Anonymous (not verified) 2007-09-01 20:46
I really do not see why you see this from their (the immigrants) point of view.
Because of where you were raised and how, you see anything less than going to college as a failure. They do not. We, as a society, can offer them the chance to do more, but ultimately, we are a free country, and it is up to them to decide what they want for their kids.
My parents would never have dreamed of asking me or another sibling to drop out of school at age 16 to help pay bills. It is in their culture to do so. My mother would have been horrified to see one of her daughters pregnant at 15, but again, not in their culture. Thousands of DISD students LITERALLY come from Third World conditions. To expect them to grab onto the dreams of a First World culture can be very scary. Not all of them feel this way, of course, but many do.
Let's put it this way: If even 15% more of our immigrant teenagers were to NOT drop out of high school and push hard to pass the TAKS and graduate, then half of our high schools would not be in trouble with AYP. If another 15% of our African American students would take the 10th grade TAKS test as seriously as they do the Exit Level in the 11th, again, half of the schools would not be "failing."
Until the very community our "TAKS subgroups" belong to push for achievement, teachers can only do so much. This summer, a teacher was overheard at staff development talking about how their principal had to convince the parents of FIFTH grader to NOT allow their son to drop out of school. How should we fight that?
[Ed Note: It is true that I grew up privileged. But everything I have, I earned--it was not given to me. I could live and raise my family anywhere I want: Highland Park, Plano, another state--anywhere I want. I choose to live and try to make a difference here in Dallas.
You know, my ancestors immigrated from Ireland. I understand, at that time, there was little hope for them to become more than what they were--which was close to nothing.
As a society built on immigration, I have a very strong view that we should provide our children with the tools they need to pursue "the American dream." When we begin deciding what is "American dream'ish enough" for one class of people, we begin to artificially create castes based on skin or nationality.
I certainly don't believe we should hand children, or adults, "success" based on what they are (skin color, nationality, etc.). However, I believe we should equip them to be able to pursue whatever they (not "we") determine, as they travel through life, success really is.]
