San Francisco intros 9th grade ethnic studies course for SFSU credit

San Francisco high school students, just months out of middle school, can start earning San Francisco State college credit this fall through a ninth-grade ethnic studies course.

Currently, five ethnic studies courses are offered at three high schools, but they offer only high school credits. The school board voted to expand the ethnic studies program last week, increasing the number of courses to at least 10 sections at five high schools.

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At a school board meeting last week, the head of the university's Ethnic Studies program also promised that students would earn up to six college course credits for the high school freshman course - a rare opportunity for a 14-year-old.

The courses will become part of the California State University's Step to College program, which has offered college credit for high school students across the state since 1985. Most of those courses require students to be juniors or seniors.

The program is designed for students who might not otherwise be considering college as an option, said Jacob Perea, dean of the School of Education, who runs the Step to College program at San Francisco State.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/01/BA061C7TVG.DTL

The most recommended reader comments were pretty damn hostile and Glenn Beck-influenced:

"Today's California high school graduates can't compute a percentage, can't write a simple declarative sentence, can't find their country on a map, aren't aware of what DNA is, don't know who the combatants were in WWII, can't tell you the difference between a neutron and a proton, and don't know how to use an apostrophe, but boy, are they good at the racial-grievance game. That and self-esteem.

Unfortunately, I don't think the Chinese are in the market for any of that. They would like their floors mopped, though."

"Like we don't have enough to do — Americans must not only kick the Marxists out of Washington, we have to cleanse the educational system.

Progressives. Socialists. Commies. Liberals. Whatever you call yourselves. You're next."

But this is quite interesting, and amazing given that SF school district is suffering from budget troubles as usual in this state.

I recognize the non-economic value in these courses, however, I'd rather see math and science offered at a higher level within American public education. In the far East students are busy learning multi variable calculus and assembly programming. But we can feel good knowing our students know the intricacies of Buddhism and the nuances of cultures that could likely replace their own within the work force.

Really?

You don't see the value in these courses?

How about improved relations? How about a better knowledge of the world? How about learning to think outside the limited little box most Americans live in - you know - the one where everyone speaks English just like they do, are all "good Christians", and tacitly accept an "American superiority" based on TV and movies?

Understating the greater world is "value added". Having kids earn college credit - at an earlier age - might encourage some to GO to college that might have never considered it to begin with. It might PROMPT them to study a bit harder in those math and science courses because now they WANT to go to college - to take more advanced classes.