White students forced to stay at failing school

reply to post by Golf66


I think you're right. 'Discrimatory' really would be a better word than 'racist.'

Either way it is very wrong. It's sad it's even an issue today. Really I'm surprised it's even being debated. We should all agree this is wrong. Only someone with blinders on wouldn't admit it.

To say the door isn't open for a specific color of skin- any color- is wrong. These are just kids. They have nothing to do with what happened in the past but we run the risk of poisoning them with it when we still do things like this.

reply to post by Golf66


It didn't do any good, it drove the white families that could afford to do so to move to the suburbs. It didn't do anything for me other than ensure I wouldn't be involved in any extracurricular activities and have two buses involved in accidents while I was on board. All to address a non existent problem created by self imposed segregation to begin with.

reply to post by Larrelye


To which I would reply, "Do not feed the trolls." A proper examination into Rayville's school demographics would have ended any 'debate' over the correlation of race and scores. While there can be no debate that an achievement gap equivalent to 1 standard deviation, on average, exists between black and white scores on standardized tests, you are correct, that discussion would serve to derail this thread, and the fact would remain: Removing black children from an elementary school that is 87% black would have no effect at all on either standardized test scores or the school's failing grade. End of discussion.

I agree with your statement that a proportionate number of white children- equivalent to the transferring percentage of black children- should be given the option to transfer to a 'better' school. Given that so few white children are actually enrolled in the elemenarty school (13%), the ratio of blacks to whites who SHOULD be allowed to transfer would still be close to 8:1; I repeat, for every 8 black children who are able to transfer, 1 white student should be allowed to do so also. With total school enrollment of 498 students, 63 white students will be required to stay in a school with a failing grade. If a proportionate number of white students were allowed to enroll in 'better' schools, how should they be chosen; what criteria would comprise your selection process? Given the income information listed below, it might be a challenge for any Rayville resident to even send their child to a 'better' school due simply to the increased cost of transportation:

Taken from Wikipedia- The median income for a household in the town was $14,309, and the median income for a family was $16,480. Males had a median income of $21,000 versus $16,107 for females. The per capita income for the town was $8,589. About 44.2% of families and 48.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 65.9% of those under age 18 and 28.6% of those age 65 or over.

My point being: white people who live in Rayville and who attend Rayville Elementary are highly unlikely to be able to leave Rayville to attend a different school, even if they wanted to. That does not make the imposed legislation any less descriminatory toward whites, but it does highlight an existing disparity that has as much to do with income as it does with antiquated educational practices in much of the south. No child should be forced to remain in a failing school any more than we as a country should allow our school systems to have failed in the first place. The problem comes from within our communities and our attitude toward education and can only be fixed from within. The sad truth is that allowing any of these students to attend 'better' schools will, regrettably, cause the better schools standardized test scores to drop. Focus on the school: fix the curriculum, implement educational, outreach, and support programs for at risk youth by creating a federally-backed holistic and academic counseling and mentoring program that is tailored to Louisiana's needs, and things will change.

Regardless, this has been a great topic for discussion.

Originally posted by Larrelye
In Rayville, Louisiana, the elementary school is expected to receive a failing grade. Students will be allowed to transfer to 1 of 2 higher scoring school nearby. But not all students will be allowed to transfer. White students will not be eligible for this and must remain at the failing school. Here is a picture of the letter sent out to parents of students at Rayville Elementary.

it says the image has been removed or deleted but it hasn't. You can find it at the link below:
i295.photobucket.com...

Both of the alternative schools are in very small towns and are likely (I can't show proof) predominately white. I would assume the schools or school system wants to keep or encourage some sort of balance and diversity. Several years ago, in nearby Ouachita Parish, a new school was built in a predominately black area inside the parish. White students who went to Ouachita Parish High School were eligible to be bussed to new school and black students in the new school district would be allowed to be transfered to Ouachita Parish. This was done to help maintain a balance. However, neither of these schools were expected to receive a failing grade. I'm not sure how I feel about this but I am not against attempting to diversify a school.

In this case, white students will not be allowed to attend a higher scoring school. White students must remain at a failing school system and receive a substandard education. They don't have the option of a satisfactory public school. Although I would not describe a C- school as "satisfactory". Regardless of the color of the students, I am furious that ANY child be required to receive less than barely adequate.

On top of the obvious statement, there is nothing in the letter to state that the school intends to improve it's grade. The initial problem is the failing grade by the average student and it appears, by this letter alone, that they are prepared to "fix" the problem by reducing the number of students effected instead of improving the quality of education.

FYI: My children are not in this school system and I did not personally receive the letter. I have not contacted this school board for an explanation. My children attend a fantastic public school in another parish. I find this to be disgraceful to our children of ALL races as well as encourages people to look at others by their skin color and reinforces a racial aspect where there should be none.

I apologize if this is in the wrong forum or has already been posted.

If this is official district correspondence wouldn't it be on school district letterhead?

Not necessarily, and it is pretty much a non-issue as the school district admits willingly that this is the case and why.

Let me see if I got this right. A segregation law is created to combat racism in turn creates a racial issue decades later? Goes to prove 'the more things change, the more things stay the same.'

Originally posted by AshleyD
reply to post by Golf66

 

I think you're right. 'Discrimatory' really would be a better word than 'racist.'

Either way it is very wrong. It's sad it's even an issue today. Really I'm surprised it's even being debated. We should all agree this is wrong. Only someone with blinders on wouldn't admit it.

To say the door isn't open for a specific color of skin- any color- is wrong. These are just kids. They have nothing to do with what happened in the past but we run the risk of poisoning them with it when we still do things like this.

Thanks -

I see the problem with this whole issue being the government (or more accurately the people who are supposed to represent us) is trying to change the way people think by legislating equality. Equality can no ne legislated as it doesn't exist.

I think they fail to realize that when they punish the next generation for the actions of the one prior in hopes of making things better between the groups that it has the opposite effect. It creates division and a sense of entitlement in one group along with a feeling of alienation in the other.

The way to change racist behavior and thinking in people is not by practicing institutional discrimination but to simply let people live and make their own choices. Even if those choices are not politically correct. There have always been bigots and racists and there always be.

Laws mandating the interaction between people who do not wish it can never end well. I think we have seen over the 60 years since the advent of the civil rights act that for the most part laws that were intended to be a temporary leveler of fields over time have never paid off. Instead the hand-ups that were to bring the minorities out of poverty have created a sense of entitlement and laziness. While the same set of laws that were to change the thinking of the majority by forcing them into interaction with minorities have created resentment and contempt instead of acceptance. Why - people do not like being forced to do anything.

Creating a system that rewards or punishes certain groups for their race is clearly divisive and counter to anything productive. Its along the lines of two wrongs not making things right - ever...

Punishing someone for actions that are not their own breed’s resentment the same as rewarding someone for doing nothing breeds apathy and contempt.

I don't think liberals are bad for wanting to make things better everyone's intentions were genuinely good. However, after all this time the plan is obviously not working so let’s try natural integration. If that means the people separate further perhaps that is just the natural state of man and we all know that fighting nature is pretty hard.

I've read through the thread and been anxiously looking for someone to catch the overall issues really at play here. Wow.. The emotional aspects of the two smaller issues overwhelm all. This is the basis for the Louisiana Law:

Parents whose children attend low-performing Title I schools must be given opportunities to transfer their children to a higher performing school.

This public school choice provision of the No Child Left Behind Act is one of several key strategies for achieving a high-quality education for all students. Another is Supplemental Education Services (SES).

Source

This isn't the School. This isn't even Louisiana. This is the Federal Government and, as it happens, an initiative that came under the last President and turned our schools into testing mills. That's where the F comes from. I'm real familiar with it because my son's school is dealing with it as well and it's from the MAP testing scores. No Child Left Behind test scores.


THEN... Oh and this makes it bad doesn't it? No Child Left Behind mandates meet school desegregation mandates and the two have absolutely nothing to do with each other....but that is the text book example of laws conflicting and screwing those the laws apply to. It's battle of the federal mandates with no good way out for the School or State.

This is so racist.

They are saying non-white students are not smart enough to make the school better, so they are getting rid of most of them, but keeping the smart white kids to make the school better?

Where is Al, Jessie, Eric and or Obama on this?


I love how you can turn this letter into what ever you want.

reply to post by GunzCoty


Well, Jessie Jr. is currently being treated for debilitating depression. I don't think it is related to this thread though.


Full Story.

reply to post by RealSpoke


Nevermind.

reply to post by getreadyalready


What special distinction? The same rules would apply if it were an all white school with a minority of blacks.

but the majority of failing schools are in impoverished areas with mostly black or Hispanic populations. The public schools in primarily white districts are usually A schools.

Yeah, its because suburban schools have more funding and actually have enough books, desks, worksheets, and room for all the students.

When you have an overcrowded school with no funds, what do you expect?

a lot of parents really expect the schools to teach them everything from calculus to manners and shoe-tying

Schools do teach you all those things though lol

i read this as racist [ anti black / latino etc ]

with the interpretation that - they are assuming that if the none whites leave - the school will improve

or in otherwords its the none whites that are the problem

Ah, man... this is a bad look. This just gives the Right-wingers more fuel to power there "reverse-racism" propaganda campaigns. A sad day for our nation.

This school should just be closed all together, nobody should have to go to a school rated with a grade of "F". I would say screw the school board and send my kid somewhere else and if they stepped in my way, I would sue them to high-heaven.

reply to post by bg_socalif

If this is official district correspondence wouldn't it be on school district letterhead?

Wait... that is a great point. I call B.S. on the whole OP. This stinks like Right-wing racist propaganda. The OP didn't give any sources or explanation how she received the letter. If it were real Fox news would be all over it, and I haven't seen any stories on it.

A source should be given or this thread should be moved to the HOAX forum.

Reason #675294255 to homeschool.

reply to post by openlocks


Media link
www.huffingtonpost.com...

I received the image from my sister who received it from a friend with a child in that system

Read the entire thread of all its responses and I can't believe that people are even trying to dissect the blatant statement this letter boldly says.

This is the racism that is brought up time and time again on ATS but we have certain members that believe that all whites are strictly the most racist and have no clue what it's like to be discriminated against, when in fact some AA's have no idea themselves they just heard it from grandma.. I will not call you out but you know who you are.

The truth is that it is a shame to be white these days. If you are white you are responsible/capable of slavery, and Hitler mentality.. pure bull*snip*. I just want racism gone.. I could care less about skin color but imho the tables have turned and white people are discriminated against and frowned upon.. in some cases even by their own race.

reply to post by 31Bravo

The truth is that it is a shame to be white these days. If you are white you are responsible/capable of slavery, and Hitler mentality.. pure bull*snip*

Are you kidding me?

If you're black these days and most other decades for the past 200 years, you're responsible for all the welfare, robbing, raping, assaults, murders, drug sales, drug use, poverty, improper grammar, lower IQ, and glorification of criminal media.

imho the tables have turned and white people are discriminated against and frowned upon

This would have happened to ANY RACE that was the minority in the school.

Yeah, I'd like to see an apartment building pull a similar type of advertising a vacancy to "Hasten diversity" and "Lessen economical impact" while "Hindering advancement of those not chosen to advance, better their lifestyles or expand their opportunites in life because of your race, religion or sexual affiliation ". I see a big fat law suit.