Posted: Mon 11 Aug 2008 03:28 Post subject: Mother Challenges School's Race Registration Process
Quote:
WISN.com
Mother Challenges Kenosha School's Registration Process
POSTED: 7:26 pm CDT August 1, 2008
UPDATED: 7:46 pm CDT August 1, 2008
Each year, biracial children in Kenosha have registered for school by choosing one ethnicity over the other. For the first time in 20 years, the registration form is being formally challenged.
Kenosha School Registration Form Challenged
Ten-year-old Lenny Kiser is half black, half white. Kiser moved with his family from Chicago to Kenosha two months ago, but first had to register for classes.
When his mother went to the school district to register him for classes in the fall, she was given a registration form that had only five boxes. "Biracial" is not among the possible choices. Kiser’s mother was told that she had to choose one box or be denied.
“I was crying, I was hurt, and I was shocked," Kiser’s mother, Vanessa Lovelace, said.
Lovelace does not believe that she should not be forced to make the choice between the "white" and "black" boxes.
I couldn't do that to him, you're asking a child, you're teaching a child that one race is better, to deny who he is and I couldn't to that to him, so I took my paper work and I left,” Lovelace said.
The registration documents are federal forms that need to be filled out completely or are rejected. The forms are used to segregate data.
“They had to do it that way, that's what the federal law states, so that's what we do,” said Pam Stevens, Kenosha School Board president.
According to Stevens, she is glad someone is formally challenging the registration form, and that whatever happens, the child will be registered when school begins in fall.
The Wisconsin Department of Instruction in Madison confirmed that the form is standard. Numerous complaints have been filed in regards to the form and the federal government is taking steps to change it by 2012.
The mother did the right thing, I hope by 2012 such forms are done with altogether, there are far more accurate measures of identifying children, but there are just countless problems with the public education in the U.S, and the little time I have spent in private schools I have come to accept that all my children will be home schooled when that time presents itself.
The strictness of the federal "race"-collection forms (no in-betweens allowed) is demanded by the Congressional Black Caucus with the full support of liberal political organizations. They insist that the State must enforce a strictly dichotomous "racial" identity in order to detect and attack racism. I doubt very much that this will change by 2012. Many influential politicians (and their constituents) sincerely believe that a multiracial identity is basically a "racist" idea that must be suppressed.
'
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in
