There is a proposal by a group of college men's and women's basketball coaches, led by Frank Martin and Tommy Amaker, to do away with requiring SAT or ACT scores as part of admission to colleges and universities. One of their arguments is that the tests have inherent racial bias that makes it more difficult for minority students to do well. Next thing you know is that high schools will giving their graduates a big lollipop or all day sucker along with their diploma.
I was a teacher and coach in the Little Rock School District for 19 years before moving to NW Arkansas and lived in Little Rock for 28 years. The majority of my students and athletes were black. These kids do not need people telling them they don't have to strive in order to achieve what is required. They don't need people telling them they are not responsible for failing to meet the minimum college entrance requirements because the testing is racially biased. Many high schools have ACT preparation classes. They do need their teachers helping them and encouraging them. Most every teacher is willing to bend over backwards for their students if the student wants to be helped. Some black students do not have every advantage of some other students but many if not most students in today's society have some kind of disadvantage to overcome in order to reach their goals. I think this initiative by college coaches is misguided.
I was a teacher and coach in the Little Rock School District for 19 years before moving to NW Arkansas and lived in Little Rock for 28 years. The majority of my students and athletes were black. These kids do not need people telling them they don't have to strive in order to achieve what is required. They don't need people telling them they are not responsible for failing to meet the minimum college entrance requirements because the testing is racially biased. Many high schools have ACT preparation classes. They do need their teachers helping them and encouraging them. Most every teacher is willing to bend over backwards for their students if the student wants to be helped. Some black students do not have every advantage of some other students but many if not most students in today's society have some kind of disadvantage to overcome in order to reach their goals. I think this initiative by college coaches is misguided.
