Musings

LB starts the dreaded WASL test today. It’s the Washington state version of the No Child Left Behind standardized test requirement. She’s in third grade and has been hearing about this test (and fretting about it) since she started kindergarten. She seemed ok this morning, having learned that it will begin with reading and include less math than reading, which is her strongest subject. She was also glad to learn than kids who fail are not kept back solely because of this test-unless one is in high school, where failing it means you do not graduate.

Kids are already tested throughout the year on core subjects, and I do not see the point of such a high-stakes test, to the point where teachers spend two weeks teaching the kids HOW to take it, not so much WHAT they’ll be tested on! And don’t get me started on the high school level test, where kids with a 4.0 could actually risk not graduating if they fail.

It’s not likely, I know. But Blondie has classmates who missed passing one portion of the thing, despite being in advanced classes. One kid was dealing with problems at home, another was an ESL student. Luckily the state has decided to allow kids to take special prep classes and retake this test, but I would like to see it gone altogether. If a student is passing his or her classes and the tests in those classes, why add this test on, which is graded by anyone with a college degree the scoring company hires off the streets?

Ok, ok, moving on…

The brown baby dolls are getting heavy play at home these days. LB has a huge collection of dolls (thank you Goodwill) of many races. Sometimes there’s a mix in her play, other times she goes with all-white or all black. We’ve been lucky in that of the dolls we’ve found or LB’s received as gifts, that the shades of brown vary from dark to very light-like real people.

Lately LB is busy with her American Girl Bitty Baby we found for a dollar (!) at Goodwill. She’s the tan one, just like LB’s American Girl nine year old. She’d smack me if she was here, because once again I’ve forgotten what this baby’s name is. They all have names and histories; I love LB telling me the backstories she creates.

The larger dolls do not wear doll clothes, which are expensive and usually junk. We buy real baby clothes for pennies at Goodwill, so these “kids” are always wearing the latest fashions. The other day we found a three-piece outfit for LB’s only boy baby doll (I KNOW his name-it’s Daniel). The outfit included dress pants, a white button-down shirt and a vest. Naturally, LB had to dress Daniel in it immediately and pretend to take him to church. I believe my “grandchild” was very well -behaved in his new outfit.

Speaking of church, we attended LB’s church to hear her sing in the choir last weekend. She’s one of the older kids now, back in the last row so that the little kids, who can’t quite carry a tune or move in unison yet, can see the choir director better. I’m not especially religious, but I always get a thrill out of hearing these kids give it their all.

As it was youth day at the church, the service included recognition of accomplishments by youth members. This isn’t something I grew up with, and I was very touched by the way a boy who’d gotten into the high school of his choice, with a high GPA, was given a standing ovation and the well-wishes of the entire congregation. “And he’s polite to his mother, too,” the pastor added. That too got a round of applause. “It takes a village” really means something there.

LB will have her moment in the sun in a few weeks when she is honored for getting into the advanced learning program for next year. The recognition will include that she’s one of the few non-Asian children of color to make the cut, and that she’s planning to join the diversity committee to make sure kids like her have a voice there.  It’s pretty powerful to know that you have a whole church membership behind you.

I’ve discovered a favorite old show on a cable station-anyone remember Quantum Leap? It’s on at our house in the late afternoon, and an episode came on in which the hero was transported back to the 1950’s as a black man in the south. I was going to record it to watch later, but LB wanted to see it. 

She went about playing with her toys as the episode unfolded, but I could tell she was paying attention. She saw a white hospital try to turn away an injured black child, and the hero getting jailed for insisting otherwise. At at the end, she saw the man’s white employer sit at the lunch counter with him as he made a small stand against segregation. LB had tears in her eyes. She looked at me, but didn’t say anything. Then she shook her head and went back to her little pets.

There was an article in today’s paper about a program in which people who lived those times are passing on their stories to minority high school students. I think that’s a great way to make it real for them, to make sure that they get it regarding what options they have in front of them now. We are fortunate that in our own family LB can get some of this history first-hand.

I’m reminded of the person who insisted we don’t need to “burden” our children with this information, what with it being ancient history and all. But it’s BECAUSE it’s a part of our history that we need to pass it on, as far as I’m concerned.

Prom tickets go on sale tomorrow at Blondie’s school. She’s going with her boyfriend, a black student. A letter just last week to one of those self-help columnists was from another senior in another school. She too was white and wanted to go to the prom with a black student. Her parents refused. And THAT is why racial history isn’t ancient history.