Elite: the choice part; the best of a class ; the socially superior part of society; a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence; a member of such an elite —usually used in plural (Merriam-Webster On-Line).With CCSD School Board Trustee Ruth Jordan's recent words about the "wealthy elite" desiring a charter school downtown, we need to look at the present demographics of the group of about 170 students enrolling so far. [A previous post has the black-white breakdown]:
- 78% from Charleston County Public Schools
- 19% from private schools
- 3% from home schools
- 22% of private school students are African American
- 60% of home school students are African American
34% are eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch
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13 comments:
I think the people like Ms.Jordan long ago decided not to let the facts get in the way of their beliefs, political agendas, etc.
Ms. Jordon is an embarassment to her race. Her comment the other night of "mute" point shows a clear lack on intelligance. She also recently said we don't need to circumnavigate the wheel in stead of reinvent the wheel. On a different subject, you guys need to persuade Park to run for the downtown seat. Thuane is running and that will give Hillary another clone on his side since they are best buds.
"Well, Ruth?" ....you have to be kidding! lol
Your numbers in no way prove Ruth wrong, actually they go the other way.
You posted:
78% from Charleston County Public Schools
19% from private schools
3% from home schools
Also
22% of private school students are African American
60% of home school students are African American
And
34% are eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch
Using your raw figure of 170 enrolled students 19% of the private schooled students would equal 32.3 students, and then 22% of those 32.3 students would be the 7.106 African American students.
The 3% of home schooled students of the 170 would represent 5.1 home schooled students of which 3% (of the 5.1 students ) would be 0.153 African American students. (not even close to 1 student!)
So the home schooled and private schooled populations account for barely 8 African American students out of the 170 students. For the same populations there are 37 white children.
How do you figure that in any way discounts what Ruth is saying? 37 whites to 8 blacks is fair, or shows equity?
You shouldn't even bring up the free lunch numbers as they certainly lean towards a more "elite" population. 34% compared to the 50% in the other schools? 3 out of 10 kids compared to 5 out of 10?
This school will not be fairly integrated just as the other downtown academy isn't. The poor will remain the proverbial "have nots" and the "haves" will have.
The state of education is a disgrace, not just here, but throughout the US. But what can we expect when only 4 cents of every tax dollar we pay goes to education and 44 cents of every dollar goes to the military?
To the other anonymous who said, "Ms. Jordon is an embrassment to her race" because of her language errors:
[First of all, I think it's spelled "embarrassment" and is her name Jordan or Jordon as you spelled it? One of the two posters is wrong because they didn't spell the name the same way. Any way, that isn't the point of my comment.]
I assume Ms. J is black given you say she is an embarrassment to her race; we never make that reference when talking about a white person who has erred. So with that assumption I would like to say that Ms. J is doing pretty darn good given the shoddy educations we have offered generations of African Americans. I'm sure she had no public school education comparable to the education of the majority of whites.
It is a sin that there are those who want to continue the disparity in education for blacks and whites by putting/keeping 89% of Charleston's black children in deteriorating schools that lack maintenance, books, supplies, technology, etc. If you don't want to give them the same standard of education as that of the "elite", why would you expect them to have the same standard in language skills?
Besides, I am not concerned with her vocabulary; I am concerned with the point she is making, and everyone should be concerned about equal education and opportunity for all.
You know 10:36 poster, that "equal opportunity" thing has worm very thin. All kids in Charleston County are offered the opportunity of an education. Some accept it, some don't. If you come to school with a blank look and nasty attitude, you probably aren't going to be successful with your education and this includes students of both races. They are all offered the opportunity to get an education. I stick to my guns about the many English mistakes. One would expect their representatives to speak relatively proper English. I has never been "scruggling" instead of struggling.
This has nothing to do with race. Nancy Cook is just as inarticulate as Ruth Jordan. They are poor examples for children in countless ways.
I think it is a miracle that there are now children that have the chance to go to the The Charter for Math and Science (in their community!) instead of Burke.
Nancy Cook fought the Charter School even more than Ruth Jordan up until the time she was running for County Council. Ms. Jordan and Ms. Cook need to remember that these are living, breathing children that now have a chance for a decent education. Cook and Jordan need to keep their petty and divisive politics out of the lives of students.
I doubt either of them would put their own children in a school that is funded and staffed as poorly as Burke. The Charter Math and Science School is the best thing to happen to Burke in years. It has caused the school board to at least pretend that they didn't write if off years ago.
I can't believe that Ruth Jordan is using the word "elite" against that charter school in the same week that Senator Obama is getting the same ridiculous charge.
The school system should be for ALL children (not just families with Title 1 status or Mt Pleasant addresses.) What does it say about Ruth Jordan and the critics of Obama when they criticize "the elite?" The last thing Charleston needs is more racial and economic hostility.
I want downtown children of all races and income levels to receive the "elite" education of Buist. I want a President like Obama with an "elite" education!
Sadly it seems that there are many people on the school board that think that black and white students should not be educated together. Three or four buses carrying white kids from Mt Pleasant and Sulivan's Island to Buist did not integrate downtown schools.
Charleston in 2008 looks like the rest of American in 1958. The other 6 or 7 downtown schools are seperate and unequal. The charter school is an elite idea only if you think that integration is an elite idea.
Since when did students not on free or reduced lunches become an "elite"?
Amen, amen to what you just said, Babbie. I was never on free or reduced lunch while in school, and never did I consider myself "elite". Wow!! How times have changed!!
It's true! Nancy Cook was fighting the Charter School downtown long before Ruth was even on the school board. She may never be able to speak well without another written prepared statement (Did Joe Darby write it?) but I have faith that she will grow as a board member with time.
Ruth is too new at the job to understand how bad the downtown education system is. We have faith in you Ruth! Educate yourself on the issues and you will cheer for the Charter School of Math and Science! Ruth you have a good heart! Think about the new Charter students that would have not been challenged at Burke.
Hey smart one, Anonymous 6:37 am, this is what you wrote: "I has never been "scruggling" instead of struggling."
If you're going to correct other people's comments on a blog, at least show the correct verb. It should be "I have never..." not "I has never...".
Frankly, I couldn't care less about someone's "blog English", but Ms. Jordan was reading from a prepared text and still got is wrong.
Dear anonymous 9:52 pm,
You're demonstrating just how statistics can be shaped into whatever you want. If 37 White and 8 Black students are being drawn back into the public school system from either private or home school arrangements then that is very good news. Ms. Jordan appears to be of the very wrong-headed belief that "Whites NEVER prefer public schools and have ALWAYS wanted to attend private schools." (Maria Goodloe was fond of that myth, too.)
What your analysis seems to imply is that fewer Black children are being drawn back into the public school by this charter school. Your breakout also fails to show that a very high percentage of Black parents are making a choice to move their child within the public system in order to attend this school. This is a choice that they would otherwise not have if this charter school did not exist. So please quit trying to spin this as if it is some sort of conspiracy to say one thing and be another. That would sound more like Buist where out of over 400 students less than 39 are considered low income and less than 75 are Black. And those percentages are shinking. Some classes at Buist in the lower grades are reportedly all white.
And here's one more fact about Free and Reduced Price Lunch eligibility: most families who are in that bracket don't apply for it because of the unfortunate and condescending stigma associated with it. CCSD really has its nerve to subject anyone to the form of abuse they have long associated with this program that was originally designed to help those students and the schools they attend, not hurt or stimatize them.
Now figure this out. It's damn the charter school for taking away Title One kids (and the Title One funds that go with them) and it's damn the charter school for not having enough Title One kids (as if that's an accurate measure of elitism). Once again, it's all about the money with CCSD, not giving kids more access to a quality education.
More extreme inaccurate comments about Buist.....blah blah blah blah
You should drink a fresher wine....one without sour grapes.
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