Toronto School Board OK,S Africa centric school.

[Exarecr]

And so it begins. This group has a 50% failure rate compared to all other groups,races, demographics,or whatever the current politically correct term of the day is. Solution. Teach them how to count by going over the numbers killed during the genocide in Rwanda. Teach them higher math by going over the number of colonial powers vs the percentage of home grown dictators. Teach them about weather and climate in Africa as they fight -25 degree winds trying to walk up Young Street. Would somebody please tell me how on earth this is even minutely beneficial to Canada. I don't care what goes on in Africa when it comes to my tax dollars paying for this foolishness. When these kids get out of their special little school they will care or know nothing of the country in which they live or about it's past. Come to think of it, I think I want my son to go to an Irish-centric school to accurately convey to him his Irish roots. I would expect the same treatment for German Canadians, Japanese Canadians, Bulgarian Canadians,and on and on and on. We have more hyphens for our citizens then we do common sense it would seem. Why is it always us who must accommodate them, or risk being deemed racist simply because what they have here is not what they had in the old Country.Enough already.Rant over. Cheers.

[crooks]

Originally Posted by Exarecr

And so it begins. This group has a 50% failure rate compared to all other groups,races, demographics,or whatever the current politically correct term of the day is. Solution. Teach them how to count by going over the numbers killed during the genocide in Rwanda. Teach them higher math by going over the number of colonial powers vs the percentage of home grown dictators. Teach them about weather and climate in Africa as they fight -25 degree winds trying to walk up Young Street. Would somebody please tell me how on earth this is even minutely beneficial to Canada. I don't care what goes on in Africa when it comes to my tax dollars paying for this foolishness. When these kids get out of their special little school they will care or know nothing of the country in which they live or about it's past. Come to think of it, I think I want my son to go to an Irish-centric school to accurately convey to him his Irish roots. I would expect the same treatment for German Canadians, Japanese Canadians, Bulgarian Canadians,and on and on and on. We have more hyphens for our citizens then we do common sense it would seem. Why is it always us who must accommodate them, or risk being deemed racist simply because what they have here is not what they had in the old Country.Enough already.Rant over. Cheers.

Any chance of a link?

You haven't really explained what the rant is about.

[ShawnG]

Link

[Mobbme]

Ahh Exarecr was probably letting some steam off because the leafs lost I'll post a link that explains...

CityNews: What Will An Afrocentric School Be Like?

What Will An Afrocentric School Be Like?
Wednesday January 30, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff
It took more than two hours of bickering, arguing and passionate feelings. But in the end, the Toronto District School Board narrowly voted in favour of approving the idea of a black-focused school in the city.

A meeting that featured increased security and raised voices both pro and con filled the Board's meeting room near Yonge and Sheppard Tuesday, as both sides tried to make their point. When it was over, the vote was taken. And it was close, but it was final - 11 trustees favoured the idea while 9 opposed it. (Find out how yours voted)

But few went gently into that good night. Some cheered when the decision was announced. Others broke down in tears. The divisions are clear - some feel it's a giant step backward that encourages segregation. Others contend it's the only way to reach an increasingly alienated group with a 40 per cent drop-out rate.

The mother of Jordan Manners, the 15-year-old killed at C.W. Jefferys last May, pleaded with the rule makers not to take the controversial step. "Please, all I'm asking everyone here, let us not be an all-black school," Laureen Small intoned. "What we're doing, we're segregating each other!"

But Donna Harrow, who worked tirelessly to make the concept a reality, took an opposite track. "No one ever said little white children couldn't come to this school," she defends. "No one said that. You need to speak the truth."

Stefnie Payne, the only black trustee, surprised many when she voted against the idea. That prompted catcalls of "you should be ashamed of yourself," and "you should know better," from the vociferous pro crowd.

Trustee Josh Matlow spearheaded the no side, but was willing to give the idea a try when his opposition was defeated. "Although I ideologically disagree when what we've done and I believe that most Torontonians agree with my position, we need to wish success on any new school that we create. Whatever kind of school we create, when we've got kids in that building, it's got to be successful."

But exactly what form the curriculum will take is still a question. Outside of history and literature, some are wondering how you teach math or science with a 'black focus'. The Board decided on a multi-pronged approach, including:

-Establishing a Program Area Review Team to recommend the program and operational model for an Africentric Alternative School opening in September 2009;

-Establishing a pilot program in three existing schools integrating the histories, cultures, experiences and contributions of people of African descent and other racialized groups into curriculum, teaching practices and school environment;

-Establishing a Staff Development, Research and Innovation Centre in collaboration with post-secondary institutions and community agencies to assess best practices for improving the success of marginalized and vulnerable students; and

-Developing an action plan for addressing underachievement for all marginalized and vulnerable students.

And while supporters want the new school to be opened by the start of the fall term in 2009, there's still a question that's not black or white but green - how to get the $325,000 from Queen's Park to cover the start-up costs for the new entity.

[Mobbme]

Tempers Flare As Board Meets On Black-Focused Schools
Tuesday January 29, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff
Five minutes isn't a lot of time, but for seriously upset parents, it must have seemed mere seconds. That was the time period the dozens of people who showed up a Toronto District School Board meeting were given Tuesday night, as the divisive issue of black-focused school came up for public discussion one last time.

Both the pros and the cons have been strongly vocal about their feelings on the issue, with advocates insisting it will help stem the tide of failing black students who can't relate to the current curriculum. Their opponents call it a form of outright segregation and argue dividing education along lines of colour or ethnic origin smacks of the U.S. deep south in the 50s.

Both were in full voice when the meeting began at 6pm in what promised to be a knock down, drag-out fight that brought extra security officers out to keep the peace - just in case.

One of the first to air her views was a parent who wanted to see black schools in all jurisdictions - not just Toronto. The speaker was heckled by a crowd member who was immediately told to be quiet - or leave.

Among the others who took the floor - Laureen Small, the mother of Jordan Manners, whose murder at C.W. Jefferys last May stunned the city. She's against the idea and hopes the Board votes it down.

"Black school is segregation, okay? Martin Luther King and how many of our fathers fought to come together so black and whites can be together? Right? For us to sit in the front of the bus together. I don't think that we should have a black school. It's not right."

The vote won't come until late in the evening, after everyone has had their say. Twenty-one trustees will then consider the positives and negatives and then make a decision on either setting up the first such school of its kind here, designating three schools for more Afrocentric courses or standing pat.

The Board is also badly divided on the subject and it's clear whatever is decided will leave a bitter taste with some.

Donna Harrow is one of the parents who proposed the change. "We've got too many issues of our young people who are dropping out, who are failing within the system, who are disenfranchised, and the list goes on and on. We need to be able to nurture some of those children who are at risk, and this is one of many proposals that should be going to the board for ideas of how we can turn that around." She stresses any such school would be open to all.

But trustee Josh Matlow is equally sure her proposal is the wrong approach.

"Any reasonable and informed person will never dispute that we have a disproportionate number of black students who are failing from our system," he acknowledges. "[What] we need to start with is not go down the wrong road by dividing kids but actually make every single one of our schools, 558 across Toronto, be respectful, caring learning environments for every single kid."

In the end, the entire exercise could be entirely futile, because the final say will be up to the province. The Education Minister is doing her best to avoid the maelstrom for now.

"My position is that we prefer to have our students learning together in an inclusive environment," begins Kathleen Wynne. "We think that that's the way that all of schools in Ontario should be.

"Having said that, I know that the Toronto District School Board is looking at strategies to deal with student achievement, to help more kids graduate from school, and I think that the work they've done on inclusive curricula is very hopeful. So I'm interested in that part of their proposal."

[Mobbme]

I'm in shock, what were these trustees thinking when they voted in favor? Were they scared or something? I don't see how this is going to be good for anybody. So in this new school there won't be ANY black person failing? So if a Black student receives failing marks he will still be given a passing grade?

[Officer of Engineers]

I'm p!ssed off.

[dalem]

Hey, anyone that eager to reinstate Jim Crow on themselves, I say go for it.

Ethnism and tribalism have found their way to our neighbors. Very sad.

-dale

[1 Observer]

Wait! ... are we going to fix our nieghbors problem before we fix our own? We boys and girls, are in for quite the ride. Without some very pointedly ethnocentric policy shift (read r'acist') our poblems are surely here to stay. And that means in both our beloved countries...

[Bluesman]

I'm eager to see how this seperatist thinking pays off. Like dalem, I'd NEVER consider imposing this on a body of people, particularly if they're to be separated out by race. But if they CHOOSE this, well, they're a free people, presumably, and they have the freedom of association, just like I do. So, okay, BE seperate, if that's what you believe is in your interest.

Meanwhile, we'll be over here building a decent society that doesn't do idiotic things, like divide people into races.

[smilingassassin]

So much for multi-culturism.....

[chankya]

Originally Posted by dalem

Hey, anyone that eager to reinstate Jim Crow on themselves, I say go for it.

Ethnism and tribalism have found their way to our neighbors. Very sad.

-dale

Ummm....

"Stefnie Payne, the only black trustee, surprised many when she voted against the idea. That prompted catcalls of "you should be ashamed of yourself," and "you should know better," from the vociferous pro crowd. "

So how exactly are they asking for it themselves?
[All Emphasis mine. ]

[Mobbme]

Originally Posted by chankya

Ummm....

"Stefnie Payne, the only black trustee, surprised many when she voted against the idea. That prompted catcalls of "you should be ashamed of yourself," and "you should know better," from the vociferous pro crowd. "

So how exactly are they asking for it themselves?
[All Emphasis mine. ]

She DID know better, thats why she didn't vote for it. She's a well educated person.

The black protestors and parents ASKED for it. Whether or not 2 black people were against it, the majority was for it.

[chankya]

Originally Posted by Mobbme

She DID know better, thats why she didn't vote for it. She's a well educated person.

The black protestors and parents ASKED for it. Whether or not 2 black people were against it, the majority was for it.

I don't see where it mentions the ethnicity of the advocates. It was a meeting of a district school board. It might as well have been ultra liberal white/blue/brown/green dolts advocating it.

Why does it become a black fault?

[Bluesman]

Originally Posted by chankya

I don't see where it mentions the ethnicity of the advocates. It was a meeting of a district school board. It might as well have been ultra liberal white/blue/brown/green dolts advocating it.

Why does it become a black fault?

Okay, since neither of us knows from the story what the ethnic make-up of the advocates for this madness is, let's BET on it. We'll research it, and if it is NOT majority-black that advocates this, I'll concede your point, and order a pizza for you. If the other case obtains, you order a pizza for ME.