Comments on: Oakland teens to be schooled in human rights

By: Abuela Araña

Abuela Araña — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:21:11 +0000

I love the idea of a work of public art that features an international cast of visionary people to serve as a touchpoint for students to examine the role of the individual in the world. Winston Churchill? Fascinating people with tangential relationships to human rights, I’d say, but maybe I don’t know enough about them.
Nelson Mandela? Rosa Luxemborg? Like Abraham Lincoln and all the rest, creatures of their historical period who did something to advance the cause of human rights, despite their frailties. I applaud the project and appreciate the participation of the artist and sponsors.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:04:53 +0000

John: Acting out in public is one of the problems with people having unreasonable and unearned self esteem. If the black kids went to decent public schools, believe me, they would not be acting out on buses and anywhere else in public.

And by “decent” public schools I mean schools that are worthy of the term – schools that discipline the students, not pacify them for a few hours and send them home worse than before.

Our urban schools including OUSD refuse to discipline students because they are black. A form of racism.

By: John

John — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:18:54 +0000

When I first saw the heading of this post I was hoping Afro Americans might be taking a class in respecting the rights of Asian Americans on Oakland buses and elsewhere. I once worked with a church organization serving the Asian American community, a primary concern of many was getting harassed, ridiculed, and worse by Afro Americans. Yes siree, a good schooling in human rights, for one group of hyphenated-Americans in particular, is just what the doctor ordered. Maybe even the likes of Doctor Martin Luther King!

By: Nextset

Nextset — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:31:35 +0000

Sharon: It’s good training for your daughter to be exposed to that Thug of a teacher. People like that can usually be manipulated into a total loss of their composure by an experienced critical thinker who poses a few critical questions the hostile zealot can’t handle.

The public schools are not only failure factories but they are indoctrination centers for anti-Western Culture misfits to work in. It’s too bad that good children have to attend these places.

Sunshine is a good disinfectant. The name and conduct of a public school employee who would disparage members of our armed forces should have been publicized with formal and public complaints to the school district.

As far as the indoctrination, it’s common practice for left wing America haters in authority in public schools to give failing grades to those who publicly disagree with their politics. So your child has to be warned about exactly how to handle these situation. Repeating what was said publicly with attribution as to when and where the comments were made is useful. For example, asking the principal at a large public gatherings what she thinks of such statements by this teacher.

Untimately your child should not have to be in such a school. But people get by a well as they think they can.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:50:46 +0000

Nextset said: “More left wing political indoctrination using the Oakland public school students as captive audiences.” This definitely goes on, of course.

My older daughter had a “sociology and culture” teacher at Skyline who verbally attacked her during a class discussion because she had revealed that her father was in the U.S. Navy Reserve. This teacher responded to her that her father, then, was one of the “killers.” She tried to present her views, but his open hostility nearly brought her to tears.

We discussed the matter at home, not wanting to get into a big, nasty confrontation with the teacher. Today I would be much, much more assertive with that situation. Of course, we never respected the teacher after that. And of course, he constantly tried to indoctrinate his students about his personal political beliefs all year long. He must have loved having this sort of power.

I don’t mind if students are instructed about the accomplishments of world leaders, but the school leadership needs to be strong and admonish teachers to not spew their one-sided extremist views to students.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:05:47 +0000

Teri G: I’m not saying there isn’t some merit in studying individuals who “did something extraordinary” – Thomas Edison comes to mind. My concern is an old one, that OUSD and the other Urban districts very carefully fill their kids with the notion that they are victims who need to disobey authority.

In this way the Urban kids become different and distinct from those who tend to become a higher socioeconomic class. Some of this indoctrination would be better suited for older students and all of it should be tempered by indocrination to obey authority while seeking to become part of it (then turning the boat’s course). There is a difference..

It’s this sort of indoctrination that preceedes 15 or 16 year olds walking out of class to “protest” a school employee’s termination and getting into an altercation with the city police, for example.

Focusing on “protests”, civil unrest and radicals is unhealthy for urban youth when they should be focusing on captains of industry and commerce, WWII, or perhaps the Depression of 1929-1940 – or maybe Civics in general which is sorely missing from teens and adults lately. It is no accident that this program is being pushed. There is quite an agenda going on – it just doesn’t lead to successful, self sufficient adulthood for the kids.

By: Teri Gruenwald

Teri Gruenwald — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:14:30 +0000

I am really interested in the lesson planning behind this project and what the students will be reading and writing in reaction to this. It sounds to me (a middle school history and language arts teacher) like a wonderful way to weave in key skills in the core academic subjects of history, reading and writing while teaching students about significant people who have changed the world. And for the most part, these people were ordinary human beings who did something extraordinary–a lesson for all of us–and how what they did has had an impact on our lives as well. For example, Susan B. Anthony’s dedication to suffrage for women leads directly to the 19th amendment and what a great story that is. And that’s what history should be–the great stories of people making history.

By: Bob Thompson

Bob Thompson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:35:27 +0000

YOU ARE INVITED!!!

The Oakland Police Department invites Oakland residents to celebrate National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5 by organizing a block party in their neighborhoods. National Night Out is an annual event designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit and unity by helping neighbors get to know one another.

For more information, to learn how to participate or to register please go to:

http://www.oaklandnet.com

English (510) 238-3091
Spanish (510) 238-7159
Cantonese (510) 238-7957

WHEN NEIGHBORS KNOW EACH OTHER,
NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SAFER!

By: oakie

oakie — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:49:11 +0000

If the students of OUSD could only add and subtract and multiply and divide, then, maybe. Priorities.

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:57:37 +0000

Jesse: I’m not sure — I think the timing depends on the completion of the sculpture. I presume it would be woven into the social studies curriculum somewhere. What do you think about the class?