5 Sentences
In chapters seven and twelve Kozol made it very clear using direct quotes from students in urban schools that they are keenly aware of the differences in their education and the education of more affluent individuals in immediate vicinity. Many of these urban students aspire to be more than what the government thinks they can be, do more than the government thinks the can do and become more than the government believes they can become. Apart from the students, the parents see and are frustrated with the fact that they have no known resources to fight and take a stand against the injustice; only one politically active group was mentioned in the text, something that is incredibly upsetting. However there is a small ray of sunshine when Kozol portrays the schools that while not given the funding and needed supplies to teach to the best of their abilities they are doing something right, making school a place students desire to be and making differences in the immediate community surrounding them.
4 Passages
"Students in these schools still have to take the standardized tests...but nobody tells the children that their rest results define their worthiness or that these numbers measure their identities..." page 287
"There is a healthy feeling in this classroom; the children try to behave themselves not because they're scared of Mr. Bedrock but because they like him and don't want to make things hard for him." page 294
"I expect you to do yourself proud" page 299
"Teachers and principals should not permit the beautiful profession they have chosen to be redefined by those who know far less than they about the hearts of children." page 299
"There is a healthy feeling in this classroom; the children try to behave themselves not because they're scared of Mr. Bedrock but because they like him and don't want to make things hard for him." page 294
"I expect you to do yourself proud" page 299
"Teachers and principals should not permit the beautiful profession they have chosen to be redefined by those who know far less than they about the hearts of children." page 299
3 Key Terms
Apartheid: a system that seperates individuals based on certain characteristics. In the case of The Shame of the Nation, those characteristics would be of class, race and socioeconomic standards.
Compensatory: to make up for their "lack" of education, as determined by test scores, many urban schools use a curriculum that focuses on labor instead of the academic education.
Pride: Kozol uses this term with both postivie and negative connotation. Positively he refers to the schools that while not perfect or by any means equal, take responsibility and our proud of their accomplishments. Negatively Kozol employs the word pride when talking about how students are "pumped up" and told to be proud of their test scores, not their own accomplishments.
Compensatory: to make up for their "lack" of education, as determined by test scores, many urban schools use a curriculum that focuses on labor instead of the academic education.
Pride: Kozol uses this term with both postivie and negative connotation. Positively he refers to the schools that while not perfect or by any means equal, take responsibility and our proud of their accomplishments. Negatively Kozol employs the word pride when talking about how students are "pumped up" and told to be proud of their test scores, not their own accomplishments.
2 Connections
In the e1800's Horace Mann made several trips, visiting over 6000 schools in his lifetime and reporting the condition the schools were in. He made very unique discoveries. The poor had run-down shacks that were dangerous for students to be housed in. While those that could afford to, sent their children to private schools or lived in communities were schooling was a priority, therefore buildings and teachers were held to higher standards. Much like in today's world there was and is not an equality of schools, those who can afford schools are sent to the best and those that cannot afford schools are sent to the dismal schools.
DuBois in the 1900's argued vehemently against the implantation of a manual labor curriculum for African American students. He believed that allowing students to be taught trades they were not being allowed to advance in the world beyond positions they had already held. Today we see the exact nightmare of DuBois being lived out in front of us. Minority students are being taught curriculum based on jobs they can secure as soon as they complete college. While knowing how to balance your checkbook and properly fill out your taxes is an incredible tool that more affluent schools should begin teaching their students, DuBois was correct that it isn't all you should teach your students. These children are not being given the opportunity to try and move past job and positions their grandparents held, their great-grandparents held.
DuBois in the 1900's argued vehemently against the implantation of a manual labor curriculum for African American students. He believed that allowing students to be taught trades they were not being allowed to advance in the world beyond positions they had already held. Today we see the exact nightmare of DuBois being lived out in front of us. Minority students are being taught curriculum based on jobs they can secure as soon as they complete college. While knowing how to balance your checkbook and properly fill out your taxes is an incredible tool that more affluent schools should begin teaching their students, DuBois was correct that it isn't all you should teach your students. These children are not being given the opportunity to try and move past job and positions their grandparents held, their great-grandparents held.
1 Question
What resources are available that I, as an educator can pass on to parents in order to equip them to help fight?
I really liked the last quote you found. That is exactly how I feel about the education system today, but what can you do about it?
ReplyDeleteYou question is a really good one to ask. I think a lot of the problems are overlooked because the parents don't know enough about the school system and what they can do. I would be anxious to hear the answer to this one!
I thought it was interesting what you said about Horace Mann. He did his research during the 1800's, and much of what he said is still relevant today. Like you said, the parents with money still send their kids to private schools, and the people who cannot afford to do that are stuck at the public schools.
ReplyDeleteI assert that we as teachers must be the "best and brightest" in our communities. Teachers must not only understand the science of teaching (theory) but also the art of teaching (practice). We must commit ourselves to meeting the individual needs of each of our students in our classrooms. Teaching is hard and time consuming work. Therefore, we must commit ourselves to providing developmentally apporpriate and culturally responsive curriculum and instruction for our students.
ReplyDeleteTo achieve this task we must be fearless in the face of the challenges and communal in our approach. Meaning - pooling our individual gifts and talents with those of other teachers and members of the community to impact the minds and lives of the children in our classroom.
The U.S. Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov/) provides many great resources that you can offer parents for assisting you in the teaching of their children. Some more sites that are helpful can be found at:
Public Education Network: http://www.publiceducation.org/
Parent-Student Network: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/parents.htm
School and Family: http://www.schoolfamily.com/