1. Politics of Education
1.1. Conservative
1.1.1. Conservatives believe in self reliance. Individual success is determined by ones own initiative.
1.1.2. Conservatives believe that the free market system is the best economic system
1.1.3. Conservatives believe that the role of the school is to provide the hardest working students every opportunity to fulfill their potential to the fullest.
1.2. Traditional
1.2.1. The traditional vision of education is for the school to represent the values of society.
1.2.2. Traditionalists believe that schools should represent the best of the past and present. They are not for pushing liberal agendas.
1.2.3. The traditional vision feels that teachers are sources of information and are authority figures as opposed to adults that are supposed to foster and encourage free and progressive thinking.
2. Equality of Opportunity
2.1. Achievement gaps for African-American students
2.1.1. The gaps narrowed between African-American and White students until 1988.
2.1.2. The gaps actually began to widen again after 1988.
2.2. Attainment for Arfican-American students
2.2.1. 92.1 percent of whites graduated from high school compared to 84 percent of African-Americans.
2.2.2. High poverty schools are more than twice as likely to have teachers with no certification or major in the subject they are teaching than that of a low-poverty school.
2.3. Coleman Study
2.3.1. The Coleman Study set out to show that minority students went to less prevalent schools so they were less likely to be successful. Unfortunately for some, his data proved that the actual school itself had little impact on a students learning.
3. Educational Inequality
3.1. Functionalist explanation of unequal achievement
3.1.1. The role of the school is to provide a fair opportunity for all students, regardless of family background.
3.1.2. Functionalists believe that schools will always produce unequal results, however the results should be based on the differences between the individuals as opposed to differences between groups of people.
3.1.3. Unequal educational outcomes are caused by unequal educational opportunities.
3.2. School-centered explanation
3.2.1. More affluent schools receive more money per student than poor inner city schools.
3.2.2. The money for the schools come from local taxes, primarily property taxes.
3.2.3. Many people feel that the funding is unfair due to the fact that property and other local taxes are obviously going to be less in poorer neighborhoods thus providing the local schools with less funding.
4. Educational Reform
4.1. School-Business partnerships
4.1.1. Business's began to get involved in the education process in the early eighties. Unfortunately it did not amount to much in the beginning. Only 1.5% of corporate giving went to schools
4.1.2. More recently many foundations have began to give more money to schools.
4.1.3. Mark Zuckerberg gave $100 million dollars to the schools of Newark, New Jersey.
4.2. School Finance Reforms
4.2.1. In 1973 the Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to equal education.
4.2.2. In 1990 the court ruled that the poorer districts did need more money for the students to have an equal opportunity at a quality education.
4.2.3. In 2009 the New Jersey Supreme Court incorporated a new formula in which money was to follow each child.
5. History of U.S. Education
5.1. The rise of the Common School
5.1.1. In 1820 most Americans were illitewrate
5.1.2. Free public education struggle was led by Horace Mann
5.1.3. The Common School had to deal with the ever changing society due to immigration.
5.2. Conservative Perspective
5.2.1. Believes that the progressive movement has violated the fundamental reason for school which is to develop intelligence, not promote social reform.
5.2.2. Conservatives believe that attempts to make curriculum's politically correct are historically inaccurate.
6. Sociological Perspectives
6.1. Functional Theories
6.1.1. Stress the interdependence of the social system
6.1.2. View society as a machine
6.1.3. Consensus is the normal state of society.
6.2. Effects of Schooling on Individuals
6.2.1. Knowledge and attitudes
6.2.1.1. Proves that where there is consistent discipline scores go up.
6.2.2. Teacher Behaviour
6.2.2.1. A teacher can shape a child's school year by their expectations.
6.2.3. Student Peer Groups and Alienation
6.2.3.1. Four groups of college students
6.2.3.1.1. Careerists
6.2.3.1.2. Intellectuals
6.2.3.1.3. Strivers
6.2.3.1.4. Unconnected
7. Philosophy of Education
7.1. Essentialism
7.1.1. Prepare students to be productive and moral members of society.
7.1.1.1. William C. Bagley is the father of Essentialism.
7.1.2. Discipline is a key ingredient in Essentialism.
7.1.2.1. The teacher is the authority and the central figure in Essentialism.
7.1.3. Schools do not exist for social change.
7.1.3.1. Elementary school is used to teach strictly the basics. Reading, writing, arithmetic, art, etc...
8. Schools as Organizations
8.1. State Senator: Clyde Chambliss
8.2. U.S. Representative: Martha Roby
8.3. State Rep.: Paul Beckman
8.4. State Superintendent: Tommy Bice
8.5. Montgy. County Superintendent: Margaret Allen
8.6. U.S. education is much more inclusive than other nations
9. Curriculum and Pedagogy
9.1. Historical curriculum advocated: Developmentalist curriculum
9.1.1. Focuses on a child's individual needs
9.1.2. Relates the curriculum to a student's needs and background.
9.2. Sociological Curriculum theory advocated: Functionalist theory
9.2.1. Teach students a shared common culture to ensure a peaceful and social order.
9.2.2. Teaches students how to learn as opposed to memorizing material.