Politics of Education

1. Conservative Perspective

1.1. Charles Darwin - Natural Selection: A variation in individuals decides who will survive and who will not survive.

1.2. William Graham Sumner looks at an individuals human and social evolution as how it adapts to environmental changes.

1.3. Individuals must compete in order to survive, progress is dependent on the individual.

1.4. Milton Friedman believed that the free market allows for maximizing of economic growth and individual liberty with competition.

1.5. Ronald Reagan's presidency was based on a conservative viewpoint.

1.6. Individuals make decisions using a cost/benefit scale.

2. Traditional Visions of Education

2.1. Schools promote traditional values such as hard work, family unity, and individual initiative.

2.2. Traditional education refers to customs found in schools that are deemed necessary.

2.3. William Bagley, a traditionalist, believed that progressive education damaged the intellectual and moral standards of students.

2.4. The traditionalist believes that the purpose of education is to pass on a body of knowledge (both factual and cultural) to future generations,

2.5. Robert Hutchins (a traditionalist) said, "Education is not an imitation of life but a preparation for life."

2.6. "Universal education has created an immense class of what I may call the New Stupid, hungering for certainty yet unable to find it in the traditional myths and their rationalizations." Aldous Huxley

3. Existentialism

3.1. People must create themselves. This is done by the choices they make in their lives.

3.2. Soren Kierkergaard proposed that people accept the existence of God. He rallied against the scientific approach to existence.

3.3. The goal of education should focus on the needs of individuals. Education should be concerned with individuality.

3.4. The role of the teacher is tremendous. A teacher must understand their role in order to be able to help their students. Teachers must teach the students to choose and act on their choices.

3.5. Method of instruction is thought to be personal. Each child is different and it is up to the teacher to find what works for each student.

3.6. The curriculum is focused more on humanities. Students should be exposed to problems as well as possibilities.

4. Curriculum & Pedagogy

4.1. State Senators: Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, House Representative: Mo Brooks, State Superintendent::Tommy Bice, Lauderdale County Superintendent: Jennifer Gray, Lauderdale County School Board: Jerry Fulmer, Chad Holden, Daniel Patterson,Ronnie Owens, and Barbara Cornelius

4.2. Humanist Curriculum -The purpose of education is to present to the students the best of what has been thought and written.

4.3. Mimetic Practice - purpose of education is to present knowledge to students.

4.4. Didactic Method - lecture or presentation is the main form of communication.

4.5. Educational process involves the relationship between the knower (the teacher) and the learner (the student).

4.6. William J. Bennett believed that there was a need for a traditional core of subjects and readings that would teach all students a common set of worthwhile knowledge..

5. Sociology of Education

5.1. Functionalists view society as a machine where one part works with another to produce the dynamic energy that makes society work

5.2. Emile Durkheim believed moral values were the foundation of society.

5.3. Functionalists believe that conflict represents a breakdown of shared values.

5.4. Most educational reform is based on the functional theories of schooling.

5.5. More schooling leads to greater knowledge and social participation.

5.6. A College degree is important for earning more money but there are other influences that factor in to the level of income that one receives.

6. History of U.S. Education

6.1. The Standards Era: 1980s-2012

6.1.1. A Nation at Risk - the educational foundations of our society are being eroded by rising mediocrity.

6.1.2. Conservatives wanted to restore both standards and the traditional curriculum.

6.1.3. Conservative critics argued that using make social problems better led to a mediocre educational system

6.1.4. No Child Left Behind Act - requires all public schools receiving federal funding to administer a statewide standardized test annually to all students.

6.1.5. Charter Schools - receive public funding but are independent from local district control.

6.1.6. Ravitch believes that the evolution of the U.S education has resulted in the dilution of academic excellence. Conservative and neo-liberal pursuits have not improved our schools or moved us closer to a fair and just society. She accuses the conservatives and neo-liberals of ignoring the effects of poverty on student achievement.

7. Schools as Organizations

7.1. When the Constitution was written, the United States had 50 separate state school systems.

7.2. There has been a considerable amount of consolidation and centralization in the last 80 years in U.S. public education.

7.3. All students are entitled to enroll in school and remain in school until they graduate.

7.4. Private schools tend to attract families that have a commitment to education.

7.5. Teachers must be skilled in many areas of technical expertise and human relations.

7.6. 1/5 of the core classes taught at the secondary level are taught by teachers who do not have a certificate or degree in the subject they are teaching.

8. Equality of Opportunity

8.1. In the past women were less likely to achieve the same level of education as men even though they were thought to be better students.

8.2. Today women are less likely to drop out of school than men.

8.3. More women are now attending post secondary institutions than men.

8.4. Gender differences in terms of educational attainment have been reduced.

8.5. There are still adjustments that need to be made. Men attend more prestigious post secondary schools. Liberals even fuss that the reducing of educational attainment is because schools have been feminized.

8.6. Public versus Private- Catholic schools are currently better for the low income students. Will Catholic schools still advantage low income students if they become more elite?

9. Educational Inequality

9.1. Cultural Deprivation is a theory that the working-class and non white families lack cultural resources and arrive at school at a disadvantage.

9.2. Cultural deprivation was considered by some critics to be paternalistic and racist. It placed the blame on families instead of school.

9.3. Some critics of Cultural Deprivation argued that compensatory programs have not significantly improved the academic performance of disadvantaged students.

9.4. Cultural Difference is a belief that educational problems are attributed to things such as poverty, racism, discrimination, and unequal life chances.

9.5. Jon Kozol documented funding between affluent and poor districts. He wanted an equalization in school financing.

10. Educational Reform and School Improvement

10.1. Goals 2000 increased graduation requirements , offered more advanced placement, promoted technology in the classroom, and incorporated new teacher evaluation programs.

10.2. The neo-liberal created the Education Equality Project which seek to create an effective school for every child.

10.3. C.M. Hoxby that competition leads to higher test scores and lower costs of neighboring public school systems.

10.4. The first key factor in a successful school is high expectations for all students and teachers acceptance for student learning.

10.5. Abbott v. Burke - To provide a "thorough and efficient education", funding was distributed equally between urban and suburban schools.

10.6. Education Reform must involve both the teacher and the system in which they teach.