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Obama Takes Aim at Inequality in Education
New York Times ^ | April 6, 2011 | Helene Cooper

Posted on 04/07/2011 5:41:43 AM PDT by reaganaut1

Describing education and education equality as the “civil rights issue of our time,” President Obama called Wednesday for a renewed effort to eliminate the achievement gap between African-American students and others.

“Too many of our kids are dropping out of schools,” Mr. Obama told a mostly black audience in the ballroom of the Sheraton New York Hotel in Manhattan. “That’s not a white, black or brown problem. That’s everybody’s problem.”

In a lightning-fast visit to New York before returning to Washington for more budget talks, Mr. Obama delivered a sober assessment of what he has done since taking office to help black Americans, and what more needs to be done. He praised the health care overhaul and the auto-industry bailout, and castigated critics who he said had developed “amnesia” about the shape the country was in when he took office.

Mr. Obama’s remarks, at the 20th anniversary of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s Harlem-based National Action Network, kept a promise he made when he spoke to the group as a presidential candidate in 2007. Win or lose, he pledged to return, and Wednesday night he spoke to a hugely supportive audience of 1,200 primarily black Americans, who had already heard from a daylong procession of the president’s cabinet and close advisers.

The president’s appearance at the Sharpton event came two days after he announced his intention to seek a second term. The White House is keenly aware that Mr. Obama will need to tap into his base of black support in the 2012 re-election campaign.

Mr. Obama won 95 percent of the black vote in 2008. Polls have shown his approval among blacks remains high, at 84 percent, while his national approval rating is around 50 percent.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: achievementgap; bellcurve; bho44; bhoeducation; blackvote; education; obama; sharpton
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The achievement gap between black students and other will not be closed, because there is an IQ gap of about 1 standard deviation between blacks and whites, as documented in the Wikipedia "Race and intelligence" article and other places. I think vouchers, charter schools, and especially better curricula (Singapore or Saxon instead of Everyday Math for example) can improve results, but they would do so for everyone and not close gaps.

If the Republicans have brains and guts, they will make an issue of Obama allying himself with a racist demagogue such as Al Sharpton. Many of us know about Sharpton's shameful role in the Tawana Brawley hoax, the Freddie's Fashion Mart arson, and other cases. The general public needs to know.

1 posted on 04/07/2011 5:41:46 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

So.. the head of the government is complaining about how bad the government education system is, and thinks the best way to fix it is to give more money to the government ...

did I guess right?


2 posted on 04/07/2011 5:43:55 AM PDT by Mr. K (Job #1 DEFUND THE LEFT Palin/Bachman 2012 -Unbeatable Ticket)
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To: reaganaut1

Leftists/Socialists want an equal outcome for all and they don’t care how that occurs. Until there is equal hard work input, their Socialist Utopia is doomed.


3 posted on 04/07/2011 5:44:26 AM PDT by originalbuckeye
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To: reaganaut1

I thought ‘gay rights’ was the “civil rights issue of our time,”???

Is there anything issue that is NOT the “civil rights issue of our time,”??


4 posted on 04/07/2011 5:45:22 AM PDT by Le Chien Rouge
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To: reaganaut1

(.)bama, the poster boy for inequality in opportunities for a good education, speaks of the inequalities. Wow.


5 posted on 04/07/2011 5:45:41 AM PDT by Mouton (Government expands to fill any voids in freedom.)
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To: reaganaut1
Conservatives believe in equality of opportunity.

Liberals believe in equality of outcome....magical thinking.

6 posted on 04/07/2011 5:46:24 AM PDT by Freee-dame
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To: Le Chien Rouge

The ONLY industry booming in America is the ‘Civil Rights Industry’!!


7 posted on 04/07/2011 5:47:11 AM PDT by SMARTY (Conforming to non-conformity is conforming just the same.)
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To: Le Chien Rouge

The ONLY industry booming in America is the ‘Civil Rights Industry’!!


8 posted on 04/07/2011 5:47:21 AM PDT by SMARTY (Conforming to non-conformity is conforming just the same.)
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To: Le Chien Rouge

The ONLY industry booming in America is the ‘Civil Rights Industry’!!


9 posted on 04/07/2011 5:47:26 AM PDT by SMARTY (Conforming to non-conformity is conforming just the same.)
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To: Mouton

More attention to the Environment & Social Issues! /s


10 posted on 04/07/2011 5:47:26 AM PDT by stocksthatgoup (Wealth = Net Worth ...........Income = Net Work!)
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To: Le Chien Rouge

I thought it was collective bargaining or Gays in the Military. I wish we could get it straight.


11 posted on 04/07/2011 5:49:50 AM PDT by mortal19440
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To: reaganaut1

Zero’s spots are showing more and more.


12 posted on 04/07/2011 5:50:36 AM PDT by ExTexasRedhead
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To: reaganaut1

If Obama wants to fix this problem all he has to do is eliminate the practice of paying black (and white) women to produce as many babies as they can to keep the government pay check coming in. The problem isn’t the education system - the problem is paying the ignorant and lazy (both black and white) to have children that will be abused and ignored and regarded merely as a source of income, thus pretty much setting up a guarantee of a “high drop out rate.”


13 posted on 04/07/2011 5:51:04 AM PDT by onevoter
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To: reaganaut1

The last time I looked, there was a (rough) inverse correlation between school spending per pupil, and student performance.


14 posted on 04/07/2011 5:51:23 AM PDT by Sooth2222 ("Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But I repeat myself." M.Twain)
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To: reaganaut1
a renewed effort to eliminate the achievement gap between African-American students and others.
Hey, we don't we bus the "under-achieving" students to the schools where the "achievers" go. Oh, wait.
Hey, why don't we vote for more "chocolate" school board members. Oh, wait.
Okay, okay, let's hire more "chocolate" teachers (because only they can teach the "under-achievers") and make sure they and their union comrades get great raises and free benefits. Oh, wait.
How about we just lower the requirements to graduate - like hiring "chocolate" cops in Dayton. Oh, wait.
Just damn.
15 posted on 04/07/2011 5:56:22 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: reaganaut1

(Describing education and education equality as the “civil rights issue of our time,” President Obama called Wednesday for a renewed effort to eliminate the achievement gap between African-American students)

OH HORSE SHIT...
This is America. ANYONE can get whatever amount of education they desire and are willing to work to get it..


16 posted on 04/07/2011 5:58:36 AM PDT by SECURE AMERICA
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To: reaganaut1

I guarantee that the “solution” to inequality will involve a two-pronged assault: 1) Throwing large amounts of money at the problem, and 2) Penalizing achievers to close the “gap” by eliminating AP courses and gifted programs etc.


17 posted on 04/07/2011 5:59:46 AM PDT by denydenydeny (The corollary to "If it's not close they can't cheat" is "If it is close they will definitely cheat")
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To: reaganaut1

The problem with this is he cannot address the gap in parenting. That is where the problem is.

My sweetie teaches at an all black, southside Chicago Catholic school. There are no vouchers in Chicago, all parents pay. One would think that would be enough. And in many cases, it is. There are parents that will dicipline their kids if they get in trouble. Others will not, knowing the school is loathe to kick them out because they can’t afford to be with one fewer paying customer. In a different way, they are just as screwed as the public schools are. The public schools have to accept everyone, no matter what. And the private schools have to keep everyone, no matter what.

What a mess.

This was sent to me, and I sent it to my teacher sweetie:

http://martynemko.blogspot.com/2009/06/white-teacher-speaks-out-what-is-it.html

The title of the piece is: “What it’s like to teach black students”

I must caution everyone, while the title references race, it’s not entirely so. Teachers across the country will tell you they run into this every day. In white areas, black areas, and latino areas. My sweetie taught in Houston, for heaven’s sake. He taught everyone except French students.

The circumstances described in the link I posted seem to be common with poorly parented children, regardless of race, income, and everything else.

When I sent that link to him and asked his thoughts, here’s what he said:

“It’s not race. We don’t have enough parents that give a shit.”


18 posted on 04/07/2011 5:59:52 AM PDT by Daisyjane69 (Michael Reagan: "Welcome back, Dad, even if you're wearing a dress and bearing children this time)
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To: reaganaut1

What he should take aim at is inequality in study habits and punish anybody that doesn’t study as hard as the hardest-studying students. If it breaks down into racial/class stereotypes (asians, middle class whites) so be it. Tough.

No study, no learn, no accomplish.

That’s how it works.

Deal with it.


19 posted on 04/07/2011 6:02:42 AM PDT by paulycy (Islamo-Marxism is Evil.)
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To: reaganaut1

(Mr. Obama won 95 percent of the black vote in 2008. Polls have )

Well black folks, how the heck is that hopey changey thing working out for you????


20 posted on 04/07/2011 6:03:46 AM PDT by SECURE AMERICA
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