to how to ensure more African-American students succeed in the classroom. "I hope now we can shift from the heat of the resolution to the light of the real needs facing our youth," Mr. Jackson said last week. The civil rights leader had criticized the original resolution, though he later softened his opposition. Changes in WordingThe amended resolution still asserts that ebonics--a combination of the words "ebony" and "phonics," also known as black English and a slew of other terms--is not a dialect of English. But it no longer suggests that ebonics is "genetically based." The new resolution says instead that the language patterns many black students bring to school "have origins in" West African and Niger-Congo languages. It no longer calls for students to be taught in their "primary language" of ebonics, and it emphasizes that the district should implement programs that move students from the language patterns they bring to school toward English proficiency. By March 15, the task force intends to have a plan to expand the district's English-proficiency program and implement other changes in the district to improve education for African-American students. Oakland is one of 25 districts statewide to voluntarily use California's Standard English Program. SEP, which was started in 1981, promotes proficiency in standard English for students who speak black English. Oakland hosted the state's regular SEP conference last week--an event observers said was almost certain to bring more attention to the ebonics issue. Los Angeles and BeyondAs expected, Barbara Boud-reaux, the only black member of the Los Angeles school board, introduced a motion last week to expand language programs for African-American students in the nation's second-largest district. The earliest the board would act on the resolution is the end of the month. Community reaction to the resolution was mixed. The ebonics debate has sparked action outside California, too. For examp...
