Tucson Ethnic Studies program deemed "unlawful"!? Come On Man!!!

I know it has been some time since I have blogged and I must place blame on actual graduate writing responsibilities and hosting for the holidays, which was a true pleasure.  Nonetheless, I am glad to be giving my blog some much needed attention.

Today I blog about a something that is very near to my heart…Ethnic Studies.   I am just over halfway through a Masters of Arts in Ethnic Studies from Regis University in beautiful Denver, Colorado.  Ethnic studies have always been a part of my life.  My upbringing in Albuquerque, my public schooling experience, and my family have nurtured my affinity for ethnic studies.  Many of you know that my aunt, the amazing Margaret Montoya, was the first Latina woman to graduate from the Harvard School of Law.  She is an inspiration and has left one amazing legacy for our family; a responsibility that we relish and welcome.  A friend of mine once had a t-shirt that read: I AM ETHNIC STUDIES; and I could not agree more.

With that said, yesterday in Tucson, AZ an administrative law judge ruled that a Tucson school district’s ethnic studies program violates state law.  Yes Ethnic Studies is unlawful!!!  Judge Lewis Kowal’s ruling, said the district's Mexican-American Studies program violated state law by having one or more classes designed primarily for one ethnic group, promoting racial resentment and advocating ethnic solidarity instead of treating students as individuals. Furthermore, the judge, who found grounds to withhold 10 percent of the district's monthly state aid until it comes into compliance, said the law permits the objective instruction about the oppression of people that may result in racial resentment or ethnic solidarity (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/27/ariz-schools-ethnic-studies-program-ruled-illegal/). 

Now, I have many friends that are conservative, that are liberal, democrats and republicans, conspiracy theorists, you name it.  And I don’t believe any of them would disagree that our currently polarizing political climate is corrosive and tearing this country apart.  It is this type of politically charged decision that is a microcosm of what is going on throughout the country. 

Judge Kowal argues that the Tucson school district’s ethnic studies program, “…promotes activism against white people, promotes racial resentment and advocates ethnic solidarity”.  I take serious reservations with this type of “plantation” rationale.  Essentially, if you are not part of the majoritan controlling demographic then you are not permitted to teach subjects, notions, ideas, methodologies, etc. that are counter to the established curriculum.  It’s irrelevant that the current public school measurement system (No Child Left Behind) is blatantly discriminatory (http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html).  NCLB, a standards based education reform, which is based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. The Act does not assert a national achievement standard; standards are set by each individual state.  Therein lays one of the inherent problems with NCLB.  It is up to the states to determine standards, which then creates no set consistent standard.  Also, since schools with lower income students receive less money with substandard teaching and facilities it doesn’t make much sense to punish them and withhold funding based on an arbitrary “standards based” educational reform. 

Furthermore, schools are primarily funded via property taxes, which is also grossly inequitable.   I can assure you, from experience, there is not a ton of home ownership in the lower income parts of almost every city in this country.   So if there are not many houses to levy taxes from then the schools receive less funding.  Now if you have an affluent neighborhood then the schools receive additional funding.   More houses = More $.  The discrepancy is not hard to identify.  Now I should mention, School districts can raise additional revenues through local bond (capital) and mill levy (operations) elections up until a specified level, but the economic vitality of many communities cannot support money raised through local bonds and mills.  Additional funding for public schools comes from private fundraising, primarily at schools in higher income communities – functioning as an additional “tax” on these families and further heightening equity concerns.  Such fundraising efforts are increasingly being outstripped by funding cuts at the state and district levels (http://www.greateducation.org/statistics-faqs/funding-faqs/public-school-funding/).

After saying all that, and seeing how discriminatory and blatantly racist No Child Left Behind and public school funding is, Judge Kowal’s argument that the Tucson school district’s ethnic studies program, “…promotes activism against white people, promotes racial resentment and advocates ethnic solidarity” seems ridiculous.  Ridiculous, because the overarching system that this Tucson Ethnic Studies program operates under ‘promotes activism against students of color’.  Yet, when the students of color create a program to educate themselves about their own cultures it is deemed unlawful.

Critically studying one’s culture should never be unlawful.  However, this type institutional racism and oppression that Judge Kowal promotes should be!

Thanks for listening and keep challenging oppression and discrimination when you see it!

¡Ciao!

Robert