| FYI! What's wrong with the slavery math lesson?The reflexive bashing of teacher Jane Youn is unwarrantedComments (21)BY JONATHAN ZIMMERMAN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWSFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013, 5:06 PM In 1941, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People released a report condemning racist school textbooks in New York City. Music books routinely referred to blacks as "darkeys," while literature anthologies called them "coons" or "Sambos." Worst of all, American history textbooks depicted slavery as a genteel institution developed by benevolent white Southerners to "civilize" savage, ignorant Africans. All of these books were profoundly offensive to the city's African-American population, of course. But they were also full of lies, as NAACP secretary Walter White emphasized. "This study was made not on a basis of racial sensitiveness or pride," White wrote, describing the NAACP's textbook report, "but on the highest plane of historical accuracy and objectivity." Indeed, the report drew on research by pioneering black historian Carter G. Woodson to refute the textbooks' cheery portrait of life under slavery. I thought of this episode as I read about the furor against Jane Youn, the P.S. 59 school teacher who asked her fourth graders to come up with math problems that drew on their social studies coursework. One of their questions asked how many slaves would remain on a ship, if some of them perished in a revolt; another asked how many times a slave would be whipped over the course of a month, assuming five daily floggings. Youn reportedly distributed the questions as part of her students' homework last month. But they didn't come to light until a student-teacher — from my own institution — balked at handing them out to another class in the school. I'm proud of the student-teacher for raising a red flag about the math questions, which force us to ask the biggest question of all: How should we address our nation's most profound historical wrongs? But I'm also troubled by the automatic assumption that there was something wrong about the questions, and that Youn was wrong to ask them. The Department of Education announced that the math homework was "obviously unacceptable," and that "appropriate disciplinary action" would be taken against Youn. Her principal said she was "appalled" by the slavery questions, and that the entire school staff would receive "sensitivity training" in light of them. Meanwhile, a Daily News account called the questions "boneheaded" and "absurd." But all of these objections presumed that the exercise trivialized slavery or desensitized children to its evils. And we don't know that. First of all, the questions came from the children themselves. They've clearly learned something about slavery, and they're obviously thinking about it. Anyone who cares about education should be happy about that. Second, the questions reflected an accurate grasp of the past. As a sea of scholarship has confirmed, millions of captured Africans rebelled — and died — during the Middle Passage across the Atlantic. How many adult Americans know or care about that? These kids do. Peace, K -- Founder & Director / FriendsOfMacombs.com Tele: 646-714-3221 EMail: FOMBBL@GMail.com Twitter: @MacombsInHarlem Web Site: http://www.FriendsOfMacombs.com Download & Read: LOST OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CHILDREN OF NORTH HARLEM http://www.box.net/shared/r6p3dyg8qf Podcast: http://friendsofmacombs.podomatic.com/ Mailing List: http://groups.google.com/group/friends-of-macombs-news *Struggle for New Library & State of the Art Multifunction Facility for the Youth in "The Valley" North Harlem above West 152nd St.* -------------------------------------------------------------- Coalition to Save Harlem Blog http://CoalitionToSaveHarlem.blogspot.com | ||
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Saturday, February 23, 2013
Fw: [CSH - News | 210] ARTICLE: Opinion - What's wrong with the slavery math lesson? / The reflexive bashing of teacher Jane Youn is unwarranted
Friday, February 22, 2013
News
| In a public squabble, New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio released a report yesterday detailing the onerous fines on city's small businesses at the same time that his mayoral rival City Council Speaker Christine Quinn promised to pass a bill capping those fines, the Times reports: http://nyti.ms/15A75tU Assemblyman Keith Wright, chair of the Housing Committee, introduced a bill at the behest of Mayor Michael Bloomberg that would eliminate full-time board member jobs at the financially-troubled New York City Housing Authority, The New York Daily News writes: http://nydn.us/13rqd9v A state judge temporarily halted the closure of Brooklyn's Long Island College Hospital based on a petition by two unions and a group of doctors at the hospital who sought to invalidate a decision by the SUNY board, the Times writes: http://nyti.ms/Ygsi8J The Times writes that New York City must hold firm against giving the school bus union the job protection it has been fighting for now that the school bus strike is over: http://nyti.ms/YgsnYa | ||||||
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Thursday, February 21, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Fw: [CSH - News | 206] PROGRAM | YOUTH: PAID 14 WEEK INTERNSHIP For Youth NOT enrolled in School and NOT Enrolled in a GED Program
| FLYER ATTACHED PAID 14 WEEK INTERNSHIP For Youth NOT enrolled in School and NOT Enrolled in a GED Program . Dear Community Members: . I am contacting you to inform you that the Henkels & McCoy's Young Adult Internship Program is now accepting new applications for our next cohort (scheduled to begin March 25th!) More detailed information about our YAIP Program is listed below (A copy of the flier is attached English).H&M's YAIP program is funded by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development. Our goal is to re-engage disconnected young adults ages 17-24 to positive academic/ career opportunities by providing them an 11 week paid internship in the field of their interest and based on their skill set. . To be eligible applicant: Must be ages 17-24 NOT ENROLLED IN SCHOOL NOT ATTENDING GED or employment assistance program Must be UNEMPLOYED May not have received Associates or Bachelor's degrees Applicants do not need H.S diploma or GED to be eligible. Interested applicants must come to our Bronx Community College office at 2155 University Avenue , Gould Residence Hall (Room 210) to apply in person. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10AM - 3PM . Applicants are welcomed to call and schedule an appointment If an applicant is accepted they will enroll in the program and begin with a three week paid orientation at the Henkels & McCoy office which is a series of career/academic, financial literacy, soft skills, healthy living, computer literacy, conflict resolution, and leadership development workshops and seminars. After orientation youth will complete a 11 week paid internship and will be paid at a rate of $7.25an hour for 25 hours a week, and will receive weekly educational classes to further their career and academic skills. All youth will receive one-on-one support from our H&M Young Adult Internship Program team and program manager. After completing the internship they are automatically qualified for nine months of post-internship follow up and retention which consist of career/academic counseling, job placement and educational/ training enrollment. . Please feel free to contact our office at (718)289-5100 Ext.3219 or(917)586-4996 Shatekwa with any further questions or interest in holding a YAIP outreach event at your agency. I would really appreciate it if this information would be circulated to List-Serves and Program Managers/Directors that work in helping our communities move forward. . In service, Shatekwa Cunningham--Shatekwa Cunningham Sr... Career Coach, Young Adult Internship Program (YAIP) Henkels & McCoy, Bronx Community College, Gould Residence Hall Room 210, 2155 University Avenue Bronx, NY 10453 (718)289-5100 Ext. 3219 Office (917)586-4996 Cell (718) 289-6411 Peace, K | ||
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