Monday, January 4, 2010

Lisa Simpson, do something about it!

Once upon a time, a $ 21 talking Teen Barbie dared to say “math is hard”. Then she got immediatly lambasted for perpetuating the unfair sexist stereotype of women being not interested in studying math or (gasp!) sciences. That was 1992, not the dark ages, by the way. Lisa Simpson then took action in two ways since then: her first bold move was to produce her own doll Lisa Lionheart in 1994. A few seasons later, she disguised herself as a boy to keep on learning real math in 2006. What an intrepid girl, eager to learn and question the so-called conventional wisdom!

Now in 2010, we have the brand-new inaction figure Berkeley High’s School Governance Council, daring to say “science is hard for blacks and latinos. Let’s cut science classes for good!

Oh, the humanity! As Bob Parr once said, the Governance Council is looking for new ways to celebrate mediocrity. The children aren’t scoring too well in science? Then kill the lab classes and use the money for something more “critical” (!). Level the students to the lowest common denominator, what a great education policy.

Now the Berkeley School Board has the last word in this highly educational mess/travesty.

The full plan to close the racial achievement gap by altering the structure of the high school is known as the High School Redesign. It will come before the Berkeley School Board as an information item at its January 13 meeting. Generally, such agenda items are passed without debate, but if the school board chooses to play a more direct role in the High School Redesign, it could bring the item back as an action item at a future meeting.”

Lisa, you are Dr. sipmac’s most-hated Simpson character, since the time you rejected 12 million dollars from Monty Burns on the grounds of being “bloody money”, because he got his fortune back by destroying the environment. Did it ever occur to you that you could have used that money to fix the harm done? You may have a high IQ in your mind, but your common sense must be somewhere else.

To be fair, from time to time you do the right thing instead of annoy your viewers. Now, this is the time to do it again, since you’re more known than Dr. sipmac. People pay more attention to you. And there’s plenty to denounce: incompetence, patronizing racism, and yes, sexism, too. What is meant to happen at Berkeley school couldn’t be more damaging to the youth and the ideals of education if they were announcing they were going to teach alchemy instead of science lab classes.

Dr. sipmac has ranted

Image taken from luiscordero.com

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I hate these days. People are telling you to STFU. Just say it, no matter how stupid or offensive it is.