Social Media Coverage of Human Rights Concerns (February 20 – March 16)
Prepared by SCHRC Commissioner, Elizabeth A. Scott
Overview:
4 (Snohomish County-Based) FB Sites Surveyed:
Snohomish County Citizens Committee on Human Rights (542 Members)
Monroe School District Group (140 Members)
Monroe Public Schools Discussion (152 Members)
You Had Me at Monroe (336 Members)
Topics Covered:
Race relations
Global human rights
Employment Equality
Marriage Equality
Public Policy & Islam
Education Planning & Diversity
Bilingual Education, Income Inequality
Education and Race, Education & Religion
Child predation (possibly human traffic)
Source: FB, Snohomish County Citizens Committee on Human Rights
1. Race relations. Article posting: “Hate Groups on the Rise in the US, Report Says” from abcnews.go.com.
a. Posted by SCHRC Commissioner Ron Harrell
b. 2 positive responses
2. Race relations. Article posting: “Store Clerk Demands ‘A-mer-i-can’ ID” from Southern Poverty Law Center.
a. Posted by SCHRC Commissioner Ron Harrell
b. 6 positive responses
3. Race relations. Article posting: “Measuring the U.S. Melting Pot - Interactive Heritage Map - Bloomberg” from go.bloomberg.com
a. Posted by Representative L.S. Moscoso
4. Race relations. Article posting: “US Hate and Extremist Groups Hit Record Levels, New Report Says,” from www.huffingtonpost.com
a. Posted by Representative L.S. Moscoso
5. Race relations. Article posting: “Selma march to Alabama capital relaunched with new spirit, purpose (slideshow),” from blog.al.com
a. Posted by Representative L.S. Moscoso
b. 10 Positive responses
6. Education / Race relations. Reposting of announcement from Monroe School Board Director, Nancy Truitt Pierce: “Frank Wagner Elementary to host dual language kindergarten starting in September 2012! This will be a wonderful opportunity for a lot of families. Space is limited so get on the waiting list SOON!...” from FB Forum, Monroe Public Schools.
a. Posted by SCHRC Commissioner Elizabeth Scott
b. 4 Positive responses
7. Race / Criminology / Employment. Article posting: “Race, Criminal Background, and Employment > Sociological Images,” from www.thesocietypages.org
a. Posted by Representative L.S. Moscoso
b. 8 Positive responses
8. Global human rights; Environment, Labor, Human trafficking, Population planning. Article posting: “Tearing Down the Global Plantation,” From newsjunkiepost.com
a. Posted by Representative Moscoso
b. 4 Positive responses
9. Race relations / Immigration. Article posting: “The Invisible Weight of Whiteness: Eduardo Bonilla-Silva on the Racial Grammar of Everyday Life :: r,” from www.racismreview.com
a. Posted by Representative Moscoso
10. Race relations / Immigration / Politics. Article posting: “Program plagued with problems,” From www.heraldnet.com
a. Posted by Representative Moscoso
b. 2 Positive comments
c. Mention of Rep. Mike Sells (38th LD/Everett), and his sponsorship ip of legislation and education of the public through the media about the “broken immigration system.”
d. Additional comment from Rep. Moscoso: “Other public official, business, community and Faith Leaders should step up to this opportunity to nitiate a CIVIL DIALOGUE about issues like this in Snohomish County.”
11. Race relations / Immigration. Article posting: “Group pushing E-Verify hit wall in Wahkiakum County,” from www.tdn.com
a. Posted by Kristina Logsdon
b. 1 Positive response
12. Race relations / Immigration. Blog posting: “Do Illegal Immigrants Pay Taxes?” from www.roygermano.wordpress.com
a. Posted by Representative L.S. Moscoso
b. 7 Positive responses
13. SCHRC Agenda / Immigration. Article: “E-Verify would be a good first step,” from www.heraldnet.com
a. Posted by Representative L.S. Moscoso
b. 4 Positive comments, 1 neutral
c. Comment from SCHRC Commissioner Elizabeth Scott: “The next meeting of the SCHRC takes place on Friday, March 16th, at the Snohomish County Campus, Everett.”
14. Race relations / Interracial marriages. Article posting: “Interracial marriage in US hits new high: 1 in 12,” From www.ercurynews.com
a. Posted by Representative L.S. Moscoso
b. 5 Positive responses
15. Marriage equality. Personal comment: “I used to live in Snohomish County! I’m for Human Equal Rights Washington.”
a. Posted by Barbara Eickhoff
b. 3 Positive responses
16. Public policy / Islam. Article posting: “Santorum Spokesperson Refers to Obama’s ‘Radical Islamic Policies’,” from www.livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com
a. Posted by Sean Michael Patrick Gallegos
Source: FB, Monroe School District Group
1. Income inequality / Education. Article posting: “A test for politicians on education (with cheat sheet),” From www.washingtonpost.com
a. Posted by Monroe School Board Director, Nancy Truitte Pierce
b. 5 Positive comments
2. Diversity / Strategic education planning. Comment: “…Please join me and other community members in Everett Community College’s upcoming Community Engagement Event for strategic planning, Defining Student Success in Community Colleges. Your voice and perspective is vitally important to us as we develop a strategic plan and priorities to guide our institution over the next three to five years. The event provides an opportunity for a representative cross-section of our community to participate in a professionally facilitate large group discussion about the future role of the college…”
a. Posted by Monroe School Board Director, Nancy Truitt Pierce
3. Child predation / Human traffic. Comment: “WARNING!!!! DO YOU LIVE IN THE VAN BROCKLIN AREA (NEAR 249TH OFF OLD OWEN ROAD). This morning 3 elementary age children were asked by an older, white man driving a greenish-blue truck pulling a trailer (for wood?). The man told the kids to get into the car, the children responded no and about the same time the bus pulled up & the man drove off. The children were a bit vague on the description of the vehicle.
Please talk to your children about strangers & what to do if one approaches them.”
Please talk to your children about strangers & what to do if one approaches them.”
a. Posted by Gina Graham Mattern
b. 14 Responses
4. Education / Race / Bilingual education initiative. Announcement: “Frank Wagner Elementary to host dual language kindergarten starting in September 2012! This will be a wonderful opportunity for a lot of families. Space is limited so get on the waiting list SOON!
Starting in September 2012, Frank Wagner Elementary School will host a dual language program for students entering kindergarten. Families are invited to learn more about this new opportunity and sign up to be part of this first kindergarten class, at an information night on March 13, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Frank Wagner Elementary School, 115 Dickinson Street. Families and students are welcome to attend together.
A dual language program is in a classroom(s) set up to teach students in two languages. The students will be together in class but separated for instruction. One teacher or more is bilingual and bi-literate (able to read and write the second language). In our district, the two languages taught would be English and Spanish. A 50/50 mix of native English speakers and native Spanish speakers is necessary as instruction is led for part of a day in English and part a day in Spanish.
Like all the kindergarten classes at Frank Wagner, the class will meet for the entire school day, five days a week with no fee. This dual language learning opportunity will be open to families throughout the school district and not just Frank Wagner students. Enrollment is on a first come, first served basis. A least 22 students must enroll for the program to begin. Depending on how many families are interested, one or two classrooms could begin in September 2012. If more than 50 students sign up, a waiting list will be created. If this alternative school option is highly valued, the district will support it through the grade levels adding a grade level per year.
The two teachers for this program will be Ms. Jessica Conte and Mrs. Melanie Dugan. Both have been distinguished instructors in Monroe’s public schools for more than 10 years. Ms. Conte is Nationally Board Certified and Mrs. Dugan is bi-literate which means she can speak, read and write Spanish. Both teachers are excited about this teaching and learning opportunity for students and jumped at the chance to teach this program.
The benefit to students in a dual language program has been written about in many national magazines and educational journals as well as our local Puget Sound newspapers. In many examples English speaking students became bilingual and bi-literate by 5th grade. Spanish speaking students also become more strongly bilingual and bi-literate when enrolled in a dual language program. There are no special skills a student needs to be in a dual language program. It is expected that the families commit to stay in the program as long as it is offered and attend the monthly parent meetings. Parent volunteers will be needed throughout the year. Parents do not need to learn the second language to be active in the classroom.
Students are taught literacy (reading and writing) in their native languages in primary grades. Math is taught in English. Science and Social Studies are taught in Spanish. Students in dual language programs have repeatedly achieved proficiency in all academic subjects, meeting or exceeding state and district assessment standards. Students in dual language programs often outscore their peers who are in monolingual (one language) programs. Researchers attribute this success to the students’ ability to think and speak in two languages which opens a part of the brain that is then more flexible for problem solving, divergent thinking and pattern recognition.
If you are a family in the Frank Wagner attendance area, you have access to the normal bus transportation to school if you live in an area where bus service is available. Families living in another school boundary will be responsible to transport their child to and from Frank Wagner for the program.”
Starting in September 2012, Frank Wagner Elementary School will host a dual language program for students entering kindergarten. Families are invited to learn more about this new opportunity and sign up to be part of this first kindergarten class, at an information night on March 13, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Frank Wagner Elementary School, 115 Dickinson Street. Families and students are welcome to attend together.
A dual language program is in a classroom(s) set up to teach students in two languages. The students will be together in class but separated for instruction. One teacher or more is bilingual and bi-literate (able to read and write the second language). In our district, the two languages taught would be English and Spanish. A 50/50 mix of native English speakers and native Spanish speakers is necessary as instruction is led for part of a day in English and part a day in Spanish.
Like all the kindergarten classes at Frank Wagner, the class will meet for the entire school day, five days a week with no fee. This dual language learning opportunity will be open to families throughout the school district and not just Frank Wagner students. Enrollment is on a first come, first served basis. A least 22 students must enroll for the program to begin. Depending on how many families are interested, one or two classrooms could begin in September 2012. If more than 50 students sign up, a waiting list will be created. If this alternative school option is highly valued, the district will support it through the grade levels adding a grade level per year.
The two teachers for this program will be Ms. Jessica Conte and Mrs. Melanie Dugan. Both have been distinguished instructors in Monroe’s public schools for more than 10 years. Ms. Conte is Nationally Board Certified and Mrs. Dugan is bi-literate which means she can speak, read and write Spanish. Both teachers are excited about this teaching and learning opportunity for students and jumped at the chance to teach this program.
The benefit to students in a dual language program has been written about in many national magazines and educational journals as well as our local Puget Sound newspapers. In many examples English speaking students became bilingual and bi-literate by 5th grade. Spanish speaking students also become more strongly bilingual and bi-literate when enrolled in a dual language program. There are no special skills a student needs to be in a dual language program. It is expected that the families commit to stay in the program as long as it is offered and attend the monthly parent meetings. Parent volunteers will be needed throughout the year. Parents do not need to learn the second language to be active in the classroom.
Students are taught literacy (reading and writing) in their native languages in primary grades. Math is taught in English. Science and Social Studies are taught in Spanish. Students in dual language programs have repeatedly achieved proficiency in all academic subjects, meeting or exceeding state and district assessment standards. Students in dual language programs often outscore their peers who are in monolingual (one language) programs. Researchers attribute this success to the students’ ability to think and speak in two languages which opens a part of the brain that is then more flexible for problem solving, divergent thinking and pattern recognition.
If you are a family in the Frank Wagner attendance area, you have access to the normal bus transportation to school if you live in an area where bus service is available. Families living in another school boundary will be responsible to transport their child to and from Frank Wagner for the program.”
a. 4 Positive Responses
5. Income inequality. Announcement, “Please spread the word about financial help for kids who want to play in school sports but where the cost is a barrier. Since the School District has had to increase the portion students pay out of pocket to play sports, the Foundation has stepped in to make sure as many kids as possible can participate by offering help with the fees. Here is more detailed information about it sent by our Foundation Director, Sue Skillen…”
a. Posted by Monroe School Board Director, Nancy Truitt Pierce
b. 3 Neutral comments
Source: FB, Monroe Public Schools Discussion
a. Posted by Debra Kolrud (Former school board Director)
b. Relevant comment: “Our schools are not producing engineers, so we must import them. U.S. schools especially shortchange black and Hispanic students in teaching math. Great article by Walter Williams on the subject.”
c. 10 Responses
Source: FB, You Had Me at Monroe
1. Religion / Education. Comment: “…I really have to recommend Monroe Christian. Obviously you can’t be opposed to a parochial school, but aside from that part, I have had had kids in public schools for 15-20 years and cannot say enough about MCS…”
a. Posted by Jennifer Calhoon Vandewouwer
b. 13 Positive Responses
2. Child predation / Human traffic. Alert (see above): “This AM my son was on his way to the bus stop with the neighbor girls [and] a man tried to lure them into his vehicle…”
a. Posted by Dawn Lidsay
b. 17 Responses
3. Diversity planning / Education. Announcement (see above): “Can you help EvCC with their strategic planning work?”
a. Posted by Nancy Truitt Pierce
4. Race / Education. Announcement (see above): Frank Wagner Elementary to host dual language kindergarten…”
a. Posted by School Board Director, Nancy Truitt Pierce
b. 2 Positive responses
