Superintendent in need of a dictionary

**professorscott** · January-20-15, 04:38 PM

So in Garden City, superintendent Michelle Cline made some pretty stupid remarks pertaining to race [[go check out either daily rag to see it), then when confronted about it came up with the following bon mot: "This was a comment about race, not a racial comment."

OK, Michelle, dig me here for a second. I expect somebody in a high-visibility and high-paid educational job to know what a dictionary is, be able to afford one, and to check one out before making ignorant statements. Alanis Morrisette had an excuse; she was quite young and just starting out when she wrote Ironic. You have no such excuse.

Since you have no dictionary available, apparently, and I have a couple of them right in front of me, let me help out:

racial: [[adj.) of, relating to, or characteristic of race or races.

That was from my friends at the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. So, you see, my dear woman, it is not possible to make a comment "about race" which is not "racial".

In case you, reader, were wondering why Garden City Schools are not doing so well, perhaps this gives you a glimmer of understanding.

**detmsp** · January-20-15, 05:22 PM

Link for the lazy: http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...cist/22027207/

**Honky Tonk** · January-20-15, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by detmsp

Link for the lazy: http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...cist/22027207/

Yaaaaaaawwwwwwn....... [[stretch) Thanx detmsp.....

DetroitBoy · January-20-15, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by professorscott

So in Garden City, superintendent Michelle Cline made some pretty stupid remarks pertaining to race [[go check out either daily rag to see it), then when confronted about it came up with the following bon mot: "This was a comment about race, not a racial comment."

OK, Michelle, dig me here for a second. I expect somebody in a high-visibility and high-paid educational job to know what a dictionary is, be able to afford one, and to check one out before making ignorant statements. Alanis Morrisette had an excuse; she was quite young and just starting out when she wrote Ironic. You have no such excuse.

Since you have no dictionary available, apparently, and I have a couple of them right in front of me, let me help out:

racial: [[adj.) of, relating to, or characteristic of race or races.

That was from my friends at the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. So, you see, my dear woman, it is not possible to make a comment "about race" which is not "racial".

In case you, reader, were wondering why Garden City Schools are not doing so well, perhaps this gives you a glimmer of understanding.

She is probably a product of their school system.

**Jerry Van** · January-21-15, 01:14 PM

ProfessorDictionary,

I don't think Ms. Cline reads this forum. Since you seem to have an excess of dictionaries, why don't you mail her one?

**Wheels** · January-21-15, 01:44 PM

ProfessorNott.

"It was not meant to be a prejudiced statement," Cline said. "I will defend it until the end of time. This is about a concern for public education."

I didn't read anything close to your quote in the Free Press link. Do you have a different sorce or are you having reading comprehension issues?

**professorscott** · January-21-15, 02:27 PM

Regarding me sending Ms. Cline one of my dictionaries: that would cost money, probably as much as it would cost for her to go to a bookstore and purchase one herself. A used one would do; I bet John King has a good used abridged dictionary for a couple dollars. Maybe she'd even find one in the free-book box in the vestibule. You don't need a fancy dictionary for this; these are simple words we're discussing.

Regarding the quote, mine was lifted from the News, verbatim. Sorry; I should have cited it. Getting sloppy in my advancing age.

**Scottathew** · January-21-15, 02:42 PM

Her statement sure seems racist to me. In her mind there are black standards and white standards, and she seems to have higher standards for white people.

If she wanted to make a non-racist point she could say, "We don't want to be the first school district in an affluent community to fail."

**BankruptcyGuy** · January-23-15, 08:16 AM

And the Detroit School Board comes out...

Defending her.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/27...superintendent

[[deep sigh)

**Shai_Hulud** · January-23-15, 11:11 AM

In a statement released Monday, Cline wrote:

"There is apathy and I wonder if that is because the districts that have gone down are predominantly black schools. The people in the audience didn't seem to believe we could go under. I wondered if the staff thought this wouldn't happen because Garden City is predominantly white. Nobody seems to care about predominantly black schools. The people in the audience didn't seem to believe we could go under. is that because we are predominantly white? That is why I said what I said."

Not PC at all, but I'm not reading a lot of untruth in the statement either.

The original quote, I don't know because I wasn't there and didn't hear the context. Even if clumsy, she may have been trying to speak honestly about race politics, which people get crucified for by the same people who complain that no one talks honestly about race.

**gvidas** · January-23-15, 12:56 PM

Speaking about race is hard. I imagine it's harder as a public official.

I agree that the quote from her Monday statement is a pretty valid point. Sure, she could be more equitable. She could have cared about predominantly black schools before her predominantly white school is threatened.

In light of the quote explaining her Monday statement, I'd say that her quote which started this thread -- "This was a comment about race, not a racial comment." -- is also understandable. Yes, there was a linguistic mistake. She should have said, "that was a comment about race, not a racist comment." I.e., "I am trying to discuss race as a factor in decision-making without accusing anyone of being a racist."