What Biden said was 100% correct -according to the US Dept of Education

[jillan]

Title: Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Minorities

This report profiles current conditions and recent trends in the education of minority students. It presents a selection of indicators that illustrate the educational achievement and attainment of Hispanic, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students compared with each other and with White students. In addition, it uses data from the 2005 American Community Survey to detail specific educational differences among Hispanic ancestry subgroups (such as Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban) and Asian ancestry subgroups (such as Asian Indian, Chinese, or Filipino). This report presents 28 indicators that provide demographic information and examine (1) patterns of preprimary, elementary, and secondary school enrollment; (2) student achievement and persistence; (3) student behaviors that can affect their education; (4) participation in postsecondary education; and (5) outcomes of education. · The report finds that over the past quarter century, minority students have made gains in key education areas, such as completing high school and earning a college degree. However, gaps in academic performance persist between students of most minority groups and White students.

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007039

This is such a non-issue. Biden gets attacked for trying to improve our education system?:silly:

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. What did Biden do?

[Basileus Basileon]

3. Suggested that minority-dominated schools do worse.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3644719&mesg_id=3644719

Which is absolutely true. Recognition of social inequality is not racist.

[Mass]

2. The problem is not what he meant. He is obviously right.

But he put is so badly that he sounds as if he was making a connection between race and success at school, not between socio-economical status (and it is true that minorities are overrepresented among poor people).

[tammywammy]

4. Agreed

[mzteris]

5. Face it,

Biden's just not very articulate!

[gateley]

9. Sigh. That was clever for the first couple of months after Biden said it, but now...nt

[jillan]

12. Even Jesse Jackson said to drop it.

[gateley]

6. Yes, he gave it the 'ol "Biden Twist".

I just want to say again that he has a 100% rating from NAACP, and that should say more than his poorly chosen words how supportive he his of civil rights.

And I also want to say again that I want a person who tells it like it his from his/her heart and gut, without searching for the politically correct way to say it.

[Mass]

8. I know. I heard him say more or less the same thing in a debate and I know

that this is not what he means. But, in the loaded climate of this primary season, no surprise people will jump on that, unfortunately, even if they ignore what Biden says most of the time when it is important.

[jillan]

7. Here are his quoted remarks - maybe I am blind, but I don't see what is being interpreted as racist

'There's less than 1 percent of the population of Iowa that is African American. There is probably less than 4 or 5 percent that are minorities. What is in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with, what you're dealing with"

[Mass]

10. By people of bad faith, he will. There is NO correlation between race and success at school.

There is a correlation between class and success at school. His words are awkward, as they seem to imply a correlation between race and success at school, and obviously, this is what the racists have been saying during many years.

Obviously, this is NOT what Biden means, but, coming from somebody with a different profile, it could mean exactly that.

[jillan]

11. But - according to the US Dept of education - there is a correlation.

Check out my op.

[Basileus Basileon]

14. Do you have

a link for that statement? I've never seen race and socioeconomic status unpacked in any studies. I've never looked, though, and now I'm curious. Do you have a link to a study contrasting performances of students of different races/cultures but similar economic status? If not, I suppose it's off to dredge through Google Scholar.

[jillan]

15. Read my OP. I posted a study from the US Dept of Ed

[Basileus Basileon]

16. Yes, but does that account for socioeconomic status?

I don't see anything suggesting it does yet, but I'm still looking through it.

[jillan]

18. I will google it later - or if you get to it before me, please post it - ok?

Welcome to DU btw!

[Mass]

21. Is there a doubt about that? Sorry, I thought there were no doubt that

socio-economical background had a big influence on success (statistically speaking, once again). Surprised this needs any study.

Actually, Biden said this is what he meant, when he was asked about the issue.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/25/430273.aspx#comments

...
The Biden campaign moved quickly to clarify the senator's remarks in a statement: "This was not a race-based distinction, but a discussion of the problems kids face who don't have the same socio-economic support system (and all that implies -- nutrition, pre K, etc.) entering grade school and the impact of those disadvantages on outcomes."
...

And I would like to congratulate Biden because he understands that better than some other Democratic candidates.

[Basileus Basileon]

22. Nobody's doubting at all that socioeconomics have a huge impact on success.

What I am asking is if there are studies unpacking race from status--that is, specifically comparing the performance of poor urban whites, poor rural whites, poor urban blacks, and poor rural blacks. Since there are many theories raised about cultural issues related to motivation and valuation of education (the "acting white" theory), it would be interesting to see if those have any basis in reality or are simply vague racism.

[Debi]

24. But look what Obama says...

" What's most overwhelming about urban poverty is that it's so difficult to escape--it's so isolating and it's everywhere. If you are an African-American child unlucky enough to be born into one of these neighborhoods, you are most likely to start life hungry or malnurished. You are less likely to start with a father in your household, and if he is there, there's a fifty-fifty chance that he never finished high shcool and the same chance he doesn't have a job. Your school isn't likely to have the right books or the best teachers..." from a speech by Barack Obama


I don't see threads being started slamming Obama for these comments.

[rinsd]

25. Because Obama cites urban poverty not minority population figures.

Biden is not a racist by any stretch but it was a poor framing of the argument.

[Susan in Iowa]

13. He's obviously not a racist

Although Norah O'Donnell was trying to make him out as one on MSNBC. Shailagh Murray, who talked about her "impressions" of Biden more than she quoted him directly in the WaPo article, is as much of a water carrier for the Bush administration as O'Donnell. Drop her name into the search function at Media Matters and see what slithers out. She has earned her blog nickname "The Devil." These people make me tired. They delight in trying to pick off the Democrats, saving the biggest target for last. Biden has a sterling NAACP voting record going back years. He has nothing to apologize for, unless it's saying something awkward when he's probably been campaigning nonstop for days.

[rinsd]

17. He made a huge mistake framing it in racial terms.

He could have made it socio-economic talking about poverty rates & parental education levels of DC vs in Iowa as opposed to basically saying Iowa has few minorities so they have more achievement.

[Mass]

19. Yes, but we ALL know it was just a poor framing, not a racist opinion.

Though some media will tell you otherwise.

[rinsd]

20. Of course, that is what the media does best.

But Biden is not a racist.

[Debi]

23. Stop screwing up the hysteria with facts....

x( now what will we :nuke: about???