NewJerseySchoolDistrictEasesPressureonStudents—BaringanEthnicDivide
A) Thisfall, DavidAderhold, thechiefofahigh-achievingschooldistrictnearPrinceton, NewJersey, sentparentsanalarming 16-pageletter. Theschooldistrict, hesaid, wasfacingacrisis. Itsstudentswereoverburdenedandstressedout, havingtocopewithtoomuchworkandtoomanydemands. Inthepreviousschoolyear, 120 middleandhighschoolstudentswererecommendedformentalhealthassessmentsand 40 werehospitalized. Andonasurveyadministeredbythedistrict, studentswrotethingslike, "Ihategoingtoschool," and "Comingoutof 12 yearsinthisdistrict, Ihavelearnedonething: thatagrade, apercentageorevenapointistobevaluedoveranythingelse."
B) Withhisletter, AderholdinsertedWestWindsor-PlainsboroRegionalSchoolDistrictintoanationaldiscussionabouttheintensefocusonachievementateliteschools, andwhetherithasgonetoofar. Atfollow-upmeetings, heurgedparentstojoinhiminadvocatinga "wholechild" approachtoschoolingthatrespects "social-emotionaldevelopment" and "deepandmeaningfullearning" overacademicsalone. Thealternative, hesuggested, wastofacetheprospectofbecominganotherPaloAlto, California, whereoutsizestressonteenagestudentsisbelievedtohavecontributedtoanumberofsuicidesinthelastsixyears.
C) Butinsteadofbringingfamiliestogether, Aderhold'sletterrevealedadivideinthedistrict, whichhas 9,700 students, andonethatbrokedownroughlyalongraciallines. OnonesidearewhiteparentslikeCatherineFoley, aformerpresidentoftheParent-Teacher-StudentAssociationatherdaughter'smiddleschool, whohascometoseethedistrict'sincreasinglypressuredatmosphereasopposedtolearning. "Mysonwasinfourthgradeandtoldme, 'I'mnotgoingtoamounttoanythingbecauseIhavenothingtoputonmyresume,'" shesaid. OntheothersideareparentslikeMikeJia, oneofthethousandsofAsian-Americanprofessionalswhohavemovedtothedistrictinthepastdecade, whosaidAderhold'sreformswouldamounttoa "dumbingdown" ofhischildren'seducation. "Whatishappeningherereflectsanationalanti-intellectualtrendthatwillnotprepareourchildrenforthefuture," Jiasaid.
D) About 10 minutesfromPrincetonandanhourandahalffromNewYorkCity, WestWindsorandPlainsborohavebecomepopularbedroomcommunitiesfortechnologyentrepreneurs, researchersandengineers, drawninlargepartbythepublicschools. Fromthelastthreegraduatingclasses, 16 seniorswereadmittedtoMIT. ItproducesScienceOlympiadwinners, classicallytrainedmusiciansandstudentswithperfectSATscores.
E) ThedistricthasbecomeincreasinglypopularwithimmigrantfamiliesfromChina, IndiaandKorea. Thisyear, 65 percentofitsstudentsareAsian-American, comparedwith 44 percentin 2007. ManyofthemarethefirstintheirfamiliesbornintheUnitedStates. Theyhavehadagrowinginfluenceonthedistrict. Asian-Americanparentsareenthusiasticsupportersofthecompetitiveinstrumentalmusicprogram. Theyhavebeenhugesupportersofthedistrict'sadvancedmathematicsprogram, whichoncebeganinthefourthgradebutwillnowstartinthesixth. Thechangetotheprogram, inwhich 90 percentoftheparticipatingstudentsareAsian-American, isoneofAderhold'sreforms.
F) Asian-Americanstudentshavebeeneagerparticipantsinastateprogramthatpermitsthemtotakesummerclassesoffcampusforhighschoolcredit, allowingthemtomaximizethenumberofhonorsandAdvancedPlacementclassestheycantake, anotherpracticethatAderholdislimitingthisschoolyear. WithmanyAsian-Americanchildrenattendingsupplementaryinstructionalprograms, thereisaperceptionamongsomewhitefamiliesthattheelementaryschoolcurriculumisbeingspeduptoaccommodatethem.
G) BothAsian-Americanandwhitefamiliessaythetensionbetweenthetwogroupshasgrownsteadilyoverthepastfewyears, asthenumberofAsianfamilieshasrisen. ButthedivisionhasbecomemoreobviousinrecentmonthsasAderholdhasmadechanges, includingno-homeworknights, anendtohighschoolmidtermsandfinals, andaninitiativethatmadeiteasiertoparticipateinthemusicprogram.
H) JenniferLee, professorofsociologyattheUniversityofCalifornia, Irvine, andanauthoroftheAsianAmericanAchievementParadox, saysmisunderstandingbetweenfirst-generationAsian-Americanparentsandthosewhohavebeeninthiscountrylongerarecommon. Whatwhitemiddle-classparentsdonotalwaysunderstand, shesaid, ishowmuchpressurerecentimmigrantsfeeltoboosttheirchildrenintothemiddleclass. "Theydon'thavethesamechancestogettheirchildreninternships (实习职位) orjobsatlawfirms," Leesaid. "Sowhattheybelieveisthattheirchildrenmustexcelandbeattheirwhitepeersinacademicsettingssotheyhavethesamechancestoexcellater. "
I) TheissueofthestressesfeltbystudentsineliteschooldistrictshasgainedattentioninrecentyearsasschoolsinplaceslikeNewton, Massachusetts, andPaloAltohavereportedanumberofsuicides. WestWindsor-Plainsborohasnothadateenagesuicideinrecentyears, butAderhold, whohasworkedinthedistrictforsevenyearsandbeenchiefforthelastthreeyears, saidhehadseentroublingsigns. Inarecentartassignments, amiddleschoolstudentdepicted (描绘) anoverburdenedchildwhowasbeingscoldedforearninganA, ratherthananA+ , onamathexam. Intheimage, themotherscoldsthestudentwiththewords, "Shameonyou!" Further, hesaid, theNewJerseyEducationDepartmenthasflaggedatleasttwopiecesofwritingonstateEnglishlanguageassessmentsinwhichstudentsexpressedsuicidalthoughts.
J) Thesurveycommissionedbythedistrictfoundthat 68 percentofhighschoolhonorandAdvancedPlacementstudentsreportedfeelingstressedaboutschool "alwaysormostofthetime." "Weneedtobringbacksomebalance," Aderholdsaid. "Youdon'twanttowaituntilit'stoolatetodosomething. "
K) Notallpublicopinionhasfallenalongraciallines. KarenSue, theChinese-Americanmotherofafifth-graderandaneighth-grader, believesthecompetitionwithinthedistricthasgottenoutofcontrol. Sue, whowasbornintheUnitedStatestoimmigrantparents, wantsherpeerstodialitback. "It'sbecomeanarmsrace, aneducationalarmsrace," shesaid. "Weallwantourkidstoachieveandbesuccessful. Thequestionis, atwhatcost?"
36. Aderholdislimitingtheextraclassesthatstudentsareallowedtotakeoffcampus.
37. WhiteandAsian-AmericanparentsrespondeddifferentlytoAderhold'sappeal.
38. Suicidalthoughtshaveappearedinsomestudents'writings.
39. Aderhold'sreformoftheadvancedmathematicsprogramwillaffectAsian-Americanstudentsmost.
40. Aderholdappealedforparents'supportinpromotinganall-rounddevelopmentofchildren, insteadoffocusingonlyontheiracademicperformance.
41. OneChinese-Americanparentthinksthecompetitioninthedistricthasgonetoofar.
42. Immigrantparentsbelievethatacademicexcellencewillallowtheirchildrenequalchancestosucceedinthefuture.
43. ManybusinessmenandprofessionalshavemovedtoWestWindsorandPlainsborobecauseofthepublicschoolsthere.
44. AnumberofstudentsinAderhold'sschooldistrictwerefoundtohavestress-inducedmentalhealthproblems.
45. ThetensionbetweenAsian-Americanandwhitefamilieshasincreasedinrecentyears.