Issues, Perspectives and Directions in Education

Jacob Soule

It is extremely unfortunate that desegregation has become such an unnatural process. We laid the roots in this country years ago, and in return we have a society that basically accepts this unethical and unfair process.  The problem is that the ones who accept are the voices that are heard; and often times those that fight for their rights are portrayed as nitpicking whiners that are just “shaking things up.”  When cases such as Brown are won, they virtually never end with the results that they originally seek.  We have created a society that lives with unacceptable norms that have become so complicated to change because the complexity and history in which they have. It is unfortunate that when we pass legislation to improve something, we look at loop holes ways to get around executing it.

I recently read an article from the Bay State Banner that confirmed that segregation is increasing.  The segregation rates are as high as they have been in four decades.  We can continue to look at the schools and try to correct the segregation problem in schools; however, we are missing the boat.  In my opinion schools are the result of societal norms and trends.  We have to integrate and desegregate our cities and communities before we can target our schools.  That is a process that will take an overhaul of our current economic, social, and cultural ideas and traditions.  This process is impossible unless the majority of the population takes responsibility in doing their part.  Individual responsibility in combination of creating new legislation while enforcing and revising old legislation will contribute to future solutions.  I use to say “this is a world with a great history; integration of cultures will take time.”  I now disagree with this notion because of the current trends seemingly taking a step backwards.

Although race is what is being segregated, it is my belief that it still contributed to social economic status.  We have several white students at our school that come from very poor families.  This is a small picture of a big picture problem.  These students at times seem to be stuck do to the economic situation they are in.  They feel that so many doors are shut, and the world is there enemy.  I try to encourage them that they can open these doors, but it is tough to break down walls that have been built over a lifetime.

I really enjoyed reading this article and thought that it made some important points about the Brown case and segregation in general. I think that Ladson-Billings’ perspective on the flaws of the basic argument behind Brown are interesting to consider. She argues that the efficacy of the Brown case was reduced because of its basic argument that segregated schools were detrimental to African-American children. Wouldn’t it be better, she argues, to show exclusivity is detrimental to all races and instead focus on how to improve education for all students, regardless of race?

I think her argument about how the black-white focus of the Brown case, in some instances, pitted working-class whites against African-Americans (though both groups, due to their socio-economic status, likely could have agreed on improving education of poor students as a common cause) was interesting. Ladson-Billings argues that the case should have been more about quality than racial quantity. By doing this, perhaps the two groups could have been allies. On a somewhat unrelated note, I have always found it downright weird the way that people will shift their identities based on the cost or benefit of whatever situation they find themselves in. This seems to be one of those cases where it was much more appealing for working-class whites to ally themselves with upper-class whites with whom they have very little in common other than skin color, when it would really make much more sense to ally themselves with a group that would likely have much more similar political interests.

I was again reminded of Eaton’s book as I read this article. Particularly on page 6 where Ladson-Billings writes,

Brown I, the May 1954 decision is the right decision, the one that pronounces the principle of separate as inherently unequal. Brown I is totally congruent with the principles of democracy and what the nation claims to stand for. Brown II, on the other hand, is the implementation phase of the decision. It effectively serves to undo any of the promise of the original decision.

I think I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs that while reading Eaton, I felt like I was on a rollercoaster where the court would make a very promising ruling that seemed like a great triumph, but later we would find out that all of the promise in that ruling was lost in the actual translation of it. Ladson-Billings seems to argue here that this was also the case with Brown. The optimist in me wants to think that we can chalk this up to the fact that correcting huge, nagging social problems like this is just a difficult thing to get right, but one of these days we will figure out how to do it. However, my pessimistic side reminds me that this likely has more to do with the fact that society’s willingness to fix nagging social problems like these rarely matches up with its idealism. Something is always lost in translation.

Ladson-Billings also writes, “Desegregating schools is a limited way of dealing with segregation as an institution. We need to think about ways to desegregate society.” I am reminded by of an interview with Beverly Daniel Tatum that I posted a couple of weeks ago. In the interview, Tatum expresses views that back up those of Ladson-Billings. She mentions housing segregation as a major roadblock in achieving equal opportunity, stating, “I think it would perhaps not be quite accurate to describe some of the school segregation we see today as simply of matter of choice because the fact is that there’s still a lot of housing segregation.” Tatum also talks about the need to not just desegregate schools, but to teach students how to relate to those from different races or cultural backgrounds. These both seem like important points to me, but how would we go about achieving such a massive shift in society? I’m not sure that I am qualified to answer this question, but I do find Ladson-Billings’ idea to overhaul the way in which we finance schools by doing away with the property-tax funded system that has been around for far too long. I agree with her that any plan to do such a thing would be met with LOTS of resistance, but it might be an interesting thing for states to look into who are interested in competing for a chunk of that federal “race to the top” money.

Lindsey Dederich

This week’s reading Landing on the Wrong Note: The Price We Paid for Brown, was a discussion of the court case Brown v. Board of Education. Gloria Ladson-Billings discussed this much-praised court case that ruled in favor of desegregation of schools by discussing the history of the case, the context in which it came about, that state in which its effects can be seen and interpreted today, and an idea of “where we go from here.” As I read this discussion, I could not help but think about how it was relating directly to our last two readings, Children as Pawns and The Children in Room E4. Sentiments and examples that we have spent the last 3 weeks reading about were again brought to light in this reading. Most importantly, I thought, was the reiteration of the idea that schools seem to reflect the larger issues that are being faced in society and the fact that society hopes we can fix these larger problems if we address them at the school level.

As I read through this discussion of Brown v. BOE and the history surrounding the time frame in which Brown was decided, I noticed the statement “Desegregating schools is a limited way of dealing with segregation as an institution. We need to think about ways to desegregate society.” (6) Ladson-Billings gives us the context of Brown as an era in which the United States was embarrassed by stories of racial problems and segregation going international. We did not want to “look bad” to other countries. In addition, Ladson-Billings makes the statement that “Brown is not just one case, but rather the accumulation of a series of cases over a more than 100-year period.” (4) This statement showed me that clearly, this was not a problem only in the schools. If it were only a school problem, then it would not be a societal problem. And if that were the case, it should have been an easy thing to decide in court. Why would something that is unacceptable to the general public be tolerated in the school system? Thus, there must have been a general feeling that racism was acceptable, even if it was not something stated outright. This is what resulted in the court cases dragging on for years,and a resolution not being reached until such time as the pressure was mounting, and a push was on for a better international image of ourselves. Thus, Brown happened, and was a token action on the part of the United States to make themselves look better. As I read Ladson-Billings’ argument, I can see how this is a valid take on the events surrounding this case. Even more, after reading the book The Children in Room E4, I can see the reality of this viewpoint, as it is still evident today that Brown was again a commentary and a set of guidelines and suggestions, but not a hard and fast rule to be upheld at all costs. There are multiple references in the reading to magnet schools, such as those that were created in the Hartford schools, as well as poor areas populated by minorities while urban areas are populated by white families. Ladson-Billings even makes reference to urban areas and schools largely populated by African-Americans and Latinos, the two ethnic groups mentioned in The Children in Room E4. In today’s society, it certainly is not OK to come out and say that you are racist, or to publicly speak or act in a manner that could be construed as racist. Yet even as Brown happened over 50 years ago, the true realization of its words and effect are yet to be realized, and in some cases, we are sliding backwards. Perhaps this is what happens when a decision a long time coming is suddenly rushed into because we want a better national image? I had never thought about this case in this light, but after this reading, I can see where Ladson-Billings is coming from, especially after thinking about our last two readings in conjunction with this one.

At my school, we have a member of the support staff that has been around “forever.” She had children that attended school in our district, and now her grandchildren do. I don’t even know how we got on the topic, but just the other day I was talking to her about how things have changed, even recently, the kids, the expectations, the parents, and the teachers. On her own, she mentioned that expectations for teachers have certainly changed. She has even noticed that we are expected to deal with so much more than we used to be in the past. Her example was one of single parents that sometimes do not have as much time with their children because they are busy trying to be both parents, a sole financial provider, and every other role needed in a child’s life. Unfortunately, they do not always have the time to do everything, and my coworker felt that sometimes, they end up hoping for teachers to pick up the extra pieces. I thought that this was interesting that someone who has not done any of our readings would notice that more is being asked of teachers to fix “problems” that are facing our students and their families. While these can be minor issues and tasks, there are so many more things that we are being asked to do in schools, that there just is not enough time in the day, and schools are not a big enough part of society to change society itself. We certainly need to address many of these issues, and to do what we can to help our students cope, learn, adapt, and try and make the changes. However, if society as a whole still holds a general view, motivated teenagers are not going to make an immediate impact upon that. Years from now, yes, we may see change as they continue to work for and pursue their beliefs. But as with Brown, the immediate change was a mixing of white and minority students in the classroom. The long-term change is still happening.

Jennifer Schultz

Wow, talk about landing on the wrong note. Gloria Ladson-Billings brought up some very thought provoking arguments in this week’s reading. It is amazing that the iconic Supreme Court case that is in a majority of curriculum guides throughout the country would have underlying notions. The thought that the true reasons for bringing Brown V. Board in from of the court was for the benefit of the majority is ridiculous, or is it. Gloria Ladson-Billings has me wondering.

Ladson-Billings makes some great arguments about why Plessy V. Ferguson was reversed, although they are farfetched. They are farfetched in the context that they have very little to do with racial relations in our country, but rather a great deal to do with our relations with other countries. It is realistic to see how our international relations with other countries and our credibility when dealing with communist countries would be second guessed when the liberties our country fought for are not equally distributed to all our citizens. It is embarrassing to think that we would disagree with communism and supremacy, while on the other hand; one race in our own country was being treated superiorly to others.

I feel the most concerning points of this reading of Ladson-Billings were the great arguments she raised about the “costs” of Brown. The “costs” go much deeper than the fact that schools and many other aspects of our society are still segregated. The fact that segregated classrooms and schools are part of a larger system that has created a feeling of inferiority is a tremendous “cost.” It’s terrible that young children would start off their education with a feeling of unworthiness. On average, by no means are schools advertising that they are segregated, but if they are in impoverished areas or areas with high racial minorities, they are in fact segregated. The argument continues as to the reason why, as in The Children in Room 4E. I agree with Ladson-Billings in our era of re-segregation, Brown was a missed opportunity for a cooperative effort by African Americans and poor white people to fight for desegregation. Individuals in both groups were/are receiving a less superior education opportunity. The “costs” are just as unnecessary on the other side. It is unjust to deny any child of a diverse educational experience. There are many instances in life where knowledge of diverse cultures would be of an advantage, i.e. job interviews, discussions, newspaper reading, the list is endless. Another senseless “cost” of Brown was the tremendous job loss suffered by Black educators and administrators. It sounds as if most Black educators favored desegregation even though they knew it would result in their own hardship. I find the claim interesting that the decrease in Black educators is the response of a calling in other areas; I wonder if the decline in White teachers were as prevalent, why they wouldn’t want the other jobs. It’s just an excuse, as many responses to the “costs” are. Another consequence or “cost” of Brown was the “segregation academies” of the south. It is sickening to think of the underhanded public support that was given to keep the academies thriving. It is another example of attempted superiority by the whites over the blacks.

I found an interesting article called Facing Identity Conflicts, Black Students Fall Behind. This article tries to explain in detail the feeling of inferiority that African American students, even middle class students, feel toward their white counterparts. As the students grow older they feel the need to conform to how their poor, Black friends look and act. They are therefore stereotyping themselves and are looked upon differently by society. It is a deep topic to delve into and would be a great research topic if anyone works with a diverse group of students.

It is important to keep in mind as was pointed out in the reading, we have the schools we have because of the culture we have. (p.11) Race is prevalent in many aspects of our society and it is difficult to change the way schools are when we can’t change the way society is.

Misty Burton

I think that the article by Ladson-Billings did a nice job of bringing to light things that have come about as a result of the outcomes of Brown v. Board of Education.   I really like the title that she put on the article Landing on the Wrong Note: The Price We Paid for Brown. She starts the article out by telling about the history of the case, she tells us that the intentions of the case were good, but they went “awry.”  I think that this article does a nice job of connecting a lot of the other articles that we have read about throughout this semester.  Again I think that the article this week more specifically connects with The Children of E4.

One specific thing that I really thought was intriguing and had never really thought of before was how Brown connected with the wars going on at the time.   The people were over seas fighting for the freedom of America, when in all actuality when they got home they had zero freedom.  They were treated very poorly, and not given the dignity and respect that they deserved.  They returned from war, only to fight a war of race in America.

Ladson-Billings points out in the article that in some ways we, as a society, still have a long way to go with the particular issues surrounding Brown v Board of Education.   The truth of the matter is that there are still major gaps that need to be filled in when it comes to equality in education.  Things that happened during the actual Brown v. Board of Education trial are still going on in schools today.   Once again more specifically, The Children in Room E4 pops into my head.    Unfortunately, even today, the fate of a child’s future deeply depends on where they receive their education for the most part.

I really liked when she pointed out that not only do we need to continue to battle desegregating schools, we need to desegregate society as a whole.   You can not help, but argue that our society is still somewhat very segregated.   As Ladson-Billings stated Brown was “the first step, in a very long aurous process to rid the nation of its most pernicious demons- racism and White supremacy.” (pg. 10)  In order for out schools to function as equals, we as a society must first begin to do that.    I really agree with Ladson-Billings when she states that our nation has never “fully and honestly dealt with its race problem.”  So many times things are just brushed under the rug and not dealt with.  How can you expect to have a completely desegregated school, when the community which surrounds the school is completely segregated?  To me that does not make much sense.

I believe that kids really miss out on a lot of things when they are submersed in a completely segregated school.  A segregated school does not reflect what things are like in the real word.   I think it severely hinders students when it comes time for them to interact with people of diverse cultures.  I teach at a school that is predominately white. It is amazing to hear kids talk in social studies class when we talk about cultural diversity.  They really do not have a clue as to what is in the world that surrounds them because they have been, in a sense, sheltered from it.  I fell that these kids are at a real disadvantage when it comes to the social aspect of society.  Unfortunately, this only perpetuates those stereo types that we have been battling sine Brown v. Board of Education.

As Ladson-Billings said Brown was the first step in a very long and rigorous process.  We have come a long way and made strides of improvement, however there is still so far to go.  It is my sincere hope that every child will have the opportunity to an equal education.  The question now is, what needs to be done to get to that point?

Amy Ketter

When reading Landing on the Wrong Note I have to admit that I did not realize that schools and politics were this way for so long and still so segregated today.  Landson-Billings does a great job of going through the past history of the Brown “cases” and the way they affect us still today.

I was unaware that there were so many cases that were related to the Brown case so closely.  I never realized that there were school districts that wanted to open new schools so that they would have only “colored” children in specific schools and so that white children were allowed to be alone.  And to think that children were made to walk past 2-3 other schools a day only to get to the school that was “designed” for them because they were not fluent English speakers and were not as “cleanly” as white children according to these school board members.

I think about the minorities in my mostly white school community and I wonder what life would be like for them if they did not have the opportunities that we offer for them.  These students that may grown up in a household that do not speak much or any English at all are given extra time in school to be taught to speak fluent English.  What if we did not have these opportunities for children?  Would they be able to communicate or function in our community outside of school?  I have so many students in my class this year that are of Hispanic ethnicity who have only Spanish speaking parents at home.  These students are fluent English speakers and are sometimes translators for their parents.

Now, I don’t always think it is healthy for children to have that burden of “translator” on their back but I am so proud of my students for what they do and how much they love their culture that they are constantly sharing it with my class.  I think that this is important as well for my white students.  So many of my students have grown up around students that have the same upbringing when it comes to traditions, culture, and especially language that it can be a shock to them to hear my minority students talking about the things they do differently in their homes.  Without this mix of cultures, both my white students and Hispanic students might not ever learn these differences.  I think it is VERY important that they realize and acknowledge that their upbringing is not the ONLY way that people live.

Do I think that segregation is over?  I don’t think so at all and I wonder sometimes if we will ever have complete desegregation in schools and in the world.  Sadly, even though we’ve made progress where we want to end up in segregation, we are not there yet.  Like the couple that recently applied for a marriage license in Louisiana, but was turned down by the judge because they were bi-racial, can show us how far we have yet to go.   Will segregation ever be a mute point?  I personally don’t think so and that makes me sad just to think about it

Melissa Sweger

History and education have put Brown v. Board of Education as a positive turning point in our nation’s public education system. Equality between races could now move closer together. Ladson-Billings disagrees. Within the article, “Landing on the Wrong Note: The Price We Paid for Brown,” Ladson-Billings justifies her reasons for why Brown may have actually hurt the cause of equality by exploring its historical context, restrictions, and how to move on.

According to Ladson-Billings, the Brown court case was not a decision because of America’s “inherent ‘goodness” and exceptionality,” but a decision that was based on the “historical and political context” (3). Due to the political and societal environment of the time, the courts were cornered into ruling in favor of Brown. Brown wasn’t just a single case, but a collection of offences against equality over a span of 100 years. America was not continuing its metamorphosis into a model of civil rights and equality because President Eisenhower assumed in a letter, that the segregation issue will fade away.

Pressures from around the world had more to do with the decision on Brown than our natural pull towards a moral center. If the United States was to be an example of democracy throughout the world, then the exposure of our discrimination towards minorities must be dealt with. Ladson-Billings goes as far as comparing our discrimination towards minorities to Hitler’s warped theories on the superior race. I think Ladson-Billings view can be summed up well with this quote:

“Thus the Brown case could be positioned as serving White interests – improving the national image, quelling racial unrest, and stimulating the economy – as well as Black interests – improving the educational condition of Black children and promoting social mobility” (5).

            Though Brown was the right step forward, no one understood the backlash that the decision would release. “What the decision and its supporters could not account for was the degree to which White supremacy and racism were instantiated in the U.S. cultural model” (5). The belief of white superiority was so prevalent; the plaintiffs for Brown used it to back their case. Since there was inferiority between the races, then separate but equal must be wrong.

            Brown was supposed to end segregation, but according to Ladson-Billings, segregation has only gotten worse. We saw this in Eaton’s book about Hartford in the 21^st century. Though Brown was a positive decision, it left us with negative consequences. Both whites and blacks miss out on opportunities for a diverse education. In response to desegregation, ‘segregation academies’ (7) were created for white students.

            The author concludes with the ultimate solution residing in a ‘cultural transformation’ (11). Before this solution is given, other more doable options are presented. One option is to fine white students for going to a middle class school if they choose to stay segregated. Then that money would be used to improve the quality education for those low-income communities. Another option would be do “disconnect schools altogether from local property taxes and reconstitute students as citizens of states, not merely residents of particular communities” (10). This makes sense since the state provides the licenses for teachers, accreditation for schools, standards, and funding to school districts.

            In an article from the Chicago Tribune, ten students want to transfer from Fenger High School because they feel unsafe. Earlier in the year a student was beaten to death at Fenger and the school promised for them to transfer, but did not follow through. They could not transfer because “they [did not] have [the] property right to attend any school they want to.” If students were recognized as citizens of the state, then there wouldn’t be an issue with the ability to transfer. There would not be district boundaries or limitations to where they could transfer.

            I agree with Ladson-Billings’ suggestion that the courts decision was based on political and cultural pressures instead of America’s ‘goodness.’ Throughout our history, America has been reluctant to change, especially when it comes to race. One reason for our Civil War was based on the south’s adamant rejection of abolishing slavery. They went as far as seceding from the Union. Ladson-Billings said her “real answer resides in cultural transformation, a much more difficult and unpopular solution” (11). It’s disheartening to read that nothing can be done about our segregated schools when our whole culture needs to change in order for our schools to improve.

Chris Persick

This week’s article, Landing on the Wrong Note: The Price We Paid for Brown by Gloria Ladson-Billings (LB), attempts to recast the highly vaunted Brown Supreme Court case. LB disagrees with the assertion that a nation that guarantees the rights of citizens would naturally be compelled to make the Brown decision.  According to LB the Brown decision can be attributed to external historical context that leaned in favor of the plaintiff. One of the most forceful of these externalities was the international pressure exerted on the US by the Cold War. How could the US legitimately claim to be a democratic land of the free to other nations when basic civil rights were denied to citizens of African descent? Improving the national image through desegregation, combined with an increasingly strong civil rights movement, contributed greatly to making the Brown decision.

The Brown I and II cases, however, may have unintentionally furthered the segregation racial divide. The number of African-Americans filling educator and administrative positions post-Brown plummeted. The total number of “segregation academies” that precluded African-Americans from enrollment also increased as a white response to desegregation efforts. LB claims that by initially framing school segregation along racial lines, progressives missed a prime education reform opportunity. The real issue plaguing schools, according to LB, was the inferior education opportunities of African-Americans and poor whites.

While Brown may have been aimed at school desegregation, the fact remains that many American cities remain heavily segregated. In light of this fact LB suggests an infeasible solution, albeit logically sound, that “the only way to insure more school desegregation is to disconnect schools altogether from local property taxes and reconstitute students… [as] residents of particular communities.” In reality achieving educational parity across districts falls to the only agent capable of administering licensure, funding, and compliance: the state. Just as quick as LB suggests the agent state to equalize education she discounts this solution on account of nationwide disparities among the states. “The real answer,” LB boils the solution to a reduction, “resides in cultural transformation, a much more difficult and unpopular solution.”

I agree with LB that “Brown is… a first step in a long arduous process to rid the nation of its most pernicious demons – racism and white supremacy.” Her supporting evidence for converging interests is valid. If I do take issue with LB, it is from her own words in the introduction “considering where we might go from here.” The author spends more time explicating her America as jazz extended metaphor than considering a new direction in a post-Brown education environment. What sort of unpopular cultural transformation do we need? She does not spend a whole lot of time coming up with novel solutions to compliment her novel approach.

~Ken Fager

Trish Schaefer

I wnt to this reading with the open mind suggested by our professor and was glad for that piece of advice.  We often deify the Brown decision for its landmark decision to legally declare that separate but equal is unconstitutional.  Perhaps because I am white, perhaps because I live in the North or perhaps because I was never forced to think about it until now, I had no real sense of everything that went into the Brown decision, no real awareness that there were two separate decisions and no real understanding of the negative effects of the Brown decision.  I am glad I was given this reading after the Susan Eaton text because I had a better understanding of the personal implications of government decisions which I had previously not been affected by.  there was much to consider and examine about my educational experience and that of the students I now teach.

As a white student in Wisconsin I had gotten the big picture version of the Brown decision that, as Ladson-Billings  said, “the May 1954 decision was the right one (6)” but I never understood all the other pieces that were part of it much less the watered-down, unworkable remedy of the Brown II implementation phase of the decision.  I was aware of the wrongness of segregation and had what I thought was a strong sense of social justice from fairly early on (perhaps I do owe the playground bully some appreciation but that is a topic for another time).  I had not, however, looked at the issues behind the change in thinking that allowed Brown I to “win” its case.  I never thought about why our society and nation, one based on freedom yet which had shown prejudice, discrimination and segregation since it was established as mere colonies, did not realize the wrongness of its racial and ethnic policies and correct them faster.  I never though about the negative ramifications of the Brown decision beyond the obvious physically violent backlash seen on films of the hostile confrontations at recently desegregated schools.  As I reflected on this reading, I realized that there was much I had not thought about or known but that didn’t excuse me from my ignorance.  It is now my job to share, in whatever way I can, what I have learned so that we do not slide back further in the struggle to overcome the horrors of segregation.  As legal scholar Charles Lawrence was quoted in the reading, esegregating schools is a limited way of dealing with segregation as an institution.  We need to think about ways to desegregate the society.”  This statement made me realize just how much our society relies on separating us into grops and identities rather than truly uniting us.  has our nation gotten too big to really stay together?  Has sensationalism in the media thrown more walls up between people who could otherwise co-exist?  Have we lost our humanity in our technological age?  How is it we are still a segregated and un-democratic society in the greatest nation on earth, a nation founded on the principles of democracy?

I struggled with this blog to the bitter end because so much of my reflection led to shame of my own ignorance, rage at the mass ambivalence towards what should be a burning issue and bitter disappointment that we have not come any further in our development as a nation. 

I am ashamed that I myself never realized or searched for evidence of the hidden costs of the Brown decision mentioned on page 9, “job loss and displacement over time, the re-inscription of Black inferiority, the rise of segregated academies, the missed opportunity for working class White and Black coalitions to work together for quality education, and the focus on race over quality education…”.  The fact that no one has ever before put it so obviously in front of me that there could be no denying the situation does not assuage my guilt.  For an otherwise fairly-intelligent individual I really missed the boat.  These costs were high prices to pay to get the United States to do what was right and what they should have been doing all along- but then I think about other groups still struggling to gain the respect and rights they deserve.  I think of the deplorable conditions of the Reservations where we pushed Native American tribes, literally, at the point of the gun so we could have their land under the Manifest Destiny doctrine.  these tribes in Wisconsin are still struggling, even with the Casinos, to make a decent life for their members and are still discriminated against.  Think it doesn’t happen in Wisconsin?  mention the words “spearing rights” at any gathering of sportsman and duck for cover.  I was aware of the wrongness of this my whole life despite the embarrassing fact that some of my family and in-laws are the perpetrators of these racist ideas. As a Spanish teacher, I think of , and teach about, the Pachuco movement after the world wars in which Latinos spoke out against the discrimination of veterans and those killed in action who were denied proper funerals because of their ethnicity.  We take a critical look at Columbus Day from the Hispanic and Indigenous perspective so my students are aware of the positive and negative aspects of Columbus’ landing.  Yet I never took the time to do the same investigation and reflective wrestling with the issues around the Brown decision.  I took it at face value as the right decision which improved so much.

it wasn’t until reading about the hidden racism and segregation of the North through the Eaton text that I looked around my own community and realized how similar we were to Connecticut.  Milwaukee was the easy example to analyze but I thought about my own district and realized our lack of ethnic diversity really does hinder the ability of our white students from deeply understanding those of other racial, ethnic, religious and cultural groups.  I can share what I know from the perspective of a Latino because it fits within the context of what I teach.  that is where I can overtly teach social justice and respect for all.  More importantly, I need to make a better effort to teach social justice and respect for all by my interaction with all of my learners regardless of socio-economic status, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, etc.  The key for me was the final paragraph of our reading.  Ladson- Billings said “The real challenge…is to use Brown as a hypothesis of a new future.    …it is the hope that landing on a wrong note does not signal the end of the music.”  I hope to inspire my students to keep the music playing despite wrong notes until we can eliminate segregation and inequality and thus all land on the right notes.

            The Gloria Ladson-Billings article regarding Brown vs. Board of Education gave some alternative perspectives, in that, she shed some light on issues that were perpetuated or created due to the Brown vs. Board of Education case.  Her quote on page 1, “Brown’s intentions were good and honorable.  It’s fight was just…” really made me realize all of the ramifications that have happened, worse yet what could’ve happened.  Ladson-Billings discusses how things may not have turned out exactly how was planned, but I think that had this not been a pivotal case in America’s history – what could have happened could have been far worse than “landing on the wrong foot”.  Perhaps we would not have landed at all.

             I believe people are inherently good and so when Ladson-Billings states that intentions were good and honorable, I believe that most people want to make a difference for the better for American schools.  Most teachers intend on impacting student lives in a positive way.  Most school boards intend on adhering to a budget while keeping the needs of students met.  Most people want what is best, the problem is that nobody has the answer on how to actually do it.

             A key component to this puzzle is another statement that Ladson-Billings makes on page 6, “Desegregating schools is a limited way of dealing with segregation as an institution.  We need to think about ways to desegregate the society.”  Schools are an infrastructure of society, how can we think desegregating schools is going to work, when society doesn’t function that way?  Interestingly enough, a few sentences prior to this statement, Ladson-Billings cited The University of Wisconsin-Madison as one of the top institutions where “black teachers” received their training.  The fact that these two statements were in the same paragraph brings a certain irony to my mind.

             My wife, who happened to also be my girlfriend in college, applied to the School of Education in the early 1990’s.  After two times of being rejected, she had to take a stance.  After lengthy meetings with the Dean of the schools, career advisors, and professors, my wife was finally given the real reason that she was not admitted.  She was told that part of the 250 person admission process was based on race, in fact 10% of the process.  She was told that because she was a white woman that she didn’t really stand a chance against any minority students who applied.  After doing a little investigating, my wife found out that of the four people she knew that applied during her term, all three white women were not admitted.  A close female friend, who actually flunked out of another Big 10 university two semesters before, was admitted because she was part African-American.

             Desegregation is an interesting dichotomy.  Isn’t what my wife experienced also discrimination?  Her life goals and path were changed because of this incident.  Shouldn’t she have been given the same rights?  I wonder how would Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have felt about this situation.  In 1947, he talked about the purpose of education in an article in the Morehouse College student paper, The Maroon Tiger:

If we are not careful, our colleges will produce a group of close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists, consumed with immoral acts.  Be careful, “brethren!”  Be careful, teachers!

Sam Veit