8th Grader Harassed for Essay Comparing Education to Slavery ( My District)

[befree1619]

The education system in America gets a lot of criticism, so it’s ironic that one school would harass one of its brightest students for merely expressing her opinion on education from a learned perspective.  Apparently, the truth hurts.

According to the Black Youth Project, Jada Williams, 13,  is a student in an upstate New York school and she wrote an essay based on Frederick Douglass’ experiences for a contest.  In her essay, she was able to see a strong comparison between his time and today saying:

“packing 30-40 students into a crowded classroom, and having mostly white teachers give them packets and pamphlets to complete that they don’t fully comprehend, impedes the learning process; and that this produces results similar to those hoped for by a slave master that forbids his slaves from learning how to read at all.”

The debate has raged for years on whether white teachers would be able to teach black students; especially given the history between the two.  Now she’s been harassed by the faculty to the point where the child had to leave the school.

Read her essay and watch the

video report here..
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Jada Reads her Essay. Find out what happened to her after writing this essay that was supposed to be entered into a contest (which never was) Find out more about what happens when you stand up to fight for your education

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[befree1619]

Education
 
A 13-Year-Old's Slavery Analogy Raises Some Uncomfortable Truths in School

Education
 
A 13-Year-Old's Slavery Analogy Raises Some Uncomfortable Truths in School
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    Liz DwyerLiz Dwyer
    Education Editor

2264 Share

    March 1, 2012 • 2:00 am PST
    470 responses

douglass
In a bold comparative analysis of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Jada Williams, a 13-year old eighth grader at School #3 in Rochester, New York, asserted that in her experience, today's education system is a modern-day version of slavery. According to the Fredrick Douglass Foundation of New York, the schools' teachers and administrators were so offended by Williams' essay that they began a campaign of harassment—kicking her out of class and trying to suspend her—that ultimately forced her parents to withdraw her from the school.

In her essay, which was written for a contest, Williams reflected on what Douglass heard his slave master, Mr. Auld, telling his wife after catching her teaching Douglass how to read. "If you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there will be no keeping him," Auld says. "It will forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master."

Williams wrote that overcrowded, poorly managed classrooms prevent real learning from happening and thus produces the same results as Mr. Auld's outright ban. She wrote that her white teachers—the vast majority of Rochester students are black and Hispanic, but very few teachers are people of color—are in a "position of power to dictate what I can, cannot, and will learn, only desiring that I may get bored because of the inconsistency and the mismanagement of the classroom."

Instead of truly teaching, most teachers simply "pass out pamphlets and packets" and then expect students to complete them independently, Williams wrote. But this approach fails, she concluded, because "most of my peers cannot read and or comprehend the material that has been provided." As a result, she continued, not much has changed since the time of Douglass, "just different people, different era" and "the same old discrimination still resides in the hearts of the white man." Williams called for her fellow students to "start making these white teachers accountable for instructing you" and challenged teachers to do their jobs. "What merit is there," she asked, if teachers have knowledge and are "not willing to share because of the color of my skin?"

According to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Williams' parents transferred her to another school, then withdrew her altogether. The conservative Frederick Douglass Foundation gave Williams a special award, saying that her essay "actually demonstrates that she understood the autobiography." They have also reached out to the school for an explanation of the 13-year-old's treatment.

While the issues Williams raises are controversial, even Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has acknowledged that closing the achievement gap requires more black educators in the classroom. But because the large majority of current teachers are white, they have a responsibility to figure out how to be effective with children of color.

Given that only 19 percent of School #3's eighth graders were proficient in language arts last year (and just 13 percent in math)—well below the state average of 60 percent—it's clear that the school and its teachers need to change their approach. Attempting to silence Williams by branding her a troublemaker and driving her off campus isn't the answer. Now she is walking away from this controversy convinced that white teachers don't want to educate black students at all.

As the parent of two black boys I know firsthand that white teachers can excel at teaching black children. What set those outstanding teachers apart was their genuine desire to see my boys succeed and hard work to build relationships with them and with our family. What if Williams' English teacher had used her essay to turn a critical eye on her teaching practice and her expectations for black students? What if the school had used it as a jumping-off point to start a student-centered dialogue about what everyone—teachers, students, and parents—must do to improve the struggling school? Until that happens in our schools, America's achievement gap will endure.

[lebraatt]

Hmmmm ... this is kind of sticky in my mind.

First and foremost ... I want to know more about this @ They have also reached out to the school for an explanation of the 13-year-old's treatment

Secondly ... I think I agree with this last paragraph very much @ As the parent of two black boys I know firsthand that white teachers can excel at teaching black children. What set those outstanding teachers apart was their genuine desire to see my boys succeed and hard work to build relationships with them and with our family. What if Williams' English teacher had used her essay to turn a critical eye on her teaching practice and her expectations for black students? What if the school had used it as a jumping-off point to start a student-centered dialogue about what everyone—teachers, students, and parents—must do to improve the struggling school? Until that happens in our schools, America's achievement gap will endure.

I guess, I'm a little stuck on the premise that black kids can't be taught by/learn from white teachers.

[lebraatt]

Same here...my son was in a unique situation, first ten years of his education (pre-school to 8th grade), he was taught by black teachers.  From 9th to 12, he was taught by predominately white teachers and did just as well with them as he did with the black teachers.

Bottom line is there are shitty teachers, black and white...there are teachers who do just enough to get by, black and white...then there are good and great teachers, black and white. 

See and this, to me, is one of those ... be careful of what you ask for ...
Let's say they say okay ... black kids can only be taught by black teachers ...
then what ???

[casey18735]

She is talking about her[/b] experiences in the classroom.  She did a GREAT analysis of the book, IMHO.

[casey18735]

Yes she did, and her essay was excellent.  Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth, and they definitely don't want to hear it from a child.

I took it as her challenging her teachers to actually TEACH and as a challenge to her peers to take learning seriously.

[befree1619]

Hmmmm ... this is kind of sticky in my mind.

First and foremost ... I want to know more about this @ They have also reached out to the school for an explanation of the 13-year-old's treatment

City school district apologizes to teen who claims she was harassed for her essay 

The man running the city school district is apologizing tonight. Bolgen Vargas says they’re looking into claims a middle school student was harassed by teachers because of her essay on Frederick Douglass.

Life has changed for 13-year-old Jada Williams ever since she wrote an essay on the book, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” It was part of the Roc Read Initiative, an option for students to do over winter break. Jada says she compared her own educational experiences with the life of Douglass.

Williams said, “How the teachers do not want children to exceed their levels. They want you to stay on certain levels. They don’t feel like they need to instruct you.”

Jada won the Spirit of Freedom Award from the Frederick Douglass Foundation of New York. She read her winning essay in Rochester. But she and her mother say it was a different story when she turned in her essay at School No. 3.

Williams said, “I heard that my essay was passed around to other teachers, so when they read that they felt offended too. They just wanted to get rid of me, I guess.”

Jada’s mother says her grades suddenly dropped from A’s and B’s to failing and teachers told her Jada was “angry.”

Carla Williams said, “So I said ‘Give me something to explain why you’re calling her ‘angry’’, but they could never clarify why they were saying that.”

Jada transferred to School No. 19 last month. Her mother doesn’t understand why her daughter is being treated this way after taking part in the Roc Read Initiative.

Carla Williams said, “They presented the book the materials in the books, all she did was compare it to her lifestyle.”

Late Friday afternoon, Superintendent Bolgen Vargas said the entire situation is unfortunate and offered an apology for what she is going through.

Superintendent Vargas said, “We could have responded better. This is a situation that was definitely not handled the best way.”

Vargas said he understands adult reaction, but school is a place where students should be able to explore ideas. When asked what action was being taken, Superintendent Vargas said while he couldn’t go into detail, but that they are addressing the situation.

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[lebraatt]

City school district apologizes to teen who claims she was harassed for her essay 

The man running the city school district is apologizing tonight. Bolgen Vargas says they’re looking into claims a middle school student was harassed by teachers because of her essay on Frederick Douglass.

Life has changed for 13-year-old Jada Williams ever since she wrote an essay on the book, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” It was part of the Roc Read Initiative, an option for students to do over winter break. Jada says she compared her own educational experiences with the life of Douglass.

Williams said, “How the teachers do not want children to exceed their levels. They want you to stay on certain levels. They don’t feel like they need to instruct you.”

Jada won the Spirit of Freedom Award from the Frederick Douglass Foundation of New York. She read her winning essay in Rochester. But she and her mother say it was a different story when she turned in her essay at School No. 3.

Williams said, “I heard that my essay was passed around to other teachers, so when they read that they felt offended too. They just wanted to get rid of me, I guess.”

Jada’s mother says her grades suddenly dropped from A’s and B’s to failing and teachers told her Jada was “angry.”

Carla Williams said, “So I said ‘Give me something to explain why you’re calling her ‘angry’’, but they could never clarify why they were saying that.”

Jada transferred to School No. 19 last month. Her mother doesn’t understand why her daughter is being treated this way after taking part in the Roc Read Initiative.

Carla Williams said, “They presented the book the materials in the books, all she did was compare it to her lifestyle.”

Late Friday afternoon, Superintendent Bolgen Vargas said the entire situation is unfortunate and offered an apology for what she is going through.

Superintendent Vargas said, “We could have responded better. This is a situation that was definitely not handled the best way.”

Vargas said he understands adult reaction, but school is a place where students should be able to explore ideas. When asked what action was being taken, Superintendent Vargas said while he couldn’t go into detail, but that they are addressing the situation.

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login.
Like us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter

Hmmm ... sounds like the teachers got salty and instead of acting like teachers, resorted to acting like four year olds.
Addressing the situation???? I sure hope so. These teachers sound out of order.

[K7SP]

Jada Reads her Essay. Find out what happened to her after writing this essay that was supposed to be entered into a contest (which never was) Find out more about what happens when you stand up to fight for your education

During her recital she said one thing that stood out to me. It is a habit I have always said was the best thing you can teach a child to develop and that is this "the best thing you can teach a child is how to learn". She didn't use my exact word, yet she expressed them when she said that her peers need to learn not how to be a student but how to learn. It is evident upon hearing her remarks that she knows "how to learn".

Now, about the history lesson part of what she said. She said she efforted to learn to read the book because some of the words she didn't know. So she looked up words she didn't know and the writings then became more meaningful to her. Armed with that new knowledge she was able to compare the routine denial of black folk during the time Douglas to the way many white teachers approach teaching students like her. Now by expressing these things in her paper she is looked down upon for bringing them up. Shamed, harassed and pointed out to a point her parents had to pull her from that school.

Now she has just learned a new lesson of what can happen when you question authority. I've learned from reading the words of others whom are from or know of the attitudes of some whites in upstate New York that this young learners experience seem to have more merit than not.

Go ahead young student. Your eyes are open to the realness of your surroundings. You are not walking blindly. You are learning with every self measured step you take. Nothing can stop you now because you do know how to learn. People may question your deductions, but they can't take from you the fact that you yourself deduced them. I wouldn't be surprised if you grew up to be, in whatever field of endeavor, a problem solver of major standing. They who know how to know come to understand the operations of all about them and thusly do all about them a big favor by shining the light of can and will do. Here's how, just follow me.

[ABDURRAHIMKHALIL]

Hmmm ... sounds like the teachers got salty and instead of acting like teachers, resorted to acting like four year olds.
Addressing the situation???? I sure hope so. These teachers sound out of order.

The  teachers were definitely out of  order and I applaud the student.

[MediEvil44]

Yes she did, and her essay was excellent.  Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth, and they definitely don't want to hear it from a child.

All the more reasons why parents need to take a firm hand, in terms of stepping forward and protecting them from the harassers, especially if they prove through their actions, that they are nothing more than agents of White Supremacy.

Bottom line...SOMETIMES VERY, VERY TERRIBLE THINGS CAN HAPPEN, WHEN WE LEAVE OUR CHILDREN TO THE MERCY OF STRANGERS.

[SaintKameron]

Same here...my son was in a unique situation, first ten years of his education (pre-school to 8th grade), he was taught by black teachers.  From 9th to 12, he was taught by predominately white teachers and did just as well with them as he did with the black teachers.

Bottom line is there are shitty teachers, black and white...there are teachers who do just enough to get by, black and white...then there are good and great teachers, black and white. 

I agree. I didn't have Black teachers growing up (with the exception of one of my French teachers but he was African) and I turned out fine. The inner city schools down here are full of Black teachers teaching Black students and the schools are still shitty;but ofcourse education is alot more than just showing up at school. This girl shouldnt be harassed for her essay though.

[puckhead103]

that young girl has better writing skills than i did when i was 13....

when i was 13, i did not know what an essay was!!!!!!

[lebraatt]

that young girl has better writing skills than i did when i was 13....

in my years starting from elementary to senior high school, i was NEVER taught to write an essay....

it was until i got to college that i had to learn  to write an essay.....

i remember having both black and white teachers who did not give a darn about educating me and did not
prepare me for life outside the classroom...especially it came to writing essays...

Where in the world did you live that you weren't taught how to write an essay?

[K7SP]

that young girl has better writing skills than i did when i was 13....

when i was 13, i did not know what an essay was!!!!!!

Another personalized flashback from K7SP (Khem7). lol

I was far more capable at 13, I learned how to learn by the age of 10. My old school white female teacher slapped me upside the head when I was in sixth grade. She thought she was putting my ass in place, but she actually uplifted me. Some other students played a prank on her and she assumed it had to be my smart ass. Not my smart mouth, I was a quiet child. Her lesson was a cruel lesson, one she didn't intend to teach. Smack! She slapped me, a kid in the head. I reported her. She retired after that year ...and the school principle was also relocated. He punished me for leaving class. I left class to report her to the authority. He was the authority. I told my mom, she made an inquiry. All the students in the class saw her go upside my head for nothing. RIH Mrs Routin, may your soul never know peace. My favorite teacher of all time was Ms. Payne, a white woman. She uplifted all of her students and stuck to the truth and the need of an education. Ms Payne wasn't in the classroom to be badged as a teacher, she really love it ....and all of her students ...the good, the bad, the advantaged and the different. She saw us all as one and taught all as though we were special, very special, individuals. They only time she administered corporeal punishment --which was legal back then-- was when a student violated others right to be.  And she did not give me good grades, she gave me the grades that "I" deserved ...they just happen to be better than average. I knew how to learn.

I think some folk that came up different think that folks that came up like me are just making stuff up. They are so bias towards their own experience,  of not having faced such things, that others that have are to them must be the trouble makers. smh

Please pardon all errors and typos in the above words.


:::K7SP:::   :::NotDoingTheHokiePokie:::

[K7SP]

Where in the world did you live that you weren't taught how to write an essay?

Believe it or not, I was never taught how to either. I was taught how to diagram a sentence, the basic english stuff. We had highschool classes on composition and I was even took a exploratory course in jounalism because I was encouraged to believe I could be a darn pretty good writer. It wasn't until I went to the college of art, for one year, that writting essays was formally introduced to me. Seems I had been writing in that style all along, but I can't remember being taught to do so. I used to get high scores for my writings.

When I was coming up, if you weren't taught it at home they didn't bother trying to teach you at school ...unless you were seen as an exception to the rule. They just taught you the basic fundamentals of reading, writing and 'rithmatic ...and if that wasn't enough ....tough luck. If you were the teachers pet, ass kisser, you got the needed attention your warranted. Worthship me and I will help you ...a little more. Didn't your mama and daddy teach you this ....daddy is dead and mama wasn't taught because women weren't supposed to be educated. LOL!

Ain't that something?

[seawaves]

Where in the world did you live that you weren't taught how to write an essay?

Come to think of it, I don't think I knew what an essay was either. I wrote papers, but I don't recall the word essay, or maybe I just wasn't listening. And the young lady does have some serious writing skills and will only get better. That's what pissed them teachers off I would imagine -- they are not as articulate as the young lady is. lol Heck, they should be kinda proud of her.

[Nandi]

The education system in America gets a lot of criticism, so it’s ironic that one school would harass one of its brightest students for merely expressing her opinion on education from a learned perspective.  Apparently, the truth hurts.

According to the Black Youth Project, Jada Williams, 13,  is a student in an upstate New York school and she wrote an essay based on Frederick Douglass’ experiences for a contest.  In her essay, she was able to see a strong comparison between his time and today saying:

“packing 30-40 students into a crowded classroom, and having mostly white teachers give them packets and pamphlets to complete that they don’t fully comprehend, impedes the learning process; and that this produces results similar to those hoped for by a slave master that forbids his slaves from learning how to read at all.”

The debate has raged for years on whether white teachers would be able to teach black students; especially given the history between the two.  Now she’s been harassed by the faculty to the point where the child had to leave the school.

Read her essay and watch the

video report here..
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login


Jada Reads her Essay. Find out what happened to her after writing this essay that was supposed to be entered into a contest (which never was) Find out more about what happens when you stand up to fight for your education

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

How dare them harass this young girl for pointing out the obvious?  I have nothing against white teachers, some are good. The bottom line is, and some folks might not like this is that we need more black teachers, especially when it comes to Social Studies. 

That is why I did not rely on those messed up Social Studies school books to be the only books that my kids relied on for the truth about their past. I did research and came up with books that described the truth about the Civil Rights Struggle and Slavery.

I bought those books together with books on several great black leaders. I read those books to my kids when they were small, and now they are older, it is required reading for them. To those who cannot buy the books, there is always the library.

I have not been, and will never going to be, one of those black parents who sit on my behind and expect the school system to do the right thing by my children.  This girl's parents should be talking to a lawyer.

[Nandi]

Another personalized flashback from K7SP (Khem7). lol

I was far more capable at 13, I learned how to learn by the age of 10. My old school white female teacher slapped me upside the head when I was in sixth grade. She thought she was putting my ass in place, but she actually uplifted me. Some other students played a prank on her and she assumed it had to be my smart ass. Not my smart mouth, I was a quiet child. Her lesson was a cruel lesson, one she didn't intend to teach. Smack! She slapped me, a kid in the head. I reported her. She retired after that year ...and the school principle was also relocated. He punished me for leaving class. I left class to report her to the authority. He was the authority. I told my mom, she made an inquiry. All the students in the class saw her go upside my head for nothing. RIH Mrs Routin, may your soul never know peace. My favorite teacher of all time was Ms. Payne, a white woman. She uplifted all of her students and stuck to the truth and the need of an education. Ms Payne wasn't in the classroom to be badged as a teacher, she really love it ....and all of her students ...the good, the bad, the advantaged and the different. She saw us all as one and taught all as though we were special, very special, individuals. They only time she administered corporeal punishment --which was legal back then-- was when a student violated others right to be.  And she did not give me good grades, she gave me the grades that "I" deserved ...they just happen to be better than average. I knew how to learn.

I think some folk that came up different think that folks that came up like me are just making stuff up. They are so bias towards their own experience,  of not having faced such things, that others that have are to them must be the trouble makers. smh

Please pardon all errors and typos in the above words.


:::K7SP:::   :::NotDoingTheHokiePokie:::

Believe it or not, I was never taught how to either. I was taught how to diagram a sentence, the basic english stuff. We had highschool classes on composition and I was even took a exploratory course in jounalism because I was encouraged to believe I could be a darn pretty good writer. It wasn't until I went to the college of art, for one year, that writting essays was formally introduced to me. Seems I had been writing in that style all along, but I can't remember being taught to do so. I used to get high scores for my writings.

When I was coming up, if you weren't taught it at home they didn't bother trying to teach you at school ...unless you were seen as an exception to the rule. They just taught you the basic fundamentals of reading, writing and 'rithmatic ...and if that wasn't enough ....tough luck. If you were the teachers pet, ass kisser, you got the needed attention your warranted. Worthship me and I will help you ...a little more. Didn't your mama and daddy teach you this ....daddy is dead and mama wasn't taught because women weren't supposed to be educated. LOL!

Ain't that something?

Excellent posts K7SP, I enjoyed reading every word.  {{}} for getting smacked outside the head.    I had the same problem with white teachers, when they are good, they are very, very good, but when they are bad they are horrid.  I did say in my previous post that not all white teachers were bad, but I still feel we need more black teachers.  How we are going to solve this problem I really do not know. 

Teaching jobs are looked down upon, the Counties, the States and Capitol Hill are cutting back on educational funding. Teachers who have to deal with large classes, many with out of control students are being castigated and openly punished. When what we need are smaller class numbers, more classes and more black teachers. 

It irks me deeply when foreign students are coming to this country to soak up our education at our Universities and Colleges, while American kids are going through hell to make the grades to get into colleges and Universities or they are not motivated. Yet, we so much money to spend on war K7SP, what is wrong with this picture?  

[K7SP]

Excellent posts K7SP, I enjoyed reading every word.  {{}} for getting smacked outside the head.    I had the same problem with white teachers, when they are good, they are very, very good, but when they are bad they are horrid.  I did say in my previous post that not all white teachers were bad, but I still feel we need more black teachers.  How we are going to solve this problem I really do not know. 

Teaching jobs are looked down upon, the Counties, the States and Capitol Hill are cutting back on educational funding. Teachers who have to deal with large classes, many with out of control students are being castigated and openly punished. When what we need are smaller class numbers, more classes and more black teachers. 

It irks me deeply when foreign students are coming to this country to soak up our education at our Universities and Colleges, while American kids are going through hell to make the grades to get into colleges and Universities or they are not motivated. Yet, we so much money to spend on war K7SP, what is wrong with this picture?  

What is wrong with this picture? I'm sure you already know.

The people that come here of their own volition come to be a part of the most powerful nation on earth. People of my descent are already a part of that, if not for our ancestors work for no pay or low pay ...and the annihilation of the natives and the transfer of valued lands into the hands of conquesting Europeans... this land of the brave and free would be known as the home of the real BRAVES. The real Braves were cleared from this land, their land, much  like people of these days protect their homes from rodents. Be gone you noble fools. You are so easily deceived.

We of our culture were most born on this soil, but not of this soil -- same as true of our ancestors masters, yet we were and still arel treated as not deserving of the rights and values of this country our ancestors were force to provide for and still, as their offsprings, can't work to make amenable.

The new comers, the volunteer migrants and immigrants, come here with the mindset that we are the problem and surely must be of a mindset that the gains they come to share of were not ill gotten and therefore must be a reward from God. What they don't know and don't expect is much the same as the struggle they are fleeing.  Them come seeking liberty, and for a while it works for most, yet after a generation or two they come to be seen as a problem too. After being used up, seeing only a limited number of their brothers and sisters achieve the promise of equal opportunity as made clear in the declarative cry of independence the early leaders of this country wrote as a notice of separation from Britain, they too come to feel used.

We, the historically people of worth and sufferage at the same time whom have known of how truly sad and sadder existing beneath the feet of others can be, are the true cream of the American crop even though our bank accounts are not representative of that fact.

We are very smart, and have always been. We have always been the most doing, most creative and most deserving. Yet we are rarely ever honored for being so ...and are damned twice when we honor those of our own that have done good. Down with black causes ...keep supporting ours, is the cry of those whites with open mounts while wearing blinds over their eyes.

The only thing self annointed and self proclaimed whites are better at doing than us others is stealing and then claiming the spoil as evidence of how great they are. They are the ones that divided folks into races and classifications to start with. It was a ploy ....and it still works. If another other than one of their own speak on it they claim the other to be playing the race card, the card they created and put into everybody's deck as fodder.

Forever duped are some folks.

If you ask most school students about the Rosetta Stone, ancient Egypt, Science, Religion and or the natural sciences they will automatically think those things and beliefs were first created or originally thought into being by people other than those that look them.

Many of our kids are still taught that black folks are born dumb, will always be dumb, and everybody else that isn't black should agree with it.

Such thoughts and teachings are 180 degrees from the truth.

Those that know, know. Those that don't are most likely bought and paid for, and/or brainwashed with lily white dirt.