Design Schools to Meet Ethnic Needs in a Culturally Diverse Society

Countries like Finland, Canada, and China, are known for academic achievements in mathematics. Although the United States remains an economic power in the world, American students are said to have weak math and problem solving skills as compared to other countries in the developed world. Consequently, the United States are preoccupied with competing to gain the advantage over other societies to ensure their rightful place in the global economy. As the United States has shown considerable population growth over the years, the country’s ethnic census proves that American society has become more culturally diverse and projects even greater changes over the next several decades.

An interesting study on the theory of cultural discontinuities is regarding China as they have experienced great success using ethnic mathematics for teaching math. The theory carries the concept that every minority has their own culture while every ethnic culture is suitable.

According to Zhao, (2011) teachers should address teaching math through ethnic mathematic knowledge to help eliminate cultural discontinuity. Mathematics is found to be not only objective but subjective and cultural. Zhang (1996) says that school math and ethnic math come from two separate cultures as school math is developed from the ancient Greek culture and considered universal and objective, ethnic math is developed from cultural contexts as to bind together a practical thinking system within a cultural community (Xia, 2000). From the angle of the cultural anthropologist, students have an ethnic kind of mathematics before they go to school. As I intersperse a personal experience here to validate this concept, I can recall when my two girls were advanced in math and reading before they entered kindergarten and were invited to attend a private girl’s school on full scholarship after their entrance exams. I was asked to stop teaching them because the math culture I communicated at that time created conflict for the school math culture which was predominantly upper middle class Whites. My children obviously needed to learn a new culture and if they were to succeed, the sooner they adapt the better.

According to Zhao (2011), different minorities have different mathematics. In exploring the Chinese and how they succeed in math, he says that they employ the national curriculum in math but they use local ethnic mathematics for the different needs of the 55 nationalities residing in China. They have the national, local and school-based levels of school management system. Some develop school-based kinds of curriculums to address the ethnic needs. American anthropologists say the design of the school must consider the cultural background of the students (LI, 2004), as if preset cultural backgrounds of the “school mathematics” are not removed, then the ethnic student will have difficulty causing psychological burdens for learning school mathematics. Teachers are encouraged to use math knowledge so that students understand so as to stimulate interest for math and student creativity (Zhao, 2011). Exploring ethnic history, ethnic mathematical thought patterns and methods are the first steps for developing relevant materials for ethnic math. Zhao says that excavating cultural connotations of math, while embodying internal connections with the national mathematics curriculum, and providing an angle of ethnic mathematical history will give students greater appreciation for their native mathematics.

American Education and Policy Introduction

Who Really Benefits from Standardized Tests?

The creating of standardized tests for elementary grades through high schools have helped to make book companies like Pearson, Houghton Mifflin Harcout, and CTB/McGraw-Hill rich. Although the tests are known to be filled with errors, the corporations are said to be those who push for new standards so that they can make newer tests for making more money. Inequitable results occur as the students who have the proper text books, obviously have a greater advantage when taking the tests.

Standardized testing has been used for decisions for college admission, as discriminate determinations occur as the scores are used to predict successful college completion of students and the likely unsuccessful college students. Those who score high on SATs and ACTs have been more likely to be admitted into college and to be the recipients of merit kinds of financial aid and scholarships. Studies have shown that those who have the benefit of test preparation are more likely to score higher than those who do not have access, as those in low income areas are least likely to have access to test preparation. Districts like Lower Merion School District offers Test Prep classes at discounted rates for their students. However, studies show that when comparing grade point averages (GPA) to scores on standardized test, the “SAT” scores are more closely related to a student’s socio-economic characteristics than on their ability to have success in college.

Naturally, corruption is known to exist in the college-board admissions process including the ACT, and College Boards, as universities have been found to take part in unethical practices regarding student scores while using scores in unethical manners. As colleges are known to falsify student scores who have been accepted to increase rates for selected students, and students also cheat to increase scores. Scores are misappropriated to measure the financial stability of institutions, the College Board and ACT Inc. enjoy the benefits of non-profit status while making huge profits from high school students. Overcompensation designated for the CEOs and board of directors of ACT, have resulted in the Attorney General of IOWA being compelled to recommend to the IRS to evaluate their non-profit status (Americans for Educational Testing Reform, 2012, para.1). Unfortunately, colleges and universities, who require standardized entrance exams, are not even aware if the questions on the exams serve of any importance. The questions on the exams are skewed and for males over females and whites over female students. The standardized tests are also biased as they are in favor of students who are wealthy and who have educated parents.

The problem is that corruption exists because of non-acceptance of differences among people and the test is the weapon. Slavery and abuses have occurred in the world because of non-acceptance of people who are different from another. In a more hidden but just as harmful approach to slavery, standardized learning and testing have been engrained into American society to separate people. The reality is that humans cannot be standardized as humans are all unique as God has made each one different, as each represents various ways of life and innate intelligences. Can one be so biased to think that because an individual is born rich, that that individual possesses higher intelligences or has more potential than another? Embedded in American society is the fallacy that whites are smart and blacks should learn to be white.

The good thing is that all over the country, universities are now taking a stand and are not requiring standardized testing as a requirement for entrance. A researched list of colleges and universities who no longer requires sat/act exams for entrance reflected as recent as summer 2014, was eleven pages long. Temple University has recently announced that they too will join the many other colleges to discard the SAT exam. Temple, located in the North Philadelphia section of urban Philadelphia, provides a path for students who may not perform well on the standardized test but who are extremely talented.

One can only pray for an American society where people are accepted regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. One can only dream of a society where each individual is encouraged to develop skills needed to enhance society in this global market without the obvious racist undertones and biases. This can only produce a kinder society while closing the door to corrupt leaders who profit off of the unassuming. Why should society buy-in to the demands of greedy rich men/women? Why are these corporations able to impose mandates on American students? So many gifted young people have missed their opportunity because of standardized testing. The agenda has been corrupt and has kept low-income students and students of color from having equal advantages. Capitalism in America was never intended to take advantage of the people as loyalty to the product and loyalty to the people of this great nation go hand –in-hand. Society has a long ways to go but, as long as people can make societal decisions merely because they have money rather than morals, then societal change will not occur. We must insist that our society be run by ethical people who can make sound decisions about the most important issues of our society for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

Feasibility of Pennsylvania's Flexibility Waivers Under NCLB

Governor Tom Corbett is said to have decimated public schools in Pennsylvania, particularly public schools in Philadelphia have suffered considerably because of huge budget cuts while stimulating employee layoffs, and leaving schools underfunded. Despite the educational crises in Pennsylvania, plans for improving education have emerged as policy makers have devised plans under the flexibility waivers of NCLB. Pennsylvania has proudly opted to take advantage of the flexibility and to rather spend time away from the “top down” prescription of the NCLB law and to rather focus on three areas for improving schools.

The three areas to improve schools include ensuring the preparedness of students for careers or college, the development of accountabilities and recognition standards for all schools, and improvements for supporting effective teaching and principals in all classrooms. Taxpayers, students and parents should be aware of the School Performance Profiles (SPPs) as Pennsylvania citizens can access the profile to view a comprehensive overview of their child’s school to determine the quality of the program and examine student performance. The waiver has also eliminated the adequate yearly progress (AYP) for each school.

An evaluation system was available for classroom teachers in 2013-14 and is in use for specialist and principals this 2014-15 schools year. The new system is for evaluating educators on measures of student achievement. Comprehensive resources are for providing professional development to assist teachers, superintendents and principals, and for classroom instruction. Title I schools with large numbers of low-income students receive priorities as to receive federal focus based on measurable objectives. The new educator evaluation system was signed into law by Governor Tom Corbett.

The problem is that the waiver is not feasible as all of the plans for supporting and evaluating teachers and principals prove futile without providing the needed funding. The paradox is like that of a soldier engaged in the military who is commissioned to fight a war without weapons or a means for gaining an advantage, while the commanding officer maintains the same expectations of the soldier as if he were fully armed. Ridicule and contempt occur as when one displays for all to see their defeat. Encouraging others to make decisions and judgments about the soldiers who were injured, or who died from the war is to validate accusations of inadequacy or deficiencies. The waiver set forth by the state has a similar idea as the state’s waiver fails a feasibility study in areas of costs and technicalities. Teachers, principals, and superintendents are all preparing for the fall season but unfortunately, none can truly go with confidence as the state has disarmed its warriors.

We Must Eliminate Standardized Testing

American classrooms have teachers who are required to implement best practices so that all learners are accommodated. Differentiating instruction, utilizing team building approaches, and permitting students to learn through their interest as multiple intelligences are recognized and characteristics of a healthy learning environment. Absence of tension, pressure, and anxiety are the result of student-centered learning as in project-based- learning. When students work independently or collaborate to construct their own knowledge they retain the information. This kind of learning is certainly not standardized or uniform. When a principal evaluates a teacher, she is not looking for teachers teaching in a standardized approach for all students, as the students would not achieve their best potential under those circumstances. I believe that teaching in a uniform manner is outdated as is testing in a uniform or standardized manner.
Another school year is fast approaching and students will be expected to test in ways that are standardized. Urban, suburban, and rural students will take part in standardized testing. Standardized testing obviously does not measure a student’s knowledge or the educational quality. Unfortunately, schools are judged as credible if they have high standardized scores and are discredited for low test scores despite the composition of the student body. Norm-referenced tests for comparing the data results to other students across the state and country seems like a good approach as standardized tests are convenient tools for accomplishing that agenda. However, many studies have proven that standardized testing is not a reliable tool for measuring student knowledge. Unfortunately, the test only measure linguistics, math and science despite evidence as proposed by Howard Gardner that there are eight intelligences. Students who have other intelligences and who have expanded their knowledge but are not strong in math, science, or linguistics are led to believe that they are not smart. If the tests are for predicting then one is predicting the future educational success of students, as I believe that these tests do more harm than good.
All intelligence are necessary for creating a beautiful existence for all; naturalist, interpersonal, musical, kinesthetic/bodily, spatial/visual, logical/mathematic, intrapersonal, and linguistic/verbal. As students learn in non-uniform ways, I believe they should also be tested in non-standardized ways. Young people evolve and the idea of testing, and labeling creates life-long dilemmas as students who are creative or who possess a non-testing intelligence struggle to realize their potential. My approach is rather to stimulate, motivate, and facilitate learning and to allow the intelligences in an individual to surface without constraints, pressures, and tension as evidenced in a standardized classroom. Does non-standardized testing eliminate expectation? To the contrary, as the responsibility of the teacher to create a healthy learning environment, to direct, and instruct students for developing the needed skills for this global economy remain a high expectation. If the approaches for standardized testing will be eliminated, I believe efficacy will return to schools and fewer drop-outs would occur as those who lose hope will enjoy renewed opportunities for constructing their own knowledge in an environment where teachers accept them and believe in them. The rules must change as stifling the development of American students through testing must end. Therefore, my desire is to see restructuring in education to represent student-centered learning and student-centered testing.

Why is it So Easy to Forget the Least of Us?

A few years ago, I moved out of the city to reside in a suburb. After I moved, I seldom went into the city except for work; of which I had a direct route to my job, and to visit family. Although I grew up in the city, once I moved, I began to detest the feelings I felt upon entering the city each morning. The relief I felt each day I left the city was indicative of my new surroundings. The city reminded me of a grave yard with ruin all around. I began saying that the city was the "forgotten city" as the people represented the forgotten people. On rare occasion, I drove through parts of the city that I was familiar with and became in awe of the destruction as the forsaken buildings and communities that were once considered respectable had also come to ruin. While the people in the suburbs were comfortable in their safe havens, only a couple of blocks away, thousands suffered daily.

Interestingly, as the urban schools are obviously forsaken, urban children are also deprived of the need for equal education. Although children may not realize that they are not receiving equal education, the responsibility to ensure equality rests on parents and leaders. It seems that few people truly care enough about urban education to do something about it. School closures, underfunded programs, and the voices of leaders crying for help for the schools seems to be the norm. The deterioration has been gradual but steady. The forgotten children of the city represent the least of us. They depend on others to make their lives better. Many come from troubled backgrounds and need direction and help from those who will take the time to care. Policies and politics have not worked to improve the situations but have rather labeled and stolen innocent dreams from the hearts of thousands of children. Programs that would have helped to propel dreams to realities have been eliminated for lack of funding. While those who can, move to the suburbs to provide a more formal assurance of a solid and stable education for their children, others remain in hopes of change.

Amazingly, despite all, so many good things have come from the city. Great musicians, athletes, artists, actors, activist, and more, have their origins from the city. Great talent has come from the city. Somehow, in the midst of despair, some are still able to rise above their circumstances. Somehow the voice of the forgotten has been heard from the time of slavery to this very day. Remnants of their sufferings remain as songs of freedom continue to be sung. Poetry of the revolution, literature, rap music, and expressive arts are all vehicles used by many. These expressions have enriched our society and help to remind us of the injustices of our society as the least of us have somehow become the greatest among us.

My concern is that while some rise above circumstances, others are not able to expand beyond their immediate conditions. Education has often been that vehicle through which people could grasp and confidently know that their future would be different from their present state. However, change has come, and the least of us is become forgotten. Can we continue to pretend inequality is not occurring and live in our suburban homes as if everyone is being treated fairly? Efforts to end injustices infiltrated in American education through NCLB have not proven effective. Inequality continues to exists as is evident. therefore,the challenge is to continue to pursue equality for all, especially the for least of us.

Fleecing of Our Schools

Today, we were informed of the School District of Philadelphia's intent to lay off an additional 300 noontime aids and support staff. Jerry Jordan assured the teachers that he would fight to have those positions restored. If one can imagine running a school without the supports needed in the poorest of neighborhoods throughout the urban school district, where continual discipline and behavioral problems already exist when operating as a full staff, then one will see the failure that lies ahead. The question I ask is; Why? Inevitable failure and the inability to safely administrate and educate students from pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade is the predicament of our schools. The rug has been pulled from under the district leaving them with buildings half filled and inadequate operating staff.

I believe that the hidden goal is to force closure and restructure of education as we have known it. Relying on government funding has become uncertain and priorities of educating children has become a charade. Current leaders are not bold enough to blatantly say that education is no longer a priority. If one wants to know what is important, look at where the money is being spent. The fleecing of American education as we have known it has already begun. I believe that the agenda is already set as costs for higher-education continue to rise, fewer students, especially minority students will obtain to such accomplishments as college education. Although society holds education as a goal one should aspire for, the realization of American young people attaining high levels of scholastic achievement appears dim. An interesting phenomenon is that many foreign students continue to learn in American schools while American students find great difficulty affording education.

Standardized testing and accountabilities of NCLB have been used to discredit American schools, teachers and students. While urban school students seem to score poorly, unfortunately, teachers are often blamed for their failure. Sanctions and closure convey failure. Have our schools really failed and has our educational system lost the worthiness of financial funding from our government? Monies once designated for schools are no longer available to schools? Something is terribly wrong and I believe our leaders must also be accountable for what is occurring.

I challenge communities to rise up and realize that education is being stolen from the next generation. One's grand children will not even have the opportunities that were allotted us as the civil rights movement of the sixties helped to open many doors for minorities but the fight is not over. The fleecing has already begun!! Converting schools into other business venues like luxury apartment buildings is not acceptable for the next generation. This is failure! How will children gain the skills needed to flourish in this economy? Communities must take back what is being stolen or they will have to do an enormous amount of explaining to one's grand children. They will wonder why no one fought for their future. The fight is not only for educators but the communities must recognize that this is being done to them.