1. 2. Politics of Education
1.1. 4 Purposes
1.1.1. Economic- to prepare students for their occupational roles and to select, train, and allocate individuals into the division of labor.
1.1.2. Social- to help solve social problems; to work as one of many institutions, such as the family and the church to ensure social cohesion.
1.1.3. Political- to inculcate allegiance to the existing political order.
1.1.4. Intellectual- to teach basic cognitive skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics; to address specific knowledge.
1.2. Perspectives
1.2.1. A Role of School
1.2.1.1. The Conservative Perspective- sees the role of the school as providing the necessary educational training to ensure that the most talented and hard-working individuals receive the tools necessary to maximize economic and social productivity.
1.2.2. Explanations of Unequal Performance
1.2.2.1. The Liberal Perspective- argues that individual students or groups of students begin school with different life chances and therefore some groups have significantly more advantages than other.
1.2.3. Definition of Educational Problems
1.2.3.1. The Radical Perspective- The educational system has failed the poor, minorities, and women through classiest, racist, sexist, and homophobic policies. The schools have stifled critical understanding of the problems of American society through a curriculum and teaching practices that promote conformity. The traditional curriculum is classiest, racist, sexist, and homophobic and leaves out the cultures, histories, and voices of the oppressed. In general, the educational system promotes inequality of booth opportunity and results.
2. 3. History of U.S. Education
2.1. I believe the opposition to public education plays an important role in education today. Without public education we would be left with home schooling or Parochial Education. People with out children or who sent their children to private schools argue that it is unfair to be taxed for public education. And Catholics found the schools to be dominated by a Protestant ethos, so they founded their own school. By 1960 public support of elementary schools was becoming prevalent through out the United States. Education beyond the elementary level was primarily a province of private schools. In 1862, Congress passed the Morrill Act, which authorized the use of public money to establish public land grant universities.
2.2. Historical Interpretation of U.S. Education
2.2.1. The Democratic-Liberal School- Democratic-liberals believe that the history of U.S. education involves the progressive evolution, albeit flawed, of a school system committed to providing equality of opportunity for all. Democratic-liberal historians suggest that each period of educational opportunities to larger segments of the population and to reject the conservative view of schools as elite institutions for the meritorious. Although democratic-liberals tend to interpret U.S. educational history optimistically, the evolution of the nations's schools has been a flawed, often conflictual march toward increased opportunities. Thus, historians such as Cremin do not see equity and excellence as inevitably irreconcilable, but rather as the tensions between the two, resulting in necessary compromises. The ideals of equality and excellence are just that: ideals. Democratic-liberals believe that the U.S. educational system must continue to move closer to each, without sacrificing one or the other too dramatically.
3. 4. Sociological Perspectives
3.1. Theoretical Perspectives
3.1.1. Functionalism-society is made up of parts which support the system as a whole and that changes in one part of society (such as the family) changes other parts of society.
3.1.2. Conflict Theory- Not all sociologists of education believe that society is held together by shared values alone. Some sociologists argue that the social order is not based on some collective agreement, but on the ability of dominant groups to impose their will on subordinate groups through, force, cooperation, and manipulation. In this view, the glue of society is economic. political, cultural, and military power.
3.1.3. Interactionalism- are primarily critiques and extensions of functional and conflict perspectives. The critique arises from the observation that functional and conflict theories are very abstract, and emphasize structure and process at a very general level of analysis.
3.2. 5 Effects of Schooling on Individuals
3.2.1. Knowledge and Attitudes- The more time one spends in school the higher their education. Between a wealthy suburb school and an under financed school in the intercity a student in the suburb school would generally have a better education than the one in the intercity.
3.2.2. Teacher Behavior- The way a teacher behaves in the classroom determines how the students open up/react in the classroom. Teachers have to juggle many occupational hats which sometimes are compatible with each other and sometimes are not. When a teacher demanded more from their students and praised them the students learned more and felt better about themselves.
3.2.3. Inadequate Schools- One of the most important things is to prepare students for them to have productive and fulfilling lives in the future.
3.2.4. Gender- Another way schools reproduce inequalities is through gender discrimination. Men are usually paid more and even though girls usually start ahead of boys they usually have a lower self esteem by the tie they graduate.
3.2.5. Student Peer Groups and Alienation- Being in clicks or excluded from clicks can lead to violence and hate. Being in a click isn't always a good thing, everyone wants to be cool or popular, but if your not in the popular click you get picked on or beat up.
4. 5. Philosophy of Education
4.1. Pragmatism is a philosophy that encourages people to find a solution that works in order to achieve their goals. They study the past, but they are generally more interested in complementary issues and finding solutions to today's problems. They are action oriented. Dewey believed that children needed a course of study that reflected their own particular stages of development. For Dewey the primary goal of education was growth. He wanted students to live life to the fullest and continually add to the quality and meaning of their experience and to their ability to direct that experience. Instead of being the authoritarian the teacher is more of a facilitator that encourages, offers suggestions, questions, and helps plan and implement curriculum. Dewey suggested students learn individually and in groups. Formal instruction was thrown out the window. It was kind of a free range in the classroom; traditional time blocks were eliminated, furniture that was usually nailed to the floor was replaced with tables and chairs that could be grouped together, and children could quietly converse with one another. The curriculum was integrated or a core curriculum. A certain topic the students were learning about, like turtles, would be studied using math, science, history, reading, writing, music, art ,wood or metal working, cooking, and sewing. Progressive educators support working from the know to the unknown. They believe the curriculum changes when the children's interest and needs change. It is believed that Dewey thought that an integrated curriculum provided the most effective means tot his balance.
5. 6. Schools as Organizations
5.1. Stakeholders
5.1.1. Alabama Senators- Richard Shelby & Luther Strange
5.1.2. Representative for district 5- Mo Brooks
5.1.3. State Superintendent- Tommy Bice
5.1.4. State Board of Education Members- Kay Ivey, Ed Richardson, Jackie Zeigler, Betty Peters, Stephanie Bell, Ella B. Bell, Jeffery Newman, Mary Scott Hunter, Cynthia Sanders McCarty, Ph. D., Yvette M. Richardson, Ed D.
5.1.5. Jackson County Superintendent- Kevin Dukes
5.1.6. Jackson County School Board- Terry E. Nichols, Stacy Goodson, Charlotte Gardner, Tony Pumphrey, Chris Johnson