Following three hours of heated debate, the school officials voted unanimously Wednesday night to alter parts of a plan that recognized Ebonics, or African-American diction, as a distinct language. Another part of the resolution also was deleted which many understood to indicate that African-American students would be taught in Ebonics. The board had denied such intentions. The revised resolution makes it clear that students will be taught standard English, not Ebonics. However, board members say they are not backing down from their intention to train teachers to recognize Ebonics.
Opinions differ as to whether it is a language, a dialect or slang.
During the public comment period, some speakers criticized the board for changing the resolution while others opposed it in any form. Quan repeatedly appealed to the noisy crowd to allow people to speak and once threatened to cut short the meeting. I defy anyone of another race to tell us how to speak. Deborah Wright attacked the board's efforts. But Ann Johnson, assistant principal of Franklin elementary school in Oakland, supported the amended resolution, saying Ebonics was an effective classroom tool.