My Goal in Blogging

I started this blog in May of 2008, shortly after my election to the School Committee, because I believed it was very important to both provide the community with an opportunity to share their thoughts with me about our schools and to provide me with an opportunity for me to ask questions and share my thoughts and reasoning. I have found the conversation generated on my blog to be extremely helpful to me in learning community views on many issues. I appreciate the many people who have taken the time to share their views. I believe it is critical to the quality of our public schools to have a public discussion of our community priorities, concerns and aspirations.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Editorial: Extracting lessons from Rodriguez's parting shot

This is the Bulletin editors' editorial -- which I found one of the most thoughtful editorials I've ever read in the Bulletin. I believe my blog readers will find it interesting and thought-provoking.

http://www.amherstbulletin.com/story/id/174906/

4 comments:

Tom Porter, Amherst said...

To reiterate an observation that I made (4 days late) to the related June 8 blog post, the stunning aspect of Dr. Rodriguez' report is the prominence of his criticism of the Amherst school system's 'lip service to racial diversity' and treatment of students of color (achievement gap, 'broken' referral system).

In Amherst we often believe that we are better-intentioned, more sensitive, and doing the right thing to advance the cause of equity. Rodriguez' comments sternly challenge this view, differentiating between what he sees as the posture and the reality.

It surprised me that Dr. Rodriguez gave such attention to this in his report. And it surprises me that this aspect of his report has gotten so little attention, at least so far, from the community that comments on this blog.

Are we as a town making progress on diversity/color/multi-cultural issues? And have we ever articulated the precise goal - so we can measure our progress as we get closer, and know when we have achieved it?

Anonymous said...

For the most part, I think that ARPS staff are sensitive to the issues of diversity - but being sensitive to diversity and actually taking actions that help students of color achieve at higher levels (as a system) are two different things.

Anonymous said...

Here is a website that is dedicated to closing the achievement gap: http://www.agi.harvard.edu/.

Ed said...

Are we as a town making progress on diversity/color/multi-cultural issues?

The issue in this town is social class. As there is a co-relationship between race, gender, sexual orientation, single parenthood and disability with Socieo Economic Status (SES), many mistakenly believe that the issue is something other than economic.

It is not.

And the black college administrator and her retired professor husband and their $300K household income have everything in common with their rich white friends and little with either the minorities living in Section 8 apartments or the white UM students living in the adjacent apartments.

And if you look at the Pelham issue, if you look at the old Amherst K-6 district lines, if you even look at what Rodriguez cites as evidence for his claims, it is all SOCIAL CLASS.

And I am seeing it getting worse...