Articles written by Rebecca Bibbs

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About me - Rebecca Bibbs

Rebecca R. Bibbs
I am the product of two incredibly accomplished families. My mother Annemarie W. Decker set an incredibly high bar, teaching me to read, write ad speak English and Dutch by the time I was 3 years old. I started college studying 300-level German

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Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Racism: 2 of 25
My jaw dropped. I'd been outed.The Sunday package on mixed-race people that appeared in the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot the summer of 1987 was a labor of love. The daughter of a Black man and a white woman, I'd hardly ever seen reference to people like me and our perceptions of the world in books, newspapers or television... More..
Education > Educational Philosophy Summer in the classroom: Against a year-long school schedule: 1 of 10
Judging by the way the question has been answered by other respondents, not everyone understands how a year round calender works in most school districts. Financial considerations actually prohibit school districts from adding school days. What most school districts do, however, is establish a schedule that better distributes... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Presidential Elections 2008 Does John Edwards' personal wealth make him seem insincere in his commitment to end poverty?: 2 of 13
People of means - John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt and a host of foundations funded by the wealthy - long have fought against poverty. John Edwards' wealth not only does not make him insincere but may be crucial in the fight against poverty. Traditionally, the empowered have been a necessary instrument of change on beha... More..
Education > College Courses & Majors Are private colleges better than public colleges?: 4 of 23
I have attended both a private liberal arts college and large public universities, and there are two factors, in my opinion, that dictate success: the individual student and the individual teacher. Private institutions, of course, survive on exclusivity, and public institutions are havens of inclusivity. There is room for bot... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Feminism & Women's Rights Is feminism outdated?: 16 of 68
Perhaps the word "feminism" is outdated, but the underlying issues that perpetuate inequality between men and women are no:* My father left my stepmother in November, telling her that he needs a woman who cooks and cleans. Interestingly, my father retired 15 years ago and hasn't held a real job since. Any mess made around the... More..
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Overcoming challenges: 10 of 39
Between the Lines My jaw dropped. I'd been outed. The Sunday package on mixed-race people that appeared in the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot the summer of 1987 was a labor of love. The daughter of a Black man and a white woman, I'd hardly ever seen reference to people like me and our perceptions of the world in books, newsp... More..
Education > Teachers & Administrators How American schools fail our children: 8 of 20
American schools don't fail our children. No doubt there is still much to be done to bring them to a point where they serve all children equitably. Teachers can and should develop more dynamic and interactive curricula; buildings should be clean, safe and equipped with the latest technology; But in looking at the big picture,... More..
Education > Homeschooling The benefits of homeschooling: 23 of 42
My son Roland had issues. He was in the second grade and couldn't read. Much of his problem was rooted in speech issues. He simply could not decipher the sounds even when we spoke to him. He understood only a fraction of what was said. And even with special education and a teacher's aide, he made little progress.Between third... More..
Education > Education (Other) Should public school children wear uniforms?: 38 of 64
Aside from the free speech issues associated with uniforms, there some educational and social reasons why they are a bad idea. Admittedly, public education is a means by which we "normalize" our citizenry. We do this by controlling the beliefs through the approved messages contained in textbooks and by attempting to control b... More..
Education > Early Childhood Ed Should school systems move to full-day kindergarten programs?: 41 of 55
Indiana's largest school district conducted a study in 1998 comparing students in full-day programs supported with federal Title I funds and students in half-day programs. There was no doubt that the students in the full-day programs were better prepared for the academic rigors of first grade and beyond.Children from urban ho... More..