On Racism, Hope, Belief & Ideology
I am usually a "lurker" on these posts, but finally have something constructive to add.
Eric and Jon are right: Susan Eaton is an excellent writer. She was a staff writer at The Advocate, covering education, for a few years. It was here that she won a national education reporting award (I forget which one) for her series on tracking, which, at the time, was extremely controversial. (It would be so now, too).
She and her editor, Kevin Donovan (who left the newspapers to become a teacher) fought tooth and nail to get it into print.
I believe that reporting experience helped to inform the important work she is doing now.
Regards,
Joy Haenlein
Editor of the Editorial Pages
The Advocate/Greenwich Time
-----Original Message-----
From: NUA4556@aol.com [mailto:NUA4556@aol.com]
Sent: Mon 10/29/2007 7:34 AM
Subject: Re: save the date
Good Morning Chris,
What a great selection for a Stamford Achieves (www.stamfordachieves.org) luncheon speaker -- Jon's well intentioned point of view notwithstanding. I have marked the date in my calendar. Susan Eaton is an advocate for integrated schools, and as such, is an advocate for equal opportunity, equity in financing, and the promise of America as well. We know that in her book ("The Children in Room E4"), she brings renewed belief and passion to the lives of students that she advocates. We also know that for students to learn, the publics within and outside of schools need to come to believe in the capacity of all students to succeed, and that it is in a community's self-interest for all children to learn sufficiently to enter a college or university, i.e., if they so decide. Sadly too many of our teachers (Stamford most certainly), and many parents, feel that the "promise or hope of America" as we have heard described, resides in those students in the upper academic tracks (0 and 1 Cogs which are virtually all white). Thankfully there are many others who understand that the future of America's democracy begins with the irony at its root, i.e., "...we must come to terms with the tragedy of race and how it has shaped not only the life of the nation but also the choices of African-Americans [and people of color] so deeply shaped by it." We must come to terms through the "courageous conversations" you allude, that the broader challenge for America is in understanding how this country remains defined by the brutality of its past, and a belief about intellectual capacity that has brainwashed a nation, and all too many of its teachers. Brainwashed into believing that children of African descent are just not as smart as children of European descent. Brainwashed by psychologists, sociologists, researchers, neoconservatives such as Charles Murray and geneticist such as James Watson (who described the double helix in DNA, and when he speaks sustains the brainwashing by the psychological and mediating influence of his Nobel Laurete) who speak and write, "why raise the aspirations of poor people of color only to see their aspirations dimmed by the limits of their intelligence)"? As we tinker with structural change in policies related to buildings and who should be in charge and who not, while continuing to marginalize generations of schoolchildren and youth, let us, at the very least, attempt to support, nurture and challenge the educators who work with the vast majority of students in Stamford and the nation -- our teachers. Rather than criticizing, Eaton challenges her readers to seek the moral high ground on behalf of underserved and underperforming schoolchildren. Rather than searching for the silver bullet relentlessly pursed by program interventions, many expensive, and many wrong headed, we must, as a locality, region and nation, focus strategically in support of our public school educators -- as Stamford Achieves/SPS is working to accomplish under the leadership of Superintendent Starr. And when armed with data, such as that which emerged from a Minneapolis desegregation initiative last year, and as reported in the Star-Tribune, that students who got on the bus from Minneapolis to learn as part of the West Metro Education Desegregation initiative, tripled the gains of those students remaining in the magnet, regular and charter schools, sustained and large-scale improvements begins. A primary intervening factor that led to the Minneapolis gains of the bussed students, are well trained and supported teachers, who receive the students in neighboring districts, and in their professional development, the teachers and principals have also come to realize and address the underachievement of wealthier students as well. So thank you our indomitable interim director, board chairmen and board members for the selection of Susan Eaton. Jon is absolutely correct, she is a wonderful writer.
Warmest regards to all,
Eric Cooper
Stamford Achieves Board Member
Chris,
I understand that Susan Eaton is an excellent writer, and I expect that she's an excellent speaker as well, but I believe that most of her work is on the subject of school integration. I suggest that you alert her to the situation in Stamford where the schools have been rigorously integrated for many years, but the achievement gap still persists at the same level as the state, which itself has the worst achievement gap in the country. A speech about the virtues of school integration wouldn't do much to advance our understanding of the issues in Stamford.
All the best,
Jon Sackler
Dear everyone,
Please save the date of December 6 for our Luncheon. We decided together that we would enlist Susan Eaton, author and Harvard researcher to be our keynote speaker. She is confirmed. We also decided at our last meeting that a luncheon is preferable to breakfast due to traffic concerns.
I believe Diana and Arlen are on the committee to coordinate this event. The location needs to be determined and we need to do some logistical arrangements. We need to then make invitations and get them out. A save the date email could go out as soon as we have a venue. If anyone has a location in mind, please share it asap. Jane, were you also on this committee?
I also want to update about other upcoming dates and events for your information. Duane has set the initial transition workgroup date of November 19 from 4-6 pm. We are waiting to see if we can convene at UCONN. The full Transition Task Force is tentatively set for either December 10 or December 17, same time.
The Courageous Conversation Committee still needs to meet, even by phone next week. I believe that is Phil, Jennifer and Antonia. I will be calling this week to set a date for us to talk.
Please begin to think about our program and guest list for Dec 6th.
Thanks,
Chris
Eric and Jon are right: Susan Eaton is an excellent writer. She was a staff writer at The Advocate, covering education, for a few years. It was here that she won a national education reporting award (I forget which one) for her series on tracking, which, at the time, was extremely controversial. (It would be so now, too).
She and her editor, Kevin Donovan (who left the newspapers to become a teacher) fought tooth and nail to get it into print.
I believe that reporting experience helped to inform the important work she is doing now.
Regards,
Joy Haenlein
Editor of the Editorial Pages
The Advocate/Greenwich Time
-----Original Message-----
From: NUA4556@aol.com [mailto:NUA4556@aol.com]
Sent: Mon 10/29/2007 7:34 AM
Subject: Re: save the date
Good Morning Chris,
What a great selection for a Stamford Achieves (www.stamfordachieves.org) luncheon speaker -- Jon's well intentioned point of view notwithstanding. I have marked the date in my calendar. Susan Eaton is an advocate for integrated schools, and as such, is an advocate for equal opportunity, equity in financing, and the promise of America as well. We know that in her book ("The Children in Room E4"), she brings renewed belief and passion to the lives of students that she advocates. We also know that for students to learn, the publics within and outside of schools need to come to believe in the capacity of all students to succeed, and that it is in a community's self-interest for all children to learn sufficiently to enter a college or university, i.e., if they so decide. Sadly too many of our teachers (Stamford most certainly), and many parents, feel that the "promise or hope of America" as we have heard described, resides in those students in the upper academic tracks (0 and 1 Cogs which are virtually all white). Thankfully there are many others who understand that the future of America's democracy begins with the irony at its root, i.e., "...we must come to terms with the tragedy of race and how it has shaped not only the life of the nation but also the choices of African-Americans [and people of color] so deeply shaped by it." We must come to terms through the "courageous conversations" you allude, that the broader challenge for America is in understanding how this country remains defined by the brutality of its past, and a belief about intellectual capacity that has brainwashed a nation, and all too many of its teachers. Brainwashed into believing that children of African descent are just not as smart as children of European descent. Brainwashed by psychologists, sociologists, researchers, neoconservatives such as Charles Murray and geneticist such as James Watson (who described the double helix in DNA, and when he speaks sustains the brainwashing by the psychological and mediating influence of his Nobel Laurete) who speak and write, "why raise the aspirations of poor people of color only to see their aspirations dimmed by the limits of their intelligence)"? As we tinker with structural change in policies related to buildings and who should be in charge and who not, while continuing to marginalize generations of schoolchildren and youth, let us, at the very least, attempt to support, nurture and challenge the educators who work with the vast majority of students in Stamford and the nation -- our teachers. Rather than criticizing, Eaton challenges her readers to seek the moral high ground on behalf of underserved and underperforming schoolchildren. Rather than searching for the silver bullet relentlessly pursed by program interventions, many expensive, and many wrong headed, we must, as a locality, region and nation, focus strategically in support of our public school educators -- as Stamford Achieves/SPS is working to accomplish under the leadership of Superintendent Starr. And when armed with data, such as that which emerged from a Minneapolis desegregation initiative last year, and as reported in the Star-Tribune, that students who got on the bus from Minneapolis to learn as part of the West Metro Education Desegregation initiative, tripled the gains of those students remaining in the magnet, regular and charter schools, sustained and large-scale improvements begins. A primary intervening factor that led to the Minneapolis gains of the bussed students, are well trained and supported teachers, who receive the students in neighboring districts, and in their professional development, the teachers and principals have also come to realize and address the underachievement of wealthier students as well. So thank you our indomitable interim director, board chairmen and board members for the selection of Susan Eaton. Jon is absolutely correct, she is a wonderful writer.
Warmest regards to all,
Eric Cooper
Stamford Achieves Board Member
Chris,
I understand that Susan Eaton is an excellent writer, and I expect that she's an excellent speaker as well, but I believe that most of her work is on the subject of school integration. I suggest that you alert her to the situation in Stamford where the schools have been rigorously integrated for many years, but the achievement gap still persists at the same level as the state, which itself has the worst achievement gap in the country. A speech about the virtues of school integration wouldn't do much to advance our understanding of the issues in Stamford.
All the best,
Jon Sackler
Dear everyone,
Please save the date of December 6 for our Luncheon. We decided together that we would enlist Susan Eaton, author and Harvard researcher to be our keynote speaker. She is confirmed. We also decided at our last meeting that a luncheon is preferable to breakfast due to traffic concerns.
I believe Diana and Arlen are on the committee to coordinate this event. The location needs to be determined and we need to do some logistical arrangements. We need to then make invitations and get them out. A save the date email could go out as soon as we have a venue. If anyone has a location in mind, please share it asap. Jane, were you also on this committee?
I also want to update about other upcoming dates and events for your information. Duane has set the initial transition workgroup date of November 19 from 4-6 pm. We are waiting to see if we can convene at UCONN. The full Transition Task Force is tentatively set for either December 10 or December 17, same time.
The Courageous Conversation Committee still needs to meet, even by phone next week. I believe that is Phil, Jennifer and Antonia. I will be calling this week to set a date for us to talk.
Please begin to think about our program and guest list for Dec 6th.
Thanks,
Chris
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posted by Eric J. Cooper at 6:08 AM
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