Tell Virginia to resist separate and unequal expectations for our students!
You guys, I usually don't ever post anything asking you guys to participate or contribute to things, but this is so backwards, I can't believe this was passed under the radar without more of an uproar.
Virginia's Board of Education has passed a new policy that divides their performance targets of their schools by race, ethnicity, and income. Under the new rules, Virginia's schools require 78% of their white students to pass the Standards of Learning tests, 89% of Asian students, and then only 57% of black students, 65% of Hispanic students, and 59% of low-income students.
Let's pause right there. Virginia's Board of Education has essentially just told black students and Hispanic students that they're not capable of achieving the same things their white and Asian classmates are. In 2012.
We can't tell our kids that they can do anything, and to do their best to achieve all they can, and simultaneously tell them that they're not good enough just because of the color of their skin. The way to motivate our students is not to set the bar low. Why are we expecting less from them instead of helping them to achieve more?
Please take a minute out of your day to sign this petition and/or reblog this post. Here is the link to the petition at Change.org to tell the Virginia Board of Education that this is NOT okay in the 21st century, that it is NOT okay to expect less from kids because of where they come from, and that we should instead be helping them to get to where they want to be.
http://www.change.org/petitions/president-virginia-board-of-education-tell-virginia-to-resist-separate-and-unequal-expectations-for-our-students#
Here are some news articles on the new policy:
Washington Post op-ed by Andy Rotherham: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/virginias-together-and-unequal-school-standards/2012/08/24/ad0d3e06-ed4e-11e1-b09d-07d971dee30a_story.html
Richmond Times- Dispatch by Kris Amundson: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/oped/2012/aug/25/tdopin02-amundson-new-education-standards-wont-clo-ar-2152190/
Huffington Post by SamreenHooda: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/23/virginia-new-achievement-based-on-race_n_1826624.html
Thanks guys.














