Many Democrats Prioritizing Black Families Over Teachers Unions

Townhall.com ^ | June 16, 2014 | Cathy Reisenwitz

[Mr. K]

"Many Democrats are coming around to the reality of the situation, and are standing up for poor and minority students."

You mean coming around to the reality Republicans have been telling people for years?

[mazda77]

Them chickens are a comin’ home to roost, dontcha know.

[Neoliberalnot]

Any ruling coming out of CA is suspect since the judiciary is so corrupt. This could be a scheme to rid the system of whites and replace them with blacks and Mexicans.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

The article fails to mention one of the biggest problems this poses for the Democrats. If they reform the school and get minority students a quality education, then presumably they may be able to think for themselves. Then, they may start questioning the Democratic mantra....

[Olog-hai]

Democrats prioritizing traditional families here? Highly unlikely.

[Pearls Before Swine]

You mean that after 50 years of The Great Society there are some black families left? /S

[Nailbiter]

“Many Democrats are coming around to the reality of the situation, and are standing up for poor and minority students.”

They are coming around to realization that with a more informed electorate, they are are losing votes.

Politicians in general are not concerned with the citizens welfare, only with votes and largesse that they can steal via the law.

[rbg81]

Let me just say that:
1. I have no luv for Teachers Unions, and
2. The concept of “tenure” for K-12 teachers is ridiculous

With that out of the way, I don’t think it fair that the teachers get the lion’s share of the blame here. When you’re talking about the inner city, you’re dealing with a population that is either apathetic, or even hostile, to learning. Even if you took good teachers and put them in such an environment, how long before they quit or give up?

Case in point: I know a young man who taught at an inner city school and was stabbed by a student. The student got a slap on the wrist. That was the first and last year the young man was a teacher. He is now pursuing a degree in computer science instead.

Until the inner city culture changes, you are just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[Mister Da]

Equal education does not mean quality education for all.

A (bad) way around this ruling is to match white kids with bad teachers & schools, giving the blacks & Latinos preference in the good schools. That will better balance the racial numbers, while improving nothing.

[Elsie]

MANY?

What %? 0.037???

[gr8eman]

I think this IS them questioning the mantra. This judge will face tough times due to this ruling!

[Rome2000]

I think POTUS has made it pretty clear that everything is the white mans fault.

[Think free or die]

"With that out of the way, I don’t think it fair that the teachers get the lion’s share of the blame here. When you’re talking about the inner city, you’re dealing with a population that is either apathetic, or even hostile, to learning. Even if you took good teachers and put them in such an environment, how long before they quit or give up?"

You raise an important point. I started out teaching in the inner city in a parochial school. At the first opportunity I got out into a suburban school. I was subjected to non-stop cursing, insults, accusations of racism and periodic threats and physical intimidation. I spent at least one to two hours daily dealing with disciplinary matters which never seemed to improve, since the school could not afford to expel anyone. Some of the students made an effort academically, but they were very ill prepared for high school level work. Most of them did almost no homework and were incapable of passing a grade-level test.

Many of these kids are in a horrid home and community environment which is hostile to education. Replacing a teacher is not going to help them nearly as much as addressing the home environment, the anti-education culture, and the social promotion practices of the lower primary grades. Kids who can't read beyond a 2nd or 3rd grade level can't succeed in high school, no matter who tries to teach them.

[yldstrk]

I cannot tell you what awful math teachers I had

[ken5050]

Didn’t Obama kill the charter schools in DC..how can this reporter say that Obozo’s “coming around?”

[Rome2000]

And then they maybe get a job slicing cold cuts.

Remember, don't ask for 3/4 pound of turkey when shopping.

They only do half pound or pound.

[bert]

-——energize Democratic families——

Ha.... the point of being democrat is to not want to be energized. Then there is the family. There is real question that those most effected don’t really have families in the conventional sense. They are pretty much a village

[bert]

I want half a pound of Baloney.

thanks, now I want half a half pound of baloney

[chrisser]

I think you raise some good points.

However, it seems to me that teaching enthusiastic students with lots of parental support is comparatively easy. I dare say, had I had the Internet as a student, I would have learned more on my own than in a classroom setting, likely only needing periodic guidance. A good part of my K-12 education was waiting around to be spoonfed the next morsel of info, especially once I had the basics down (like by the 5th grade).

Does one really need an education degree, periodic seminars, tenure, early retirement, etc. to teach the high end students? The “work” of teaching - where we need the best and brightest dedicated creative professionals - is in the difficult kids in the bad situations.