1. Schools as Organizations
1.1. Elements of Change
1.1.1. Conflict
1.1.1.1. They allow and require previously hidden problems, issues and disagreements to surface in order for the staff to be able to elicit, manage and resolve conflicts.
1.1.2. Team Building
1.1.2.1. Must extend to the entire school. Shared decision making has to work throughout entire staff.
1.1.2.2. The process a team uses in going about its work is as important as the content of educational changes it attempts.
1.1.3. Process and Content
1.1.3.1. The degree of trust and openness built up within the team, and the visibility of the project will influence future commitments and the relationships among the staff and others involved- are all necessary.
1.1.4. New Behaviors
1.1.4.1. Building communication, trust and enabling leadership and initiatative to emerge, and learning techniques of communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution.
1.2. Local School Board
1.2.1. Dwight Jett Jr.
1.2.2. Karen Duke
1.2.3. Donnie Lee
1.2.4. Peggy Baggett
1.2.5. Michele Gray King
1.2.6. Melanie Maples
1.3. State Senator
1.3.1. Richard Shelby
1.3.2. Jeff Sessions
1.4. House of Representatives
1.4.1. Terry Collins
1.4.2. Mickey Hammon
1.4.3. Arthur Orr
1.5. Local Superintendent
1.5.1. Dan Brigman
1.6. Representative on state school board
1.6.1. Charles Elliot
2. Curriculum & Pedagogy
2.1. "New Sociology of Education"
2.1.1. The new curriculum was looked at as a reflection of the dominant interests in society and suggested that what is taught in schools is a critical component of the effects of schooling.
2.2. "Critical Curriculum Theory"
2.2.1. It rejects the view that curriculum is objective and insists that the curriculum can be viewed as subjectively reflecting particular interests within a society.
2.3. Social Efficiency Curriculum
2.3.1. This theory goes along with my philosophy of teaching. Progressivism. It is pragmatic/progressive in nature, with a belief that students receive different types of education to meet their specific needs.
3. Equality of Opportunity
3.1. Upper/Middle Class Students
3.1.1. Speak "standard" English. Expected to finish school.
3.2. Working/Under Class Students
3.2.1. Families have lower expectations for them.
3.2.1.1. They do not speak middle-class English. More than likely to drop out, underachieve, and resist the curriculum.
3.3. What does this mean?
3.3.1. Social class and level of educational attainment are highly correlated.
3.4. Race
3.4.1. An individuals race has a direct impact on how much education he or she is likely to achieve.
3.5. Gender
3.5.1. An individual's gender was directly related to his or her educational attainment, historically. The numbers and rates have changed throughout the years, but people still wonder about the relationship between educational attainment and occupational attainment for women.
3.6. Coleman study from 1982
3.6.1. 1st Response
3.6.1.1. The differences that do exist between public and Catholic schools are statistically significant, but in terms of significant differences in learning, the results are negligible.
3.6.2. 2nd Response
3.6.2.1. Where an individual goes to school is often related to her race and socioeconomic composition of a school has a greater effect on student achievement than an individual's race and class.
4. Educational Inequality
4.1. Cultural deprivation theory
4.1.1. 1960's
4.1.1.1. Suggested that working-class and nonwhite families often lack cultural resources.
4.1.1.1.1. Books
4.1.1.1.2. Educational stimuli
4.2. School-centered explanations for educational inequality
4.2.1. School Financing
4.2.1.1. Public schools are financed through a combination of revenues from local, state, and federal sources.
4.2.1.2. Majority of funds come from local and state taxes, with local property taxes a significant source.
4.2.1.2.1. Property taxes are based on the value of property in local communities and therefore is a proportional tax.
4.2.2. Effective School Research
4.2.2.1. This suggests that there are school-centered processes that help to explain unequal educational achievement by different groups of students.
4.2.3. Gender and Schooling
4.2.3.1. The organization of schools reinforces gender roles and gender inequality.
4.2.3.2. Feminists agree that schooling often limits the educational opportunities and life chances of women in a number of ways.
4.2.3.2.1. They also argue that schools should revise their curricula and pedagogic practices to emphasize caring and connectedness.
4.2.4. Curriculum and Pedagogic Practices
4.2.4.1. Bernstein (1990) suggested that schools in working-class neighborhoods are far more likely to have authoritarian and teacher-directed pedagogic practices, and to have a vocationally or social efficiency curriculum at the secondary level.
5. Educational Reform
5.1. School-based Reforms
5.1.1. School-Business Partnership
5.1.1.1. These were formed when business leaders became concerned that the nation's schools were not producing the kinds of graduates necessary for a revitalization of the U.S economy.
5.1.1.2. Boston Compact
5.1.1.2.1. 1982
5.1.2. Privatization
5.1.2.1. Private education companies increasingly became involved in public education in a variety of ways.
5.1.2.1.1. Edison
5.1.2.1.2. The Philadelphia Public Schools
5.1.2.1.3. Kaplan and Sylvan Learning Centers
5.2. School-Finance Reforms
5.2.1. Social services
5.2.2. Increased security
5.2.3. Technology alternative education
5.2.4. School-to-work
5.2.5. After-school
5.2.6. Summer-school programs
5.3. Full Service and Community Schools
5.3.1. Full service schools focus on meeting students' and their families educational, physical, psychological, and social needs in a coordinated and collaborative fashion between school and community services.
6. Politics of Education
6.1. Purposes of Education
6.1.1. Economic
6.1.1.1. This purpose is to prepare students for their future occupations. To teach them labor. How much schools prepare students for their later occupation varies from society to society.
6.1.2. Social
6.1.2.1. The Social purpose is to help solve social problems. This process is referred to by sociologists as socialization, is a key ingredient to the stability of any society. Also, to socialize children into the various roles, behaviors, and values of the society.
6.1.3. Political
6.1.3.1. To prepare citizens who will participate in the political order such as political democracies. To help cultural groups into a common political order. Also, to teach children the basic laws of society.
6.1.4. Intellectual
6.1.4.1. To teach basic cognitive skills like reading, writing, and math. To help students get higher thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and synthesis.
6.2. Perspectives
6.2.1. The Role of Education
6.2.1.1. The conservative perspective of the Role of Education provides the necessary educational training to ensure that the most talented and hard-working individuals receive the tools necessary to maximize economic and social productivity. This perspective views the role of school as essential to both economic productivity and social stability.
6.2.2. Explanations of Unequal Performance
6.2.2.1. The liberal perspective argues that some students or groups of students begin school with different life chances so some groups have significantly more advantages than others.
6.2.3. Definition of Educational Problems
6.2.3.1. The radical perspective is similar to the liberal perspective but different in tone. The radical perspective argues that the educational system has failed the poor, minorities, and women. The educational system promotes inequality of both opportunity and results.
7. History of U.S. Education
7.1. The Age of Reform
7.1.1. Attempted to address slavery, mental illness, intemperance, and pacifism. Many reformers believed that this reform would mainly involve education. This reform was led by Horace Mann of Massachusetts. The vast majority of of Americans were, not surprisingly, illiterate.
7.2. Free Public Education
7.2.1. Mann's belief that schools can change the social order and that education can foster social mobility are beliefs responsible for the faith and support many people give to the U.S. public schools.
8. Sociological Perspectives
8.1. 5 effects of schooling
8.1.1. Employment
8.1.1.1. There are several other factors besides education that affect how much income people earn in their lifetime. Graduating from college will lead to greater employment opportunities.
8.1.1.1.1. Type of employer, Age, Union membership, and Social background.
8.1.2. Gender
8.1.2.1. It is not to say that educators intend to reproduce class, ethnic, racial, and gender inequalities, but the consequences of certain policies may reproduce these inequalities. Studies show that boys tend to get more good and bad attention from teachers.
8.1.3. Teacher Behavior
8.1.3.1. Teachers have a huge impact on students learning and behavior. Jackson (1968) discovered that teachers have as many as 1,000 interpersonal contacts each day within their classroom with children.Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) found in a study that teachers' expectations of students were found to directly influence student achievement.
8.1.4. Knowledge and Attitudes
8.1.4.1. Where students are compelled to take academic subjects and where there is consistent discipline, student achievement levels go up.
8.1.4.1.1. Research shows that differences between schools in terms of their academic programs and policies make a difference in students learning.
8.2. Sociology of Education
8.2.1. Interactionalism
8.2.1.1. Critiques and extensions of the functional and conflict perspective
8.2.2. Conflict Theory
8.2.2.1. When sociologist do not see the relationship between school and society as unproblematic or straightforward.
8.2.3. Functionalism
8.2.3.1. Emphasizing cohesion in explaining social order. Society is like a machine, where one part works with another to make society work.
9. Philosophy of Education
9.1. Generic Notions
9.1.1. Existentialists believe that individuals are placed on this earth alone and must make some sense out of the chaos that they encounter.
9.1.2. Sartre believed that "existence precedes essence" People must create themselves and their own meaning. This can be done through the choices people make in their lives.
9.2. Key Researchers
9.2.1. Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
9.2.2. Karl Jaspen (1883-1969)
9.2.3. Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1986)
9.2.4. Martin Buber (1878-1965)
9.2.5. Maxine Greene (Contemporary Philosopher)
9.3. Goals of Education
9.3.1. The tensions of living in the world should be addressed. Education should discuss the non-rational and rational word.
9.3.2. Education should stress individuality. It should also focus on the needs of individuals cognitively and affectively.
9.4. Role of Teacher
9.4.1. Teachers have to take risks. Teachers have to be ready to take on this tremendous responsibility.
9.4.2. Teachers must expose themselves to students who are resistant.
9.5. Curriculum
9.5.1. Exposing students to problems at an early age. Literature is very important.
9.5.2. Art,drama, and music also go along with this philosophy.
9.6. Method of Instruction
9.6.1. Learning should be intensely personal. Teachers need to be aware of each student's different learning style, and be able to teach them accordingly. The teacher should help students understand the world through questions and working together.