Detroit School Board Back in Charge of Academics

[SWMAP]

The Board recently hired self-described academic and activist John Telford as Interim Superintendent. Telford promised this for Detroit schools in his first address to the Board [[note re-introduction of ebonics and anecdotal instruction in English and social studies modules):

I will begin to establish my plan for the Detroit Public Schools' long-overdue reformation. This plan will include the who/what/when/why and how components of accomplishing it, and it will include the recruitment of retired educators and educational administrators like me and practitioners of other professions [[e.g., Business and Law), plus several community activists, to come in voluntarily and work pro bono.
*The re-institution of fair collective bargaining for all bargaining groups. Relatedly, this will include paying earned sick days to union retirees who didn't get them, and it will include as well the affording of appropriate remuneration to those DPS staff who are on long-term disability.
*The re-institution of Ebonics-anecdotal instruction in the English and Social Studies curricula and the re-emphasis of Afro-centered instruction in those curricula.
*The preparation of a plan to go to court to get the fifteen un-Constitutionally hijacked schools back into the DPS fold.


From The Detroit News: http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/w...#ixzz23jvdAP4r

[Wheels]

Yea thats what I was thinking too. Ebonics should be #1 priority for fixing DPS.
That has to be the first thing future employers will be looking for along with a good Afro-centered culture. Then the board can give them selfs a big raise and all will be good again in the D. Good luck with that.

[Wesley Mouch]

....I will begin to establish my plan for the Detroit Public Schools' long-overdue reformation. This plan will include the who/what/when/why and how components of accomplishing it, and it will include the recruitment of retired educators and educational administrators like me and practitioners of other professions [[e.g., Business and Law), plus several community activists, to come in voluntarily and work pro bono.
*The re-institution of fair collective bargaining for all bargaining groups. Relatedly, this will include paying earned sick days to union retirees who didn't get them, and it will include as well the affording of appropriate remuneration to those DPS staff who are on long-term disability.
*The re-institution of Ebonics-anecdotal instruction in the English and Social Studies curricula and the re-emphasis of Afro-centered instruction in those curricula.
*The preparation of a plan to go to court to get the fifteen un-Constitutionally hijacked schools back into the DPS fold.
....

I sincerely hope this is a hoax. Didn't read the article yet. I'm afraid.

OK, I looked at the link. Its only a blog. Someone's take on what he said. Is there any confirmation that this was what was said? Or provide some context?

I also noticed that this weblog is about a month old. So what's up here?

[jpbollma]

LOL! You really can't make this shit up can you?

[Wesley Mouch]

LOL! You really can't make this shit up can you?

No, you can't. What I can't help but wonder is whether the people who say things like this really believe them. Or is it pandering? Say whatever will get you elected/appointed? This is what concerns me about governmental institutions. It seems that there is a natural tendency to self-serving behavior in a least a non-trivial number of cases. I'm sure that 99% of public institutions do a good job -- but oh boy that 1% sure is amazingly entrenched.

[firstandten]

No, you can't. What I can't help but wonder is whether the people who say things like this really believe them. Or is it pandering? Say whatever will get you elected/appointed? This is what concerns me about governmental institutions. It seems that there is a natural tendency to self-serving behavior in a least a non-trivial number of cases. I'm sure that 99% of public institutions do a good job -- but oh boy that 1% sure is amazingly entrenched.

Telford marches to the beat of a different drummer
He believes every word of what he said.

[SWMAP]

Steven Henderson' editorial in the Free Press last Friday used the same quote. Telford addressed the Board in a public meeting, so I guess the quote is accurate.
"What's up" is that when Board hired Telford a month ago, the EM had control of academics, so a nutty, poor-speaking Superintendent wasn't much of an issue because he wouldn't have any authority and would never meet the teachers - but now he does have authority.

[313WX]

Meh, much of the damage has already been done. The judge ruled all of the decisions Bobs has made until now will stand [[including the EAA).

However, the judge also said if in fact PA4 is repealed, he would consider having all of the decisions made under Bob Bobb's and Roy Bobs' authority reversed.

[DetroitTeacher]

No one can do anything with money...Roberts is still in charge of that part of it. He sent out letters stating that he would be our EFM again and not just our EM. I've not heard a word about Telford being hired [[except in that blog). I don't think it's true. Where is he going to get the money for the stuff he's planning? Roberts will still be in charge of the purse strings.

On a side note: I will NOT be doing anything with Ebonics...policy directive or not.

[SWMAP]

Reported the Detroit Free Press June 15, 2012:http://www.freep.com/article/2012061...s-court-ruling

[poobert]

The Board recently hired self-described academic and activist John Telford as Interim Superintendent. Telford promised this for Detroit schools in his first address to the Board [[note re-introduction of ebonics and anecdotal instruction in English and social studies modules):

I will begin to establish my plan for the Detroit Public Schools' long-overdue reformation. This plan will include the who/what/when/why and how components of accomplishing it, and it will include the recruitment of retired educators and educational administrators like me and practitioners of other professions [[e.g., Business and Law), plus several community activists, to come in voluntarily and work pro bono.
*The re-institution of fair collective bargaining for all bargaining groups. Relatedly, this will include paying earned sick days to union retirees who didn't get them, and it will include as well the affording of appropriate remuneration to those DPS staff who are on long-term disability.
*The re-institution of Ebonics-anecdotal instruction in the English and Social Studies curricula and the re-emphasis of Afro-centered instruction in those curricula.
*The preparation of a plan to go to court to get the fifteen un-Constitutionally hijacked schools back into the DPS fold.


From The Detroit News: http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/w...#ixzz23jvdAP4r

Let's break this down:

1) get people to come in and work for free at DPS. Sorry, you couldn't pay me to work at DPS.

2) Promise to hand out a bunch of benefits/goodies to staff.

3) teach in ebonics.


The first is fantasy, the second has virtually nothing to do with education, and the third will do these kids no favors in the professional world.

So what does any of this have to do with a better education for our young people?

I've had a few run-ins lately with these old guard activist types. They need to either retire or curl up and die already, and that includes John Conyers, Maureen Taylor, John Dingell, John Telford, and JoAnn Watson to name a few. This is 2012, get out of the fucking way.

[poobert]

And thank God the Reverend Reverend is back in a position of power too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcjl5cHneyw

[eastsidechris]

It would really be nice to have the layoffs rescinded, yesterday! Nothing like getting called back just days before teachers are supposed to report back to school.

[Danny]

The DPS board may take over academics, but this is temporary. We have to see the Public Act 4 [[ Snyder Dictatorship Bill) appealed by out voters in the State of Michigan.

[jpbollma]

I really hope for the sake of these kids, these jokers get their shit together and prepare these kids for the real business world rather than waste time on ebonics. I can see spending more time on subjects like the Civil Rights Movement, slavery, and segregation because they are huge parts of our history that most schools seem to gloss over..but the ebonics thing and the promising goodies when there is no money is really ludicrous.

[Locke09]

I sincerely hope this is a hoax. Didn't read the article yet. I'm afraid.

OK, I looked at the link. Its only a blog. Someone's take on what he said. Is there any confirmation that this was what was said? Or provide some context?

I also noticed that this weblog is about a month old. So what's up here?

Today in the Free Press, in an editorial letter, he refers to "Ebonics antidotal" education rather than Ebonics-anecdotal. And he says this is necessary because standard English is the language of the marketplace. Ebonics antidotal would imply making an effort to "cure" students of the use of ebonics and slang and get them more proficient with standard English.

So, quite possibly someone did misquote him and everyone else followed suit. Or he mispronounced the word the first time himself.

[corktownyuppie]

I think the headline was supposed to read,

Detroit "School Board" Back in Charge of "Academics"

[Zacha341]

What we need is phonics and in-depth immersion style reading and writing beyond online web surfing, surface-reading and cut and paste from blogs and the like.

English, and even basic grammar has been toast to some extent since Whole Language came about. Ebonics is one of the outworkings from that. Ebonics does not serve the educational interests of Detroit children on any level.

Yea thats what I was thinking too. Ebonics should be #1 priority for fixing DPS.
That has to be the first thing future employers will be looking for along with a good Afro-centered culture. Then the board can give them selfs a big raise and all will be good again in the D. Good luck with that.

[Zacha341]

Thank you for your stand on this DT. I teach part-time at a community college bursting at the seams with students in remedial English courses because they unable to read or write at college level. Some sadly can only write at a basic 'texting' level.

I have observed students attempting college work-study programs unable to verbally convey their thoughts or conduct telephone business conduct [[receptionist duties for example) due to lack of exposure to basic communication skills from their environments, home and now at school.

No thank you to Ebonics! Ebonics shouldn't be considered an academic standard.

On a side note: I will NOT be doing anything with Ebonics...policy directive or not.

[Zacha341]

Please tell me this is not going to cause the schools 'start' date to be delayed? That's all DPS and Detroit Children need! NOT!

[De'troiter]

Thank you for your stand on this DT. I teach part-time at a community college bursting at the seams with students in remedial English courses because they unable to read or write at college level. Some sadly can only writing at a basic 'texting' level.

I see problems with students attempting college work-study programs unable to verbally convey their thoughts or conduct a simple telephone related business conversation due to lack of exposure to basic communication skills from their environments and home and now at school. No thank you to Ebonics! It is not helpful, and should not considered an academic standard.

I think that it is important to remember that the importance of a dialect depends on the reciever of the message more than the sender of the message. That being said, rather you acknowledge it or not, African American English Vernacular [[AAEV) is a very real language. It fulfills all of the basic qualifications to be considered a language. Millions of people, communicate effectively using this form of english.

I don't see how you could tell millions of AAEV speakers that their language, and ways of communication do not exist. I believe the appropriate thing to tell these people is that the "accepted" language of business is standard english. What John Telford is advocating, is to teach the children when it is appropiate to use standard english, opposed to their native tongue. He is also advocating for the use of AAEV to teach standard english. Its no different than using spanish to help spanish speakers learn english quicker.

If you are an educator, I think you should already know that as long as a language is alive it continues to evolve, and once it stops evolving it dies. That being said alot of words traditionally used by African Americans have found its way into standard english, case in point: "OK". The word "OK" did not originally exist is standard english, but no other word expressed that point better therefore it was accepted.

In closing, although standard english is the language of the marketplace, it is not the ONLY dialect that exists. Please do not dismiss the existence of AAEV, because in the long run it separates you from potentially helping AAEV speakers adapt in the appropriate situations. "ya dig?" lol

[corktownyuppie]

I think that it is important to remember that the importance of a dialect depends on the reciever of the message more than the sender of the message. That being said, rather you acknowledge it or not, African American English Vernacular [[AAEV) is a very real language. It fulfills all of the basic qualifications to be considered a language. Millions of people, communicate effectively using this form of english.

I don't see how you could tell millions of AAEV speakers that their language, and ways of communication do not exist. I believe the appropriate thing to tell these people is that the "accepted" language of business is standard english. What John Telford is advocating, is to teach the children when it is appropiate to use standard english, opposed to their native tongue. He is also advocating for the use of AAEV to teach standard english. Its no different than using spanish to help spanish speakers learn english quicker.

If you are an educator, I think you should already know that as long as a language is alive it continues to evolve, and once it stops evolving it dies. That being said alot of words traditionally used by African Americans have found its way into standard english, case in point: "OK". The word "OK" did not originally exist is standard english, but no other word expressed that point better therefore it was accepted.

In closing, although standard english is the language of the marketplace, it is not the ONLY dialect that exists. Please do not dismiss the existence of AAEV, because in the long run it separates you from potentially helping AAEV speakers adapt in the appropriate situations. "ya dig?" lol

I appreciate and agree with all of your logic above. And all of it makes sense "on paper". But there are a lot of ideas that make sense on paper that don't always translate well to execution.

Can you point to studies, experiences, evidence...even anecdotes that substantiate the use of using AAEV to teach standard formal written english [[SFWE)?

Because if teaching SFWE by using AAEV all of a sudden churned out hundreds or thousands of young black men able to speak in the Queen's English when in the marketplace and in their local dialect when appropriate, I think this idea would get a lot less pushback.

But since positive results with this hasn't exactly hit mainstream, I'm curious...perhaps dubious...of its existence. That said, I'm open to hearing about what I don't know.

[Zacha341]

Thank you for your detailed response De'troiter. I had revised my second paragraph a bit after your reply:

"I have observed students attempting college work-study programs unable to verbally convey their thoughts or conduct telephone business conduct [[receptionist duties for example) due to lack of exposure to basic communication skills from their environments, home and now at school.)"

The content of my comment remains, yet I give a specific example of how being limited only to AAVE is a problem. Even in the very TOLERANT college business office setting! It's hard to see a young person stumble, not be able to use standard English when answering a phone.

We need all options to function on the global scene: socially, and economically speaking. I did not say that AAEV does not exist. Ironic to the argument it almost exists by DEFAULT in some communities. Dialect is real. I use it - have used it in my own writing - personal and published. I can speak in Ebonics one minute and then standard the next. Some of our kids 'only' know dialect.

Many of us over 35 or so had the benefit of having our grammar and speaking corrected by our beloved elders in the home. Sometimes we picked up dialect there and elsewhere as well. We could edit our style and preference to our advantage as needed, bilingually speaking, as an 'option'.

Some youth now are not getting this 'diversity'... too few of them know nothing of their options or the power of that therein!

I want to discuss this a bit further and want to pull a few things together to do so in a full manner in respect to the detail that you shared. Back at 'cha in a bit. Thank you.

I think that it is important to remember that the importance of a dialect depends on the reciever of the message more than the sender of the message. That being said, rather you acknowledge it or not, African American English Vernacular [[AAEV) is a very real language. It fulfills all of the basic qualifications to be considered a language. Millions of people, communicate effectively using this form of english.

I don't see how you could tell millions of AAEV speakers that their language, and ways of communication do not exist...

[corktownyuppie]

Many of us over 35 or had the benefit of having our grammar and speaking corrected by our beloved elders in the home. Naturally we picked up dialect there as well. We could edit our style and preference to our advantage as needed. Bilingually speaking, as an option. Some of kids now are not getting this diversity...

I don't quite meet the 35 and over segment, and since I didn't grow up with AAEV in my childhood home, it is not quite to the proficiency of, say, Barbara Billingsley.

But I think Zacha341 makes a good point here. The house I did grow up with was bilingual, and so I was getting [[my parent's best version of) SFWE at home.

I don't think most native AAEV speakers are getting that at home.

[De'troiter]

I appreciate and agree with all of your logic above. And all of it makes sense "on paper". But there are a lot of ideas that make sense on paper that don't always translate well to execution.

Can you point to studies, experiences, evidence...even anecdotes that substantiate the use of using AAEV to teach standard formal written english [[SFWE)?

Because if teaching SFWE by using AAEV all of a sudden churned out hundreds or thousands of young black men able to speak in the Queen's English when in the marketplace and in their local dialect when appropriate, I think this idea would get a lot less pushback.

But since positive results with this hasn't exactly hit mainstream, I'm curious...perhaps dubious...of its existence. That said, I'm open to hearing about what I don't know.

Corktown im speaking from my own personal experience. That is not an uncommon phenominon, there is even an academic term for it; its called "code-switching". Code-switching is not only utilized by Blacks, but most ethnic groups revert to a less formal language when they are among others who speak and understand the language. Haven't you ever seen a group of Mexicans talk to each other in Spanish, then just as easily switch to English. To be honest, standard english is a very cold and emotion-less dialect, and I only use it in formal applications, such as taking care of business. I also use it when communicating with non AAEV speakers, in an effort to effectively communicate.

Again, communication operates like a machine. The sender [[speaker) sends out a message to a reciever [[listener). If the message from the sender is incompatible to the reciever, a misfire occurs. In order to correct the misfire the sender must refer to the user's manual of the receiver in order to develop a new course of action so that the message is effectively communicated. Therefore it would make no sense to teach a curriculum of standard english without relating it to what the children understand. Its easier for a person to learn algebra 2 when they have been introduced to algebra 1, oppose to just teaching agebra 2 without relating it to algebra 1.

There has been numerous studies on AAEV and communication in general, just google it. Code-switching is around you everyday, and you may even participate yourself. All effective communicators do.