One of the quotes that start out the article is "Oh, is there still racism?" This is very thought provoking. It was clear from the reading that there is this illusion that racism doesn't exist. However at the same time people seem to be oblivious that not knowing or being misinformed can also contribute to racism. Assumptions can be negative but so can distorted or omitted information.
Some of the racist comments about Cleopatra being beautiful so she can't be black. And "black don't write books" was mind boggling to me. It just comes off as very ignorant. The author quotes "Prejudice is one of the inescapable consequences of living in a racist society" and defines racism as a "system of advantage based on race" stating that prejudice is more of an attitude.
Another important statement in the article was talking about how we may not have polluted the air but we are responsible for cleaning it up. Stating that even though you may not be racist yourself or have been a part of the unfortunate racial discrimination in this country, it is still your duty to speak out against it. It is possible that this means that not saying anything or trying to make a change is just as bad as partaking in it. "We need to talk about things to change them."
"Prisons, and Social Implications of Punishment: Rethinking Disciplinary Practices"
This article spoke about how schools prepare students for the real world. The quote "Given what you know about him, what is the school doing to prevent him from going to prison?" to which it received the response "Kids like him just can't be helped. They take up so much of my time and keep teachers from serving the needs of other children who are here to learn. It may not be the best thing for him, but right now, its the best thing for the school." I feel like I have heard this one to many times from school districts and teacher who lack the desire to care about the outcomes of their students.
The article mentions that children who under perform cause behavior problems - schools do not effectively intervene and give up and categorize them. The pushes the notion of "problem children" And the whole 'bad apple' theory. Thinking that if you remove the student from the class, things will improve. I can speak from my own personal experience, working with students who have significant Autism who have tendencies to learn negative behavior. For example, if a student wants to avoid completing their work, they may get aggressive. This could result in going home for the day. Now, the student learns that if they don't want to comply with the expectation, they can become aggressive and leave for the day. This doesn't have any positive outcomes. On the other hand you have those students who are academically behind are usually the ones who misbehave. In turn the face repercussions, depriving them of more learning.
I feel that the best way to have students prepared for the real world and follow appropriate behavior expectations is to build relationships with students. Teachers are such huge role models in their lives and can have such a huge influence on their futures.
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