We may see the succession of Kim Jong Un

Flocab never raps to the wrong tune

Bump this again this weekend cleaning your room.

[Madame Dufarge]

Thanks for the link.

I remember the Weekly Reader, too. It was written on papyrus, right?

Imagine my surprise when I clicked some of the links on the Flocab website and they led to the usual suspects: NY Times, LA Times, etc.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Daffynition.

Concern over a new hip-hop curriculum that refers to the founding fathers as "old dead white men" has delayed the program's rollout for at-risk students... Known as Flocabulary, the program is a music-based educational tool that uses raps, rhythms and rhymes to help students learn and memorize everything from vocabulary and English to math and social studies. About 15 teachers have complained or expressed concern about the rap song lyrics, said Ed Allen, president of the Oklahoma City American Federation of Teachers.

[ladyjane]

“real affective”

That's what jumped out at me too. Megan must have missed a real English class at a real school where they teach the difference between affective and effective. Oh right, she went to one of these alternative schools.

No wonder there is such racial animosity. Imagine if the school curriculum focused on the Indian tribes that eradicated other tribes or the thousands of blacks who were slave owners and slave breeders.

[MarineBrat]

If we’re going to teach history through a musical genre, if I were to concede for just a moment that rap is music < spit >, then we should be teaching it through classical music, which study after study has proven encourages intelligent thought.

[SharpRightTurn]

Government schools—just when you thought they couldn’t get any worse.

[Daffynition]

According to Flocab, test scores soar with rap.

[Daffynition]

Perfect images! Thanks.

[ETL]

You’re welcome. Thanks for posting the thread.

[Daffynition]

If you poke around the website, the program emphasizes Afrocentric history/culture. That in itself skews these heads full of mush.

Inc. has a year old article on the Flocab duo.

It's about cash flow, marketing and positioning the business.

They may yet be successful, given the times we are in and urban school district administrators failure to bring up test scores. This program also legitimizes ebonics, and rap as mentioned.

/spitooie!

[reagan_fanatic]

And I thought communist indoctrination in the old Soviet block was bad...

[Mind-numbed Robot]

It’s not education it’s indoctrination.

Exactly. It reminds me of the Islamic Maddrasses where the children rock rhythmically back and forth in unison while reading verses from the Koran. It is simply Black Liberation Theology put to rap.

Can't they make the truth rhyme?