Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Open Invitation to Post a Comment or Question
Here is an open invitation to post a thought or question to this community. I will leave this post open so there is always a chance for you to bring new topics out - even if there is not a thread related to that topic already started. If you'd like to be a regular contributor - an "author" - on this blog, let me know and I'll add you to the author list.
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This is in reference to your post "What Does Integration Mean" and the controversy surrounding Burroughs School. I've listed it as a new topic because it took so long for me to respond.
ReplyDeleteI toured Burroughs as a prospective parent a little over a year ago, and left feeling it was a segregated school, at least in the younger grades (1-3). The Principle was frank about it: the ELL model they use is very successful at raising achievement, but depends on separation. The younger kids have PE and lunch together, the rest of the day the Spanish speakers are on one side of the hall and the native English speakers are on the other. As parents looking for a reasonably integrated school, we were told: "maybe this isn't the right program for you". While the Principle's motive was clearly to do right by the kids, I was troubled by the conundrum this revealed. I asked why ELL kids weren’t in an integrated classroom that separated for special instruction for part of the day (I had seen this in other schools), and the response was that the Burroughs model was more effective. My opinion: Burroughs isn't a homogeneous school, but neither is it an integrated school. In trying to meet the needs of more than one community, the kids from different backgrounds are kept apart.
We may agree there is a place for culturally specific programs, but if they are the norm, where are we headed? Can a school be tailored to multiple communities without being internally segregated? As a new WMEP parent, I hope that our district is at the forefront of this discussion. Finding a solution is not just a matter of good intentions. Bringing diverse communities together and meeting the needs of all those communities is a huge challenge.
I want to close by saying that I am not attempting to criticize Burroughs or take sides in the conflict. I just felt my experience visiting the school and the questions it brought up were worth sharing with this group. I would love to hear any comments or insights.
Laura Hulscher
IDDS parent