I may be way off base , but I sincerely doubt it. Instead I feel that the following which I quote from today's Plainfield Plaintalker's reports on last nights BOE meeting accurately reflects the caliber and though processes of the Board Members.
"On the re-naming of Emerson School, Yvonne Taylor *************** said the school was named for Ralph Waldo Emerson, but added, “Our children cannot relate to this person in the current date.”
She said surveys of parents yielded a wish to re-name the school the Rosa Parks Academy of Excellence (Italics mine). The name, she said, would set a higher expectation of achievement for the school’s mostly African-American and Hispanic children."
I have no problem with accepting the comment that the present name has no meaning to today's parents or their children. Nor can I object to naming the school to honor Rosa Parks who represents an icon in the fight against bigotry and discrimination.
I do however believe that a school is as a "school" a place dedicated to excellency in education, not a glorified baby sitter. Thus " Excellency" has no place in the name. Likewise, "Academy" has a meaning according to the dictionary as "a secondary school, esp a private one" (italics mine). Unless the BOE suffers from either jealousy or has developed a misguided sense
of snobbery that word does not belong in the schools name.
By all means name the replacement school the Rosa Parks School. Emerson School has been torn down, it no longer exists and the name need not be retained. But with the new school and what the name stands for, please do not forget that bigotry is equally unconscionable if the former victims exercise it against any other ethnic group.
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Only Plainfield students would not be able to relate to Ralph Waldo Emerson...how about introducing his writings to the students? Oh, they would have to be able to read....
ReplyDeleteJust a question, if the BOE encourages parental involvement should we also give them topics on what they can present to us and the Community? They did an excellent job as parents and if there is anything wrong with them asking for a name change then those that think it wrong should go help them not knock them down. Change should help make things better, not worse. Can we all just try to get along even if we have different opinions? I don't think it would hurt anything.
ReplyDeleteThis is all well and good, but seeing as there's signage for Emerson Elementary School already on the building, where is the money going to come from to change the signage?
ReplyDeleteNo one's asked that question yet.
Regarding the signage, I was unaware that it was already written in stone!
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question, I can only refer to the first paragraph of my post.