Racism and Student Conduct

Re “Debate on Black Students Rages,” Dec. 1: It is important to question how race figures into what are at best subjective interpretations of behavior. My brother’s and my experience as African Americans attending Chicago schools with all-white faculties taught us that there are racial double standards in assessments of behavior and performance. At various levels, both of us were classified as slow and having behavioral problems, for behaviors and performance that were equivalent to those of other students. These racial double standards also led us to be placed in slower tracks regardless of standardized test performance. The work my parents did was in teaching us how to respond to these double standards and not become discouraged. My brother is an investment banker and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and I am a PhD and professor.

However, our experience points to the fact that teachers like Scott Phelps may be more of the problem than the solution. When authority is arbitrary and applied with racial double standards, kids will often resist the system out of frustration. They frequently give up or become confrontational. I can say that on rare occasions I responded in this manner.

The challenge for my parents was recognizing what was bad behavior and what was unfair treatment. They taught us not to lose our composure or dignity in situations where we were stereotyped and treated unfairly. It is difficult for young people to understand that authority is unjust and arbitrary, yet respect it at the same time. Teachers, the media, law enforcement and others send the negative messages to African American children.

Phelps’ comments were unfortunate in that they simply repeated well-worn stereotypes about blacks that date back to slavery. They were not legitimate then and they are not legitimate now. African American students need a message of love and empowerment, not stereotypes and judgment.

Mark Q. Sawyer

Assistant Professor

Dept. of Political Science

UCLA

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Everyone has this problem all wrong. Race is not the issue; it’s the individual student’s attitude and lack of parental responsibility. Disruptive students rob teachers of their ability to teach and also violate the other students’ right to receive quality education. It is obvious that students at Pasadena’s Muir High School are receiving a substandard education, as shown by poor test scores. But don’t expect solutions from the school district, parents or politicians because this problem has no solution.

Teachers at Muir will continue to act as baby-sitters. However, I think there are enough bright students there who will struggle hard to educate themselves and go on to college and become successful.

Henry Sakaida

Temple City

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The Pasadena schools’ Assistant Supt. George McKenna says, “Some of these kids deserve credit just for showing up.” What? That is the same as me saying I should be paid at my job “just for showing up.” Students attend school to be educated, to learn to become productive members of society. And to be educated takes more than just showing up.

Janie Naughton

Los Angeles

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It ain’t the color. It’s the culture. Having witnessed well-behaved, neatly uniformed black students from 4-year-olds to young adults in quiet attendance to lessons in many other parts of the world, it’s clear to me that color does not define behavior.

Watching the movie “The Emperor’s Club” with a black friend who teaches special ed, I was dismayed to notice she was in quiet tears throughout much of the picture. It wasn’t a sad picture. I asked her what was wrong. She replied that she was just so envious of the classroom decorum that the obviously private school enjoyed and was so frustrated by the lack of same in the public schools.

What to do? Uniforms, standard codes of deportment and expulsion for infractions. Free public education is a privilege, not a right. Of course, there should be second -- even third or fourth -- chances for readmittance based on sincere commitment to follow rules. And what, one might ask, do we do with all the expelled reprobates? Leave them to their gang wars? I wish I had an answer.

I do know that schools are supposed to prepare one to make a living. More emphasis and respect for trade paths would help. More respect for honest work in our society would help, too.

Chele Graham Welsh

Los Angeles

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As a former Muir teacher and longtime Pasadena resident, I believe Phelps failed the test of sensitivity to the generations-long racial divide in Pasadena. While it’s his right to fulminate, the school and community reasonably should expect Phelps to balance his rights with his responsibilities. There was little constructive in Phelps’ expression.

Still, as a teacher who left 50% African American Muir to teach at 50% Asian American Arcadia High School, I believe the Arcadia community would have tolerated without a peep my possible declaration that, overwhelmingly, the disruptive Arcadia students are white.

Bill Hoffine

San Diego