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Crystal Robles
English 130.06
Professor Gill-Mayberry
October 19, 2017
“The Best Writing is Rewriting” 3 Drafts, 1 tutorial (T.A Ryan), 2 Teacher Conferences.

Editorial suggestions from (T.A Ryan) and Professor.

Include Parenthetical for each support/reason

Grammar edits: No need for “ in front of slang

Make sure to Adhere to rubric.

Tab

“White educator”

                                                   (Provocative Title) Ebonics in Education: An Acceptance of Culture and Language.
         (Hook) Culture and language belong in education according to Bree Picower, a White Oakland educator, who states, “If you don't respect the children's culture, you negate their very essence” (15). (Bridge) Picower’s message is if language and culture are not taken into account while educating children, then not only their education but their very existence is perceived as inferior. (Divided Thesis/Stasis) (Opponents’ Claim Informed by 3 Scholarly sources) Although opponents of the Oakland School Board resolution consider Ebonics “slang,” (Rhetor's main claim informed by 9 scholarly articles with 3 supports/reasons written in parallel structure) Ebonics is an entirely separate language from English and the Oakland School Board is right for allowing it to be used to educate racially and ethnically diverse Ebonics-speaking students because (Support/Reason 1) acknowledging the student's background brings about a sense of validation children need to succeed, (Support/Reason 2) addressing culture and language as an advantage, rather than barrier, will ultimately make way for further acceptance, and (Support/Reason 3) educating students using their home language strengthens their literacy of both their primary language and Standard American English.
       

          (Narration) December 18, 1996 the Oakland School Board passed a controversial resolution allowing educators to use Ebonics to teach children Standard English. The children benefited from such resolution because it bridged their home language to the language being taught. A White educator used this exact method to teach minority students the fundamentals of standard English and by Culturally empowering her students, Bree Picower observed, “This rich pedagogy, aimed at sparking the genius in African American students and celebrated by leading educational researchers, was the exact same pedagogy that ignited the flames of fury and racial disruption during the national debate on Ebonics.”(3) Oakland students benefited from Picower’s method because it gave them a sense of pride and acknowledgment of their culture, making learning more desirable. Supporters of Oakland's school resolution strongly advocate for educational equity and equality regardless of a student’s primary language. Being that the United States embodies the nation of unity, no child should be left out of academic advancement and the School Board’s resolution enforces that very principle. Much like James Baldwin states, “It is not the black child's language that is in question, it is not his language that is despised: It is his experience. A child cannot be taught by anyone who despises him, and a child cannot afford to be fooled.”(1)  Critics believe Ebonic speaking students are a lost cause. Furthermore, they do not understand the deep-rooted connection between a student’s language and culture and its social implications. Color Blind to their own passive-aggressive racism,  critics do not have or refuse to attain the mental capacity to acknowledge the historical entanglements behind language, culture, and education.
       

       (Confirmation) Fortunately, the resolution has proved revolutionary to the students being taught under its guidelines. Lesson plans involve implementing student's’ background in order to ignite interest in the curriculum covered. Active engagement of cultural relevance purposefully connects the student to the lesson much like fluent English speakers are connected to their standard curriculum; John U. Ogba interprets this as he states, “In the case of Black Americans, the problem lies partly in miscommunication because students differ from their teachers in social meanings and usage of English” (149).
(Concession/Refutation) Being that Ebonics is, in fact, the subject of debate, those opposed to the resolution persist that students can not learn from Ebonics. (1) One opposer particular insists that students will suffer from having their home language used at school. Todd Leon asserts, “Some attempts to legitimize such poor language habits as being a culturally legitimate African or English language do more harm than good to students who need to recognize that their poor language habits learned on the streets, will simply not serve them very well in later life” (1). Leon is saying that a student’s “poor speaking skills” should not be celebrated nor endorsed by the institution supposedly set in place to correct it. (2) Reverend Jesse Jackson, primarily in disagreement with Oakland’s method, deemed the resolution as, “an unacceptable surrender, bordering on disgrace” (1). (3) Other opponents insist the School Board’s decision is, “political correctness gone out of control"(Sen. Lauch Faircloth 1). The Senator quickly dismisses culture and language as the ivory tower may blind him from the ebony significance behind the resolution. (Refutation: Rhetor’s Main Claim + Support 1) Regardless of the nay-sayers, Ebonics is a valid language and the School Board was in the right to allow it as a teaching method for its minority students. Recognition of a student’s language and culture, as they are synonymous, is an act of granting power to the youth and their education. (1) Furthermore, language is symbolic of power and identity much like James Baldwin describes, “It goes without saying, then, that language is also a political instrument, means, and proof of power. It is the most vivid and crucial key to identify”(1). With this, we can understand the purpose of the resolution as it is to inspire students in the classroom from their very own culture and language they learned at home. (2) It is not the language being taught, but the language being recognized that improve education for Ebonic speakers. A first hand account from Bree Picower describing Ebonics playing a major role in her student’s education is given as she says, “It was Prescott's success with teaching African American children that motivated the district to adopt SEP”(4). (3) The fact is, students go into their education fluent in Ebonics and with the necessity to learn English. Ebonics is just then used as a form of transportation all while socially and culturally invigorating students that may have not had any interest in school beforehand. To admit this is difficult as David Dante Trout points out, “For many whites, it measures the contradictions of color-blind convictions”(1).  (Conclusion) With this, it is clear to see that a student’s culture can function as a tool of education.

          (Refutation: Support 2) Multilingual skill is an advantage that expands the horizon for students. (Warrant) It is an unfortunate mistake of those opposed to the resolution to claim being skilled in a language other than English is a barrier. Language is the most widely used form of communication amongst humans, therefore, the more languages one knows, the more people they have a chance to reach out to. Lacking in these forms of connection is the true disadvantage. This is the barrier that causes obstacles. (1) This can apply to any language, but for purposes of Ebonics, Michael Hobbes states, “America’s out-of-hand dismissal of AAVE has widened the racial achievement gap, entrenched discrimination and made us all a little more scared of each other” (1). (2) Therefore it is clear to see the true disadvantage is a single language education because it does not give students the tools needed to make connects outside their own likeness. According to Ramada Din, the principle of a bilingual-curriculum school, “For other thematic units, perhaps dealing with social issues or the environment, the intention is that either language could be used for students in different years”(John Cremer 1). (3) Furthermore, according to Ithel Edzi-Babanawo, an international journalist, “Communication has become so important in our fast-growing sectors such as tourism, journalism, and thus making it very competitive to bilingual peers; may I also add that translators at the UN organizations are making the big bucks and getting various perks”(Edzi-Babanawo 1). (Conclusion) Taking these accounts into consideration, the Oakland School Board increased the opportunities for their students by leaps and bounds by giving them the tools to be fluent in two languages
     

 (Refutation: Support 3) Literacy skills of those fluent in more than one language prove to be higher than those only fluent in one. (Warrant) It is a great injustice of the opposers to endorse limitations on a student’s capabilities. (1) In fact, according to a study conducted by Jennifer Steele, “dual-language students outperformed their peers in English-reading skills by a full school year's worth of learning by the end of middle school”(Anya Kamenetz 1). This is due to these students understanding metalinguistic skills and applying it to their literacy. (2) Georgetown University had a similar study proving, “children who spoke two languages could have been at a disadvantage because the presence of two vocabularies would lead to delayed language development. But recent research has found they perform better on tasks that require attention, inhibition and short-term memory - collectively termed 'executive control' - than their monolingual peers”(Jack Millner 1). This study shows not only literacy, but overall cognitive skills are heightened by being fluent in multiple languages. (3) It was also researched that “Bilingual subjects not only performed better, but they also did so with less activity in their brain..indicating they were more efficient at it” (Yudhijit Bhattacharjee 1). (Conclusion) By bridging Ebonic speakers to English, educators can set their students up to attain higher cognitive and thinking skills all while embracing the background their students came from.

         

 (Summation) Ebonics in the classroom is yet another form of leveling the playing field for the sake of equality and equity. Minority students have proven their ability to learn when programs such as Picower’s is used in place of a monolingual curriculum. Being that English is the destination, Ebonics is simply used to transition students. Ebonics is a language dating back to the deepest and darkest roots of the United States, but can now be used to correct the mistakes of Nation. The School Board’s resolution connects students to their culture and tells them they have a voice, they have power, and they most certainly have the intellect this country desperately needs to unify. Not a disadvantage, not an interruption, but another link to human interaction and a greater future for us all.