School Field Trip Causes Controversy

[jjenny]

I guess I am making an assumption here, but I am assuming they would have zero interest in hearing him speak because they showed zero interest in the group or its stated mission. IMOO the only reason the field trip was interesting to them was because they were not on it.

MOst teenagers, black OR white that I encounter, are not exactly interested in rocket science or a lecture thereon

Why in the world would you assume something like that? No child could possibly be interested in science? Really?

 

[Julessleuther]

I agree, Believe, that the media does alot to stir the pot, so to speak. FWIW, Barack Obama is 1/2 black, but he is also 1/2 white, but the media somehow fails to report on that. My point---they should not be "labeling" a president in any way, but they do. Example-- Kennedy was the first Catholic president.

So...when I am President, will I be labeled the first White-Polish/German, Catholic, Web Sleuthing, Dachshund Loving, Mother of One, Moderately Republican President? Ridiculous, huh? If we are going to label people, we should fully label them, right?

The day the labels stop, the day we will finally be united. The only label I want to see is American citizens.

K-one more point...from me, anyway, lol- This is how our media reports regarding our culture:
Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States.
George Bush, President of the United States
Bill Clinton, President of the United States
Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the United States...

You get my point.

 

[Julessleuther]

Respectfully, your comment bothers me.

Perhaps some kids have no interest in science, but this was a SCHOOL event. Kids go to school to learn. So, it is the responsibility of the school to motivate kids to WANT to learn about science. These were not high schoolers, these were 5th graders. I have taught 5-6 graders, and I can tell you, if you present the material in the right way, kids are very excited to learn about science!! Frankly, with my group, a rocket scientist would be SO COOL for them to hear. I feel that while it is great that they were motivated (as a school) to encourage black children to listen to a rocket scientist, they should have opened this up to anyone else who wanted to go. Surely there are kids at that school (regardless of skin color) who may be struggling and need some inspiration to work harder in science--that is exactly what field trips are supposed to do, suppliment school curriculum.

While I agree that exclusion - mo matter the race being excluded - is wrong, a part of me wonders whether this was wrong.

This was not a school funded trip. This was a peer study group that meets during the noon hour to take advantage of special help, an opportunity to study, etc. This peer group is open to all students. I can only assume that the students who prefer not to spend their lunch hour studying or do not feel they need that extra help elected not to participate/join "the lunch bunch".

As a result, those students were not included. Not because they are white, but because they have opted not to be a part of this group.

As a caucasion who is not a fan of how affirmative action has, in a way, infantalized black america, but who truly believes that equality should be afforded to all - I do not see a problem with what was done with this field trip.

Sorry but it reads to me like a bunch of students with sour grapes about not getting out of the school building for a few hours to go hear a guy speak they would have had zero interest in anyway. If these students wanteded to be included in the "fun" activities offered in this peer group, they should have joined the group.

MOO

 

[MagicRose99]

Student Group Disbanded After Blacks-Only Field Trip

By Jana Winter
- FOXNews.com

The Michigan school district investigating whether an elementary school field trip that excluded white students was illegal has disbanded the black-students-only academic support group that participated in the outing two weeks ago.

“We have essentially put it on hold while we wait for the final determination on the investigation into possible violation of the State's Proposal 2,” Ann Arbor School District spokeswoman Liz Margolis told FoxNews.com.

Thirty members of the Dicken Elementary School’s AA Lunch Bunch, a support group designed to bridge the gap in test scores between white and black students, were taken on a field trip two weeks ago to meet Alec Gallimore, an African-American rocket scientist who is an aerospace engineering professor and propulsion lab director at the University of Michigan.

The school principal, Mike Madison, who is black, helped organize the trip, saying he hoped to encourage the students to pursue a career in the sciences. Hoping to quell rising tensions over the black-students-only outing, Madison sent a lengthy letter home to parents in which he explained the reasoning behind the trip.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/10/student-group-disbanded-blacks-field-trip/?test=latestnews

 

[White Rain]

I feel sorry for the kids in this group. It seems like with their group being disbanded they are being punished for decisions adults made.

 

[tlcya]

My opinions are just that. My opinions based on my life's experience and my own personal interactions with children, teens and young adults. Jules, you are very lucky to have a child who is interested in science and learning. JJenny, I did not say NO child could possibly be interested in science. I did not suggest it was outside the realm of possibility. For me to suggest that would be as inaccurate as those who have suggested that the students who were not invited to participate and boo'd upon their return to school MUST be interested in science.

We are fortunate to have a forum where we can all discuss our opinions openly without it digressing into snipping and snapping. I value your posts and input and most especially your absolute right to disagree with my posts.

I think we have all made our views clear and now it may be time to respecfully agree to disagree. Thank you all for a thoughful debate.

 

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

great. so a child didn't get their way and another tool for our children are disbanded. Wonder how many of the complaining parties will go to something like this on their own?

 

[jjenny]

great. so a child didn't get their way and another tool for our children are disbanded. Wonder how many of the complaining parties will go to something like this on their own?

Presumably it was disbanded because it might violate state constitution.
The school can not discriminate based on race-seems simple enough to me. I am going to take a guess that students with low scores in that school aren't just limited to African-Americans. If they had based this group on students with low scores, presumably it would be acceptable under the state constitution.