1. Sociological Perspectives
1.1. Functionalists view view society as a machine with pieces that must work in cohesion with each other. Education is supposed to socialize students into the appropriate values and sort them according to their abilities. Schooling is responsible for social cohesion.
1.2. Conflict theorists hold that schools reflect the societal power struggle because the classes of people and they promote the division of individuals into dominant and subordinate groups; the dominant groups usually getting ahead of the subordinates.
1.3. The Interactional perspective critiques the macrosociological views of the other perspectives in favor of examining the microsocial interactions within school life.
1.4. Knowledge and Attitudes // Individuals with more education generally show more participation politically and socially. Participation in public affairs is a big deal because it is these people who will determine the direction of society
1.5. Employment // One of the biggest impacts of education is employment. One does not need a college degree by any means but a high school diploma or G.E.D. is required by most employers
1.6. Tracking // Tracking can be good when done correctly but it is often not. It makes sense to place students in programs based on there abilities and inclinations but when minorities and disadvantaged students are placed in certain tracks for no other reason than being a minority, then there is a problem.
1.7. Inadequate Schooling // Many students, often those in county systems or inner city schools, find themselves ill-prepared for whatever their path is after high school because of poor schooling and poor funding for that school.
1.8. De Facto Segregation // Integrated schools generally contribute to minority success and do not hinder white achievement. Racially segregated schools for minorties often result in more police arrests and social barriers.
2. Philosophy of Education
2.1. Pragmatism
2.1.1. Generic Notions // Attainment of a better society through education. Students could learn skills experientially and through books. Progressive proposal that educators start with the needs of the child and allow the child to participate in planning course of study as well as depending on experiential learning.
2.1.2. Key Researchers // Sanders Pierce, William James, John Dewey
2.1.3. Goal of Education // To provide students with the knowledge of how to improve social order
2.1.4. Role of the Teacher // The teacher is more of a facilitator and less authoritarian. The teacher encourages, offer suggestions, questions, and helps plan a course of study as well as write curriculum.
2.1.5. Methods of Instruction // Problem solving or inquiry method
2.1.6. Curriculum // Core curriculum
3. School as Organizations
3.1. Federal Senators: Doug Jones and Richard Shelby
3.2. US House Representatives: Bradley Byrne, Martha Roby, Mike Rodgers, Robert Aderholt, Mo Brooks, Gary Palmer, Terri Sewell
3.3. State Senator: Arthur Orr
3.4. State Representatives: Terri Collins and Ed Henry
3.5. Local superintendent: Bill Hopkins
3.6. Local school board members: Jimmy Dobbs, Tom Earwood, Adam Glenn, John Holley, Paul Holmes, Billy Rhodes, Mike Tarpley
3.7. Conflict: staff must be prepared to elicit, manage, and resolve conflicts.
3.8. New behaviors: change includes building communication and trust, enabling leadership and initiative to emerge, and learning techniques of communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution.
3.9. Team building: Shared decision making
3.10. Process and content are interrelated
4. Equality of Opportunity
4.1. Class: There is a direct relationship between class and educational attainment. Parental income effects student's performance on achievement tests and placement in curriculum track.
4.2. Race: Race is related to drop-out rates and reading ability. Reading ability then effects SAT scores and admission to colleges. Minority students receive fewer educational opportunities.
4.3. Gender: Women have mostly caught up to men in most academic pursuits yet men still have significant advantages when competing for the most prestigious academic prizes.
4.4. The first 1982 Coleman response was arguing against it and claimed that what Coleman and his colleagues saw as significant was actually insignificant. The second response was that the schools matter but where an individual attends school is related to socioeconomic status.
5. Educational Reform
5.1. Private education comanies became increasingly involved in public education. Programs aimed at supplying schools with highly qualified teachers such as Teach for America.
5.2. School Finance Reforms. Full service school which focus on meeting students' and their families' needs.
6. Politics of Education
6.1. The Purposes of Education
6.1.1. Intellectual- to teach basic cognitive skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic; to develop higher thinking
6.1.2. Social- to help solve social problems; to socialize children
6.1.3. Economic- to prepare students for later occupational roles and train them into the division of labor
6.1.4. Political- to inculcate allegiance to the existing political order and prepare the citizens who will participate in it
6.2. The Role of the School // Conservative
6.2.1. Providing the necessary educational training to maximize economic and social productivity
6.2.2. Socialization of children to maintain order
6.2.3. Transmitting cultural traditions
6.3. Explanations of Unequal Performance // Liberal
6.3.1. Society must attempt to level the playing field of students that enter school with different life chances and advantages
6.4. Definition of Educational Problems // Radical
6.4.1. The educational system has failed the poor, minorities, and women through classist, racist, sexist, and homophobic policies
6.4.2. Schools have stifled critical understanding of the problems of American society through a curriculum and teaching practices that promote conformity
6.4.3. The educational system promotes inequality