Three Articles on Achievement Goals for African

Three Articles on Achievement Goals for African-Americans

These three articles, all appearing around August 21, 2001, focus on a growing demand in the African-American community for quality education, even at the expense of integration. Vote in the Black/White Achievement Gap poll at the bottom of this page.

From the Christian Science Monitor:

Minorities to schools: Listen to us

Parents protest from Greensboro, N.C., to San Francisco to win a greater say in their own children's education.

From William Raspberry's Column:

Might help inner-city kids to 'talk white'

By WILLIAM RASPBERRY

CAN it be that one of the reasons why inner-city children tend to do poorly in school is: bilingual education?

And, finally, from Walter E. Williams Column:

John McWhorter, linguistics professor at the Berkeley campus of the University of California, has written a compelling essay in the summer 2001 issue of City Journal titled, "Toward a Usable Black History." In his article McWhorter says that, while it would be folly not to teach the history of the injustices of slavery and gross racial discrimination," a history of only horrors cannot inspire."

The

What statement best describes your opinion about raising achievement levels for African American students?

	Achievement for African American tudents can ONLY be raised in integrated schools.
	Predominantly African American schools, usually located in urban areas, are so starved for resources that they cannot be expected to help students achieve at high levels.
	Quality teaching can and is producing high achievement levels in some predominantly Afican American schools, (and some caucasian schools). We should be more concerned about quality teaching.
	Even if quality teaching can help African American students achieve in segregated schools, allowing such schools will ultimately lead to inequitable resource distribution. No resegregation.
	Differences in achievement between racial groups are primarily due to genetics. Unless the achievement of Caucasian students is intentionally hindered, that gap will not close.

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