Sympathizing with Delpit...

"Why do the refrains of progressive educational movements seem lacking in the diverse harmonies, the variegated rhythms, and the shades of tone expected in a truly heterogeneous chorus?"

In those words, Delpit opens a can of worms. The condition that the education system is currently in, the condition of academia in general, and even our own cultural standards come into question. Delpit is asking, with all the openminded, "progressive" individuals involved in education, what keeps ALL of us from being allowed to shine in our own particular way... Ultimately her writing deals primarily with the issue of black literacy in education and why innovative practices and new age educational ideals aren't cutting it.

Language shapes perception. That's the foundation for learning. Language is the channel that ideas, both mundane and revolutionary, are transmitted on. People of different cultures come to see the world according to their own cultures' language (Think about last week's readings, about how Min-Zahn Lu saw the word "red" changing and warping as her culture evolved around it.)To teach a multicultural classroom, one needs to take all cultures present into consideration. What may accelerate the learning of one cultural element in the class might impede another. It is this core that forms the basis for Delpit's arguements against contemporary "one size fits all" educational standards.