SCHOOL DEFENDS NEW EBONICS PLAN : BOARD ELIMINATES SOME CONTROVERSIAL WORDING.

Byline: Michelle Locke Associated Press 

School officials who ignited a national debate by declaring black English a separate language tried to quench the flames Wednesday night by approving revisions making it clear they plan to teach standard English.

Despite a stormy meeting that was frequently interrupted by hisses and calls for calm, the revisions passed 7-0.

``I think that sends the right message,'' said a relieved Jean Quan, the school board president.

The revisions drop all suggestion that ebonics - a combination of the words ebony and phonics - is genetically based and also take out wording implying students would be taught in both ebonics and standard English.

Those phrases had been sharply attacked in Oakland and across the country by critics who said the board was legitimizing slang and lowering standards for African-American students.

However, Oakland officials insisted they were not backing down from their original intent of training teachers to recognize ebonics so they can help students make the transition to standard English.

Two board members, both new to the board since the Dec. 18 resolution vote, also proposed extra amendments to the resolution Wednesday night.

Board member Kenneth Rice proposed changing a phrase that recognizes African language systems as ``the primary language'' of many African-American students. He suggested saying that African language systems are ``the language patterns that many African-American students bring to school.''

Board member Jason Hodge proposed dropping a phrase that refers to ``embracing the legitimacy and richness'' of language patterns such as ebonics.

``How can you tell a child that you're going to speak one language in the home and another language in the classroom?'' Hodge said.

Hodge's amendment was voted down 5-2. Rice's amendment passed.

Earlier, a series of impassioned speakers put their views forward.

``You can't see past your noses,'' Deborah Wright said. ``Passing an ebonics policy on Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday is an insult to his memory.''

``We're the laughingstock of the nation. It's unnecessary,'' Bertha Westbrooks said.

But those in favor of the resolution urged the board to go ahead.

``You have an opportunity here to do the thing that's right,'' said task force member Oscar Wright. ``We need to move on, and this board needs to approve the resolution presented by the task force.''

``We were the task force, and it is . . . for our children that we are speaking,'' said fellow task force member Alice Spearman.

Black English has been classified as a social dialect by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association. Hallmarks include lack of conjugation of the verb ``to be,'' and multiple negatives, as in: ``Didn't nobody see nothing.''

At the heart of the debate over the school board's original resolution, passed Dec. 18, has been its assertion that black English is a separate language.

Quan said Wednesday night that neither the original resolution not its revised form took that stand.

However, the original resolution declared that ``African language systems are genetically based and not a dialect of English.'' The revised version states that, ``African language systems have origins in west (African) and Niger-Congo languages, and are not merely dialects of English.''

The new version also retains a commitment of ``respecting and embracing the legitimacy and richness of the language patterns whether they are known as `ebonics,' `African language systems,' `Pan-African communication behaviors,' or other description.''

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Photo

Photo: Noma LeMoine of the Los Angeles Unified School District speaks in Oakland on the need for language programs for African-American students.

Associated Press