It's NOT All Or Nothing (cont.)

An article Multiculturalism E Pluribus Plures by Diane Ravitch written in 2001 put into words some of the feelings I have been having. She makes the following points:

Point #1: Thanks to social historians like Stephan Thernstrom, Mary Beth Norton, Gary Nash, Winthrop Jordan, and Leon Litwack today's history textbooks incorporate the experiences of women, blacks, American Indians, and various immigrants which reflects a broadened warts-and-all historical understanding of race, ethnicity, and class in the American past. Not only do these textbooks acknowledge the struggles for equality by minorities but also identifies who achieved success becoming political leaders, doctors, scientists, lawyers, scholars, and teachers.

Point #2: A study of a warts-and-all world and American history should inspire humility in all of us as this study will reveal that all racial groups have been guilty of committing terrible crimes, often against others in the same group--Man's inhumanity to man. It will become apparent how absurd both racial hatred and racial chauvinism are.

Point #3: Cultural pluralism is generally recognized as something that is part of this society and that differences among groups is a national resource rather than a problem to be solved. The unique feature of the United States is that its common culture is multicultural.

Point #4: A close examination of American history shows that rather than ethnic tensions tearing us apart as they have in other countries different groups in America while they have competed, fought, and suffered, they ultimately learned to live together in relative peace and harmony and achieved a sense of common nationhood.

Point #5: "Almost any idea, carried to its extreme, can be made pernicious," including multiculturalism.

Point #6: Celebrating Black History Month, Women's History Month, and other ethnic groups when all learn about the achievements of these different groups are a reminder that neither race nor gender needs to be an insurmountable obstacle to high achievement. It can also be a reminder to children of all racial and ethnic backgrounds that they are part of this country and that they, too, should develop their minds and talents to the fullest. It's also important to remember that all children (and adults!) , whatever their skin color, can be inspired by the lives of people of all skin colors, males and females, who exhibited courage, persistence, and intellect. Yet, it also important to understand that although we can be inspired by others of all skin colors, self-esteem and self-confidence come from reaching a goal through one's own efforts.

Point #7: American education is centered on Americentric rather than Eurocentric--and Americentric includes every culture that makes up America.

Point #8: Public schools exist to teach children the general skills and knowledge that they need to succeed in American society and to be contributing members of society to create a national community that is both expansive and inclusive.

Point #9: "Pluralism is a positive value, but it is also important that we preserve a sense of an American community--a society and culture to which we all belong."

Civic Learning For Minorities

"Knowledge about the ideas embodied in the Constitution and the ways in which it shapes our lives is not passed down from one generation to generation through the gene pool. It must be learned anew by each generation," declares Sandra Day O'Connor, former U. S. Supreme Court Judge and now co-chair of Campaign ForThe Civic Mission of Schools.

According to William A. Galston, Saul Stern Professor of Civic Engagement at University of Maryland, College Park, this is even more critical now: "While the importance of civic education is perennial, several needs combine to make it especially urgent today: the U. S. must integrate an unprecedented wave of immigrants into the mainstream of civic life: left un-checked, troubling inequalities in the civic participation of different socioeconomic and ethnic groups could exacerbate undesirable political and policy trends: and civic education is one of the few forces that can resist the rising tide of materialism in U.S. culture that numerous surveys have documented."

The statistics don't look too promising. In the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test of U. S. history, more students scored below "basic" in history than in any other subject tested, including math, science, and reading: 13% in grade 4 scored below basic; 36% in grade 8; and 57% in grade 12. In other words, the longer they are in school, the worse it gets.

The statistics from the last civics assessment in 1998 paint an even bleaker picture, especially for minority students.

As our nation becomes more diverse our schools must step up to the plate to provide, especially for our minority learners, the opportunity to gain the knowledge, develop the skills, and cultivate the attitude needed for civic participation. Yet, the 2003 Council for Basic Education survey found that principals in schools with high proportions of minorities were more likely to have reduced time for history, civics, geography, the arts , and foreign languages so they could devote more time to math and reading.

Tomorrow's "blog post" will explain why a focus on only reading and math is detrimental and how the issue can be addressed so one focus doesn't have to be sacrificed for another.