<p>Ok, in my AP Chemistry class, there were more Asians than girls. </p>
<p>It was easy to tell because ALL of the girls were Asian... and there were a few guy asians too...</p>
<p><em>Sigh...</em></p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>About 35% of my school is black. In the junior class, there are around 5 (including myself) black males in at least one honors/AP class. That's sad. There are juniors taking World History for sakes. </p>
<p>No one in my school is really discouraged from taking higher level courses (except stuff like AP English, where the supervisor is an ice queen about who gets in). I mean, you can get into AP Euro and AP Psych with a 3.0 average in all your social studies classes. The Euro teacher will let just about anyone in...it's just your choice if you want to go in or not.</p>
<p>"So, i find absolutely no sympathy when people complain that <insert person="" group="" here=""> is discourgaged from attempting actions that they know are essential to success. suck it up. dealing with setbacks is a part of life."</insert></p>
<p>Agreed. I do believe that hard work pays off and that anyone can suceed if they worked hard enough. So suck it up and do what you have to do it. If you don't want to, that's no buisness of mine. I have my own life to live.</p>
<p>Its really easy for some of you all to sit here and say that lack of motivation is the reason why minorities don't enroll in higher level classes, but you all aren't the ones who faced such low and ppressive expectations. When you've been told your entire life that you can't succeed and that you can only work to a mediocre level its extremely difficult to attain the self-confidence or the motivation to better yourself. Sure, there are those few, such as myself, who are ambitious enough to rise above racially charged standards, but the majority of people would simply fulfill what is expected of them. Whites and asians don't face this type of underlying racism and therefore can't understand how these low standards are more than "setbacks." FYI- I am NOT trying to start affrimative action in public schools! I just want a level playing field for all students and that means encouraging all capable students to challenge themselves.....not just the ones who usually do...</p>
<p>I agree fut1800. It's easy to say people choose not to take tough courses, but the people I talked to simply feel they are not capable to succeed in those courses. The job of schools is to educate and challenge, it's sad how easily we forget that. In order for us to improve the condition of minorities we must promote to necessity of education and encourage capable students to take challenging courses and go to college. I know many people who look back on their academic career and wish they had to taken better, more challenging classes but simply did not feel welcome or did not feel they were capable even though they had the ability. Schools should be nurturing environments where students grow emotionally and intellectually(spelling?). If we are not going to fully educate the masses then why have public schools open to all students. Minority students can perfom on the same level as other students. This has been proven in schools across the country, the one that immediately comes to mind is in Alabama I think. We must encourage students and stop taking the easy way out by saying they are not signing up for challenging classes, so let them live in mediocrity. [steps off soapbox]</p>
<p>"The job of schools is to educate and challenge"</p>
<p>exactly. its the responsibility of the student to take advantage of all the school offers and challenge him/herself. the oppertunities are there, the schools have done their job by providing them. its not the schools job to force students into a situation where they are uncomfortable, the students must take advantage of all challenges presented to them. people need to stop laying the blame on others for their own laziness. if you refuse to challenge yourself, its no ones fault but your own.</p>
<p>Its called intrinsic motivation. I'm white and have had people discourage me regarding academics all my life but I motivate myself.</p>
<p>We must encourage students to challenge themselves. It's not a difficult concept. Sometimes people need to know that there are people who support them and want them to do better. Maybe it's just me, but I believe educators should educate and support growth and not a "do just enough" mentality.
No one is advocating forcing students to take courses they are not comfortable with, but encourage students to take advanced courses they are comfortable with. If we are to see a shift in the status quo in education we must support students and not just the ones who motivate themselves. Again, not a difficult concept to grasp, but that's just me. My friends and I are a good example of the benefits of support. We all are going to college with scholarships and are the top 10 of our graduating class because we support each other and our teachers support us.<br>
It's nice that y'all motivate yourselves, but sometimes people need a little support. It's like asking for help when you don't know how to do something. Everyone eventually needs a little help, or in this case, a push to succeed.</p>
<p>Honors of course doesn't equal segregation. Then you might as well say that Basketball Varsity Players equal segregation because not everyone makes Varsity. At some point, it is important to separate a group from another, the same way that not everyone in the school can go play Varsity Bball.</p>
<p>THe point being made was that if the majority of students in a school are of a particular race, why are the majority of students in the honors/ap classes of the minority race at that school.</p>
<p>They did a study regarding musicians and orchestras. Decades ago the vast majority of muscians in symphonies etc were men. Even with tryouts, mostly men were picked. So, they decided to put up a screen and hide the sex of the auditioner. ALmost immediately, the results changed. 50% of those accepted were women. When the audition committee couldn't see the gender of the musician, the tryouts were suddenly fair and currently females are at 50% of symphonies and orchestras. Is it because the men are worse players....no, its just that the women were finally recognized for their skills.</p>
<p>The same can probably be said for race as well. </p>
<p>Read the book, BLINK...all about preconcieved notions that people don't even know, much less can admit, they have.</p>
<p>With regards to basketball, years ago the teams were segregated at the pro level, so was baseball, once they intergrated the teams, the skill level went way up- </p>
<p>Comparing sports to academics, by the way, really doesn't work, think about it</p>
<p>que..."its not the schools job to force students into a situation where they are uncomfortable"....I agree, but it is also the schools job to make honors classes comfortable for all students...</p>
<p>No. It slike that everywhere. Most people in our IB program are white. It doesn't mean they only accept white people. It means white people are joining and everyone else isn't.</p>
<p>While everyone is busy worrying about whether Honors courses are too strict or too overwhelming, the kids up to the challenge and taking the courses are forgotten. Why can we not just merely work with the students who are already in the course? It's funny how sometimes we become to desperate to include everyone and to not discourage anyone's academic abilities that it becomes and almost reverse discrimination of the honors students- they are taught to either not appreciate their gifts and to not cherish them for what they are. I know for a fact at my school NHS, which solely does service activities, is the most hated club at my school because "it's elitist" because it's selective and/or uses the phrase honors. Some kids are just more gifted than others, yet, unlike the athelete, they are told to see their abilities as arrogant.</p>
<p>i am the only mexican american in my school. i can guarentee it.</p>
<p>I'm the only black female in my AP Calc AB, Macroeconomics, Government, and Statistics classes. There is just one other female in my AP Psych and Bio classes and most of the black males (5) are just repeats in my classes. Our school newspaper had an article on why few minorities take Honors and AP classes and the predominant reason was that they would feel uncomfortable in classes like that. My school is around 28% black and most of them peg you as acting "white" when you take advanced classes, but I ignore them. Cheers.</p>