Oakland Schools’ Decision on Ebonics

The headlines about “Ebonics,” following earlier headlines about phonics, are not reassuring to anyone concerned with the competence of kids in school today to succeed in the workplaces that await them.

“Mainstream English Is the Key” (editorial, Dec. 22) makes its point convincingly. But the argument could be extended to make a further point: In the Knowledge Age, which will encompass all facets of social and economic life, everyone unable to communicate in or comprehend clear, concise English will be denied many of the choices and opportunities of those who do.

JOHN M. FRETER

Yucca Valley

* As an African American who has attended public schools almost my entire life, I am insulted by the implication by the Oakland school board, which is predominantly black, that black students cannot speak clear, understandable, proper English. As a community college instructor whose job is to prepare students for admission to four-year colleges, I feel this decision is contrary to our efforts to convince students that hard work, academic excellence and the ability to communicate clearly are the tools most likely to guarantee success in life. The message from Oakland is that mediocrity and lower standards are acceptable because our children simply cannot do better.

The legendary abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass was most effective because he was a great communicator. Whether you supported the philosophy of Malcolm X or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., both were able to effectuate change on behalf of their people because of their ability to communicate. Can you imagine the national uproar if this decision had been rendered by an all-white school board?

As a youngster, I remember having real trouble with the English language. If I misspoke around the house my mother would correct me. I’d like to send my mother to Oakland to give that school board a good old-fashioned slap upside the head.

KERMAN MADDOX

Los Angeles

* The real issue here is the question of funding. I am a bilingual elementary school teacher (Spanish) and the fact is that students whose native language is other than English, if there are enough of them in a grade level, are legally entitled to a teacher’s aide who is fluent in their language, to help them learn and transition into English. African American students have not been entitled to this additional educational support, even though they face many of the same obstacles to literacy. One way to shortcut the situation is to declare “Ebonics” as a language other than English.

It represents a major, and very important, beginning of a shift in the attitude toward African American English. Instead of regarding every difference in speech patterns, grammar, pronunciation, etc., as incorrect or deficient, it is seen for what it is--the child’s native language, which does have consistency of rules, and is not just a representation of “street” language. It is vitally important that all teachers give children respect and not treat them as deficient. It is the basis of all the struggles for bilingual education: respect for the legitimacy of one’s native language.

I hope the public debate will reflect more willingness to examine what is behind this school board decision.

ALISON FAITH

Los Angeles