1. Philosophy of Education
1.1. Pragmatism
1.1.1. In education, a pragmatic approach is referred to as a progressive approach.
1.1.2. A pragmatic, or progressive, approach to education focuses on the filling the needs of a student in the classroom.
1.1.2.1. In a pragmatic, or progressive, educational setting, teachers must have knowledge of multiple disciplines, and it is a teacher's job to provide encouragement and advise in an educational setting.
1.1.2.1.1. A progressive approach in the classroom broke away from older, more traditional methods. Through this philosophy, an open learning environment is created.
1.1.3. This philosophy is associated with John Dewey, George Sanders Peirce and William James.
1.1.3.1. According to John Dewey, the primary purpose of education is growth.
1.1.3.2. Dewey believed schools were supposed to integrate students into a democratic society, and only a democratic society.
2. Schools as Organizations
2.1. Governance
2.1.1. Public education in the United States is highly decentralized.
2.1.2. There is not a national board of education. The states maintain power over public education.
2.1.2.1. This form of governance is not present in most countries.
2.2. Degree of openness
2.2.1. In the U.S., free public education is available for all students.
2.2.2. Because of the degree of openness, and the numerous schools that are available, there are many ways to enter public schools and few forced exits.
2.3. Who becomes a teacher?
2.3.1. In the U.S., a large majority of public school teachers are female, and the number of minorities in the profession is alarmingly low.
2.3.2. According to the No Child Left Behind Act, all teachers are required to be highly qualified.
2.3.2.1. Even though most teachers are certified as highly qualified, because of teacher shortages, there are numerous teachers who are teaching in areas out of their expertise.
2.4. School culture and processe
2.4.1. Schools are deeply political, and effecting change can be difficult.
2.4.2. Most schools are bureaucracies, which essentially are characterized by explicit rules and regulations that produce predictability and regularity in decision making and minimize the significance of personal relationships.
2.5. Teacher professionalization
2.5.1. School-based management
2.5.1.1. For this concept to be successful, it must empower teachers in terms of their decision-making capacities about curriculum, discipline and other academic areas of importance.
3. Curriculum and Pedagogy
3.1. Major Stakeholders
3.1.1. Citizens of the city of Cullman
3.1.1.1. State superintendent: Dr. Tommy Bice
3.1.1.1.1. State school board representative: Dr. Cynthia Sanders-McCarty
3.1.1.2. Cullman City Schools Board of Education
3.1.1.2.1. Superintendent: Dr. Susan Patterson
3.1.1.3. House Representatives
3.1.1.3.1. District 12: Corey Harbison
3.1.1.4. State Senator
3.1.1.4.1. District 4: Paul Bussman
3.1.1.5. City of Cullman
3.1.1.5.1. Mayor: Max Townson
3.2. Humanist curriculum
3.2.1. Liberal arts is the cornerstone of education, and students should be taught the best of what has been thought and written.
3.2.1.1. Students should study English, foreign languages, mathematics, history and science.
3.2.2. Teaching students about their heritage is important.
3.2.2.1. In today's diverse schools, Western tradition should not be the only cultural heritage that is taught.
3.2.3. The purpose of schooling is to transmit a common body of knowledge to all students.
4. Equality of Opportunity
4.1. The Coleman Study
4.1.1. Responses from Round Three
4.1.1.1. The racial and socioeconomic composition of a school has a greater effect on student achievement than an individual's race and class.
4.1.1.2. According to Geoffrey Borman and Maritza Dowling, who conducted the Round Three study, school segregation based on race and socioeconomic status and within school interactions dominated by middle-class values are largely responsible for gaps in student achievement.
4.1.1.3. Borman and Dowling said education reform must focus on eliminating the high level of segregation that remains in the United States' education system and that schools must bring an end to tracking systems and biases that favor white and middle-class students.
5. Educational Inequality
5.1. Cultural Deprivation Theory
5.1.1. The theory: Suggests that working-class and nonwhite families often lack the cultural resources, such as books and other educational stimuli, and thus arrive at school at a significant disadvantage.
5.1.1.1. Arguments against Cultural Deprivation Theory.
5.1.1.1.1. The argument that minority students, and students from poor socioeconomic backgrounds, are handicapped because of their cultural background is borderline racist and incorrect.
5.1.1.1.2. Compensatory programs have been relatively unsuccessful in closing the achievement gap.
5.1.1.1.3. This theory moves the blame for the achievement gap from the schools and unfairly places blame on the students' families.
5.1.1.1.4. Cultural Difference Theory is more logical.
6. Educational Reform
6.1. School-business partnerships
6.1.1. School funding is a major issue, especially for schools located rural communities and areas of high poverty.
6.1.2. Through corporate partnerships, schools in low-income communities could use funds to strengthen programs and offer educational and technical opportunities that are comparable to schools in high-income areas.
6.1.3. The problem with this type of reform is getting corporations to invest in schools.
6.2. School-to-work programs
6.2.1. This type of reform can strengthen vocational and technical programs for non-college bound students.
6.2.2. Through stronger vocational programs, non-college bound students can begin to develop skills for the workforce while working toward a career.
6.2.3. This type of reform could help non-college bound students find economic mobility through a future career, which strengthens the tax base, which also benefits public schools.
6.3. Teacher quality
6.3.1. To strengthen public schools, finding quality teachers, and retaining those teachers is important.
7. Politics of Education
7.1. Liberal perspective
7.1.1. All students, no matter what socio-economic background, should receive the same educational opportunities.
7.1.2. Schools play important roles in the development of social skills and academic training needed in a student's adult life.
7.1.2.1. The acceptance and understanding of cultural diversity is encouraged.
7.1.3. The stance on issues:
7.1.3.1. Schools have limited the opportunities of students from poor socio-economic backgrounds, which has led to the issue of underachievement of students in poor and minority neighborhoods.
7.1.3.1.1. The differences in quality between urban and suburban schools, and schools from poor areas compared to those from wealthy areas, is a glaring problem.
7.1.3.1.2. Quality with equality: Policies should combine a concern for quality for all students with equality of opportunities.
7.1.3.2. Performance standards: A balance should be maintained between setting acceptable performance standards and ensuring all students can meet them.
7.2. Progressive approach
7.2.1. Schools should be part of the steady progress to make society better.
8. Sociological Perspectives
8.1. Functional Theory
8.1.1. Functionalists view society as a machine, where one part articulates with another to produce the dynamic energy required to make society work.
8.1.2. Consensus is the normal of society and conflict represents a breakdown of shared values.
8.1.3. Schools socialize students into the appropriate values, and sort and select students according to their abilities.
8.2. Education and mobility
8.2.1. More education can lead t social mobility.
8.2.2. Americans rise and fall on their own merit.
8.3. Teacher behavior
8.3.1. Teachers are role models for students, both socially and academically.
9. History of Education
9.1. Horace Mann's education reform
9.1.1. In 1837, Massachusetts created its first state board of education, and when Massachusetts granted it, Mann became its secretary.
9.1.2. Mann helped spearhead the effort for free public education.
9.1.3. Mann's idea of a common school reflects both the concern for stability and order, and the concern for social mobility.
9.1.4. Mann's reports served as the models for public school reforms throughout the nation.
9.1.5. Both conservatives and liberals historically praise Mann's education reform efforts.