Idea for research paper topic When cultures clash in the classroom thoughts

[TeamMeli]

BYU: is known for three things; academics, athletics, and a lack of diversity, which is a perfect Segway for a Master Thesis. The demographic almost allying with what I am about to discuss which is only 17% of the educators at all levels, are educators of color. That is the same statistics at BYU where 0% are black, 6% Hispanic, 2% Asian and 1% Hawaii/Pacific islander. America is becoming more diverse in population and whites (Persians are lumped in as white) are still about 50% of the population however all other minorities are 50%. The culture clash is while 17% of the educators are people of color, 50% of the students are minorities. According to the book Inequal Equality: the education gap between the bottom 10% and the top 2% is 4 years. This is a problem and the gap between whtie teachers and minority students is getting wider not shrinking.

I think this would be a good topic, thoughts?

 

[spinhead]

Any investigation on the origins of inequality in the United States would be nice. Are you at BYU?

 

[TeamMeli]

I am at BYU, I transferred from UNLV for the following reasons. 1- through my aunt and family, I have LDS connections. 2- With free books, tuition at BYU grad school for in state or LDS prices is $7500 vs UNLV 5000 but my scholarship makes the tuition at BYU $3900. The good news about BYU is it is 80% cheaper than most public schools so you are receiving a top 25 private education, at the cost of a state school. If I wanted to go to a Cal St and pay in state prices, it would be $17,00 and UC would be $40,000.
There is one good book which I red that touches on this topic and the title is Opportunity for All: A Framework for Quality and Equality in Education for All
co-written by Jennifer A. O'Day and Marshall S. Smith.

The premise argues that: 38% of African American or minority students receive below grade level instructions, as opposed to less than 17% of their white counterparts. The second portion of the book discusses the education gap between the bottom 10% to the top 2%, which is about 4 years. Therefore a 6th grade African or Hispanic American student would read, write, and have a 4th grade math education. Their white and Asian counterparts (Model minority) would read at an 8th grade level. Although I was in special education, an article I wrote in the 2nd grade, was published in the O.C. Register. It was about a death of a friend. In the 2nd grade, although I was in special education, I was highly functioning and in an affluent school system in Southern Orange County. In the 2nd grade, my spelling and reading was at a 6th grade level, four levels above where I was supposed to be. My math was also at a fourth-grade level, I was doing long division in the second grade, when they were on subtraction.
By the 8th grade, I was mainstreamed, and I was at a 10th grade Math level. I completed Algebra 1 in the 8th grade, when that is something most students complete in the 10th grade. Both in Southern Orange County and in La Crescenta, the black population was less than 2% and I noticed my predominantly white teachers, would have different expectations for me vs a black or Hispanic ESL kid for example, I knew Turkish and Farsi as a kid and picked up English in preschool, in one month. Fiirst, I would try to communicate with students in Turkish or Frais but that did not work but I was able to pick up English in one month. The teacher even told my parents, "He talks to the kids in Turkish and Farsi (don't remember much Turkish now I know way more German than Turkish). My dad said,' Give the boy one month and he will be speaking English fluently, the kid a borderline genius.:" The analysis my first-grade teacher Mrs. God rest her soul, probably dead now or very old) said, 'Not only he could get his PhD if he wants to, but he could also graduate from s school like Harvard, Stanford, MIT or John's Hopkins."

 

[spinhead]

https://www.amazon.com/Color-Money-Black-Racial-Wealth/dp/0674970950

You may be interested in this book. The author is Iranian-American and went to BYU and is also connected with LDS.

 

[TeamMeli]

@spinhead, I have a friend at Michigan St who used to be a part of ESPN, she even got fired because she critidized Donald Trump, which was in her right. She mentioned gentrification and also: even if blacks are able to qualify for, even low-income housing, they would not get approved of the loan.
However, that would be a good topic for MBA research: The color of Money, black banks and the Racial Wealth Gap, sounds like something that would be perfect, for an Economics grad or an MBA topic but for academia, the hot topic issue is racial inequality, in the classroom. You can somehow intertwine the two but then you will be going off topic. Also, there is another book how the welfare system harms African Americans more than it helps.

Here is a good article discussing how the welfare system destroyed black families. You could mention that because a child who is receiving food stamps, is not going to receive the same level of education, a 1-2% rich white kid will. Then you may ask yourself, "What can be done to close the gap between white teachers and minority students because the demographics do not allign with the professon. The demographics of the country are 50% white- and 50% other minorities but in academia, just like in the police force, the minority educoator sand law enforcement is less than 20%.

I will give the example of how a simple cultural misunderstanding almost caused a racial situation at the school I was teaching. My friend, a Bulgarian girl was a good teacher, but she would speak in a soft voice. I was coaching football and I had a very talented black student who was both good in football and academics, but he was a little rough around the edges. There was a debate, and it was the use of excessive force, by the police, when it comes to dealing with African Americans. All he and another student were doing were having a lively debate. When she said "Be quiet, "my boy asked, "Why teacher, all we are doing is what you told us to do, have a lively discussion." Furthermore, they did not take her seriously because "TONE OF VOICE" is everything in balck culture. If you are not yelling, then they won't take you seriously.
The principal and her wanted to suspend him for two games and give him a week detention.
I motioned that if you do that I would resign today. To save face, I told the teacher, you make him write a 2–3-page paper on the importance of respect but YOU TOO need to speak in a sterner voice, or he won't take you seriously. Now the Polish principal and the Bulgarian teacher were able to both relate to me but they could not relate to the kid> The mom actually thanked me and baked my favorite, a chocolate mousse cake, as a thank you.
Side note we lost 49-7 because the team was terrible but my boy scored the only touchdown so that was good. At least we did not put up a zero.
So that is a classic example of how the educator and the authority figure, and even the vice principal was all white Eastern European. Also, we all know how fondly Eastern European people think of black people to begin with.

My teacher at BYU mentioned that I should use that story as an example because it shows a cultural clash, and it highlights the problem. How does the girl from Bulgaria relate to the boy from the hood? BTW my fiance knows her mom, apparently the mom waw a famous pop singer in Bulgaria. Also, I liked the girl, she was very cute but at the time my girlfriend put the kybosh on that lol.