Comments on: Morning by Morning http://www.thiswomanswork.com/2005/12/05/morning-by-morning/ dawn friedman's blog Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:42:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Owlhaven http://www.thiswomanswork.com/2005/12/05/morning-by-morning/#comment-2469 Owlhaven Tue, 19 Sep 2006 06:06:05 +0000 http://www.thiswomanswork.com/?p=829#comment-2469 Hi Dawn, As the mother of two Ethiopian daughters, I found this post to be thought provoking. I am quoting it in part in a post to be released on the morning of the 20th at my blog http://ethiopia.adoptionblogs.com/ Just wanted to give you a heads up in case you wonder why it is getting some hits all of a sudden! Thanks! Mary, mom to many Hi Dawn, As the mother of two Ethiopian daughters, I found this post to be thought provoking. I am quoting it in part in a post to be released on the morning of the 20th at my blog http://ethiopia.adoptionblogs.com/

Just wanted to give you a heads up in case you wonder why it is getting some hits all of a sudden!

Thanks!

Mary, mom to many

]]> By: Kay http://www.thiswomanswork.com/2005/12/05/morning-by-morning/#comment-2468 Kay Thu, 08 Dec 2005 00:03:50 +0000 http://www.thiswomanswork.com/?p=829#comment-2468 Well, you've certainly sold me (if you hadn't already)(which you had)(on homeschooling Madison that is). The book sounds interesting too. I love to read your thoughts on schooling, even though you have a completely different situation to me and a very different environment. It always stirs me to think more deeply about those issues in our lives here. Well, you’ve certainly sold me (if you hadn’t already)(which you had)(on homeschooling Madison that is). The book sounds interesting too.

I love to read your thoughts on schooling, even though you have a completely different situation to me and a very different environment. It always stirs me to think more deeply about those issues in our lives here.

]]> By: Heart http://www.thiswomanswork.com/2005/12/05/morning-by-morning/#comment-2467 Heart Tue, 06 Dec 2005 15:17:19 +0000 http://www.thiswomanswork.com/?p=829#comment-2467 I agree with your gut, and my heart aches remembering the stories my husband tells of his childhood. His was the first interracial adoption in Chicago (according to his parents, white college professors) and when he was seven, they went from living in a very well integrated neighborhood in Conneticut to white suburbia here in CO. His parents were utterly oblivious to his plight. He was the only child of color (besides his sister, two grades down) in the school or neighborhood, and was socially shunned. Having dyslexia complicated matters greatly, and he did not have any kind of positive school experience (academic or social) until he was placed in a private school for LD and behaviorally challenged children in 8th grade. The anger and pain of those experiences have taken years and much therapy and a lot of prayer to process. The damage of such experiences is incalculable. You're right to keep Madison at home, where she is deeply loved and valued, and give her positive exposure to black culture so she has ties to that part of her background. She will grow up strong, and more able to deal with the racism that is still out there. I agree with your gut, and my heart aches remembering the stories my husband tells of his childhood. His was the first interracial adoption in Chicago (according to his parents, white college professors) and when he was seven, they went from living in a very well integrated neighborhood in Conneticut to white suburbia here in CO. His parents were utterly oblivious to his plight. He was the only child of color (besides his sister, two grades down) in the school or neighborhood, and was socially shunned. Having dyslexia complicated matters greatly, and he did not have any kind of positive school experience (academic or social) until he was placed in a private school for LD and behaviorally challenged children in 8th grade. The anger and pain of those experiences have taken years and much therapy and a lot of prayer to process. The damage of such experiences is incalculable. You’re right to keep Madison at home, where she is deeply loved and valued, and give her positive exposure to black culture so she has ties to that part of her background. She will grow up strong, and more able to deal with the racism that is still out there.

]]> By: shannon http://www.thiswomanswork.com/2005/12/05/morning-by-morning/#comment-2466 shannon Tue, 06 Dec 2005 03:31:08 +0000 http://www.thiswomanswork.com/?p=829#comment-2466 You know, when I add up all the things I want for Nat, educationally, I am convinced I can do a better job of giving them to her than any school I've yet seen. I really like certain very progressive, private schools educationally, but I've never seen one that had more than a few token brown faces. On the other hand, much as I loved working in the public high school full of many layers of diversity, I would not want that system, that institution, that level (not so great) of education for my child. I believe I can give her a higher quality education with more black community by home schooling than any school could do. Now, if we lived in a city, in a well integrated (at least 50% black) neighborhood and went to a well integrated church, and she got a great scholarship to a fancy progressive, though pale, school? I might consider it. But here on the lone prairie, there are the posh schools full of white kids and there are the public schools full of black kids. No integration of high quality education and racial diversity. So home it is. You know, when I add up all the things I want for Nat, educationally, I am convinced I can do a better job of giving them to her than any school I’ve yet seen.

I really like certain very progressive, private schools educationally, but I’ve never seen one that had more than a few token brown faces. On the other hand, much as I loved working in the public high school full of many layers of diversity, I would not want that system, that institution, that level (not so great) of education for my child.

I believe I can give her a higher quality education with more black community by home schooling than any school could do.

Now, if we lived in a city, in a well integrated (at least 50% black) neighborhood and went to a well integrated church, and she got a great scholarship to a fancy progressive, though pale, school? I might consider it.

But here on the lone prairie, there are the posh schools full of white kids and there are the public schools full of black kids. No integration of high quality education and racial diversity.

So home it is.

]]> By: mamamarta http://www.thiswomanswork.com/2005/12/05/morning-by-morning/#comment-2465 mamamarta Tue, 06 Dec 2005 02:24:05 +0000 http://www.thiswomanswork.com/?p=829#comment-2465 interesting.... i really need to think more about this. after giving lots of thought to homeschooling, we decided for a lot of reasons to send our daughter to school, and we're part of a school community we love and really believe in. it's an environmentally themed charter school in walking distance of our house, i'm on the board, a lot of our friends send their kids there or work there. and as it turns out, school in general, and this school in particular, are great for our 8yo white daughter. sometimes i worry about our 2.5 yo black son, though... mostly not because he's black but because he's so kinesthetic, exuberent, intense and passionate -- all those things that make school, even a really progressive one, difficult for some kids. i think -- although i have not yet thought about it as thoroughly as you have -- that the school our daughter goes to would be a race-positive experience. the student body is predominately black and there are many talented and committed african-american adults there. which is not to say that there are not race issues at the school -- indeed, right now the staff is working on issues of diversity and racism in their professional development. but i have a lot of faith that the school will be a positive experience for him as a black kid. as for the rest of it, we'll just have to see.... marta interesting…. i really need to think more about this. after giving lots of thought to homeschooling, we decided for a lot of reasons to send our daughter to school, and we’re part of a school community we love and really believe in. it’s an environmentally themed charter school in walking distance of our house, i’m on the board, a lot of our friends send their kids there or work there. and as it turns out, school in general, and this school in particular, are great for our 8yo white daughter. sometimes i worry about our 2.5 yo black son, though… mostly not because he’s black but because he’s so kinesthetic, exuberent, intense and passionate — all those things that make school, even a really progressive one, difficult for some kids. i think — although i have not yet thought about it as thoroughly as you have — that the school our daughter goes to would be a race-positive experience. the student body is predominately black and there are many talented and committed african-american adults there. which is not to say that there are not race issues at the school — indeed, right now the staff is working on issues of diversity and racism in their professional development. but i have a lot of faith that the school will be a positive experience for him as a black kid. as for the rest of it, we’ll just have to see….

marta

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