Comments on: Schools: what should they do, and for whom? http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/03/14/schools-what-should-they-do-and-for-whom/ Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health news Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:45:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Blog for Cranial Gunk » School http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/03/14/schools-what-should-they-do-and-for-whom/#comment-147270 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:49:08 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/03/14/schools-what-should-they-do-and-for-whom/#comment-147270 [...] The anonymous author of Eduwonkette conveys historian, David Labaree’s vision of schools well in her guest post at Sharp Brains. In order of importance, Labaree’s goals of schools are: [...] [...] The anonymous author of Eduwonkette conveys historian, David Labaree's vision of schools well in her guest post at Sharp Brains. In order of importance, Labaree's goals of schools are: [...]

]]> by: Thomas J. Mertz http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/03/14/schools-what-should-they-do-and-for-whom/#comment-144477 Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:11:06 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/03/14/schools-what-should-they-do-and-for-whom/#comment-144477 In 2001 I gave a talk to a group of senior citizens with nearly the same title as this post. I just pulled up the handout from that talk (partially pasted below). There is much overlap with this post and the Labaree, but I also included negotiating pluralism. I think this is important. I'd also like to offer a different, related question: "What should we want from our schools?" Handout Excerpt: What Do We Want from Our Schools ?: The Politics of Democracy, Diversity, Opportunity and Inequality Senior Scholars: June, 2001 "Educate in order that your children may be free." Irish Proverb Often quoted by Margaret Haley, Educator and Union Organizer “What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must be what the community wants for all of its children.” John Dewey, Philosopher, Educator and Social Activist Capitalism, Inequality, Pluralism, Democracy and Opportunity Capitalism/Inequality: Capitalism is based on an assumption of inequalities of circumstances and outcomes. Some children will have richer and/or more stable homes than others. Some students will achieve “success,” others won’t. Capitalism needs both CEO’s and minimum wage workers. Capitalist schools must produce both. Capitalism also assumes that competition and differential rewards are the most efficient way to produce progress. Pluralism: Recognizes group identities (racial, religious, ethnic, sexual...) as significant and positive elements in our society, but also assumes that groups and individuals who belong to the society share experiences and values. Seeks a balance between the common and the diverse. What this balance should be can determine the content, structures and methods of schooling (multiculturalism) Democracy: One function of the schools is to produce an informed citizenship, without which democracy doesn’t stand a chance. Ideally (see Dewey) this goes beyond simple literacy and numeracy to include critical thinking and a sense of community and communal responsibility: what the founding generation called “Civic Virtue.” Democracy also describes the governance of schools. There has long been a tension between popular ideas about education (as expressed by elected/appointed officials) and those of experts, a recent example is the Kansas controversy over teaching evolution. Opportunity: Part of the bargain of American capitalism is that inequality is tempered by the promise of mobility. More so than any other institution, schools are burdened with the task of fulfilling this promise. We expect our schools to cultivate talent and reward hard work so that we can maintain the illusion of mobility and meritocracy. In 2001 I gave a talk to a group of senior citizens with nearly the same title as this post. I just pulled up the handout from that talk (partially pasted below). There is much overlap with this post and the Labaree, but I also included negotiating pluralism. I think this is important.

I'd also like to offer a different, related question: "What should we want from our schools?"

Handout Excerpt:
What Do We Want from Our Schools ?:
The Politics of Democracy, Diversity, Opportunity and Inequality

Senior Scholars: June, 2001

"Educate in order that your children may be free."

Irish Proverb
Often quoted by Margaret Haley, Educator and Union Organizer

“What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must be
what the community wants for all of its children.”

John Dewey, Philosopher, Educator and Social Activist

Capitalism, Inequality, Pluralism, Democracy and Opportunity

Capitalism/Inequality: Capitalism is based on an assumption of inequalities of circumstances and outcomes. Some children will have richer and/or more stable homes than others. Some students will achieve “success,” others won’t. Capitalism needs both CEO’s and minimum wage workers. Capitalist schools must produce both. Capitalism also assumes that competition and differential rewards are the most efficient way to produce progress.

Pluralism: Recognizes group identities (racial, religious, ethnic, sexual...) as significant and positive elements in our society, but also assumes that groups and individuals who belong to the society share experiences and values. Seeks a balance between the common and the diverse. What this balance should be can determine the content, structures and methods of schooling (multiculturalism)

Democracy: One function of the schools is to produce an informed citizenship, without which democracy doesn’t stand a chance. Ideally (see Dewey) this goes beyond simple literacy and numeracy to include critical thinking and a sense of community and communal responsibility: what the founding generation called “Civic Virtue.” Democracy also describes the governance of schools. There has long been a tension between popular ideas about education (as expressed by elected/appointed officials) and those of experts, a recent example is the Kansas controversy over teaching evolution.

Opportunity: Part of the bargain of American capitalism is that inequality is tempered by the promise of mobility. More so than any other institution, schools are burdened with the task of fulfilling this promise. We expect our schools to cultivate talent and reward hard work so that we can maintain the illusion of mobility and meritocracy.

]]> by: Gene Rosov http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/03/14/schools-what-should-they-do-and-for-whom/#comment-144307 Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:03:49 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/03/14/schools-what-should-they-do-and-for-whom/#comment-144307 Dear Eduwonkette & Friends: Thank you for the stimulating queries and attempts to define the realm of questions. A few thoughts you might find worthwhile, if not relevant. What do we want our schools to do for/with/by/amongst our children? I’m not sure we can completel approach this question without first asking a more basic, underlying question: “What do we want our country and its citizens to accomplish in the world?” Prof. Labaree’s analytic triumvirate assumes: a) capitalism is our system, and therefore we must and will adopt its production and consumption value-set; b) schools have the ability, indeed the power, to shape a young person’s perspectives on politics, materialism, the social contract and ratiocination; and c) students’ ability to choose and reasons for so choosing – classes, friends, mentors, subjects, behavior, dress, etc. – are not key features of the educational goals, nor properly should they be. We have seen most recently in our financial institutions that materialism engendered by television, advertising and other media breeds a style of greed that ends in social and economic disaster. Advertisements, music, tv/radio, Internet, magazines shape the lives and aspirations of our children and ourselves. Escaping in favor of true independence is difficult, if desired at all, and impossible for most folks. We do not need Christ, Muhammed, Moses, Plato, Aristotle, or Kurt Vonnegut to remind us that materialism is a hollow and unrewarding shell: we know it. Nonetheless we pursue it, perhaps because (as the Koran says), men surround themselves with material things to protect themselves from the reality of death. Is it not the goal of education – deep, true education – to help us consider and question the values and mores foisted upon by our media and our environs? Would not such an education engender wiser voting, greater neighborliness, geniune compassion, social responsibility? Would it not remind us that the greatest leaders and minds of our civilization, and any other known civilization, propounded the Golden Rule? Would it not help us to see that dishonesty, greed and flawed integrity, rampant in sports, politics, and business are practical and emotional dead-ends, inimical to individual joy and brotherly love? It is my own personal hope that these questions might be the ones we ask our educational systems to address at every level, in every classroom, in every interaction. Dear Eduwonkette & Friends: Thank you for the stimulating queries and attempts to define the realm of questions. A few thoughts you might find worthwhile, if not relevant.

What do we want our schools to do for/with/by/amongst our children? I’m not sure we can completel approach this question without first asking a more basic, underlying question: “What do we want our country and its citizens to accomplish in the world?” Prof. Labaree’s analytic triumvirate assumes: a) capitalism is our system, and therefore we must and will adopt its production and consumption value-set; b) schools have the ability, indeed the power, to shape a young person’s perspectives on politics, materialism, the social contract and ratiocination; and c) students’ ability to choose and reasons for so choosing – classes, friends, mentors, subjects, behavior, dress, etc. – are not key features of the educational goals, nor properly should they be.

We have seen most recently in our financial institutions that materialism engendered by television, advertising and other media breeds a style of greed that ends in social and economic disaster. Advertisements, music, tv/radio, Internet, magazines shape the lives and aspirations of our children and ourselves. Escaping in favor of true independence is difficult, if desired at all, and impossible for most folks. We do not need Christ, Muhammed, Moses, Plato, Aristotle, or Kurt Vonnegut to remind us that materialism is a hollow and unrewarding shell: we know it. Nonetheless we pursue it, perhaps because (as the Koran says), men surround themselves with material things to protect themselves from the reality of death.

Is it not the goal of education – deep, true education – to help us consider and question the values and mores foisted upon by our media and our environs? Would not such an education engender wiser voting, greater neighborliness, geniune compassion, social responsibility? Would it not remind us that the greatest leaders and minds of our civilization, and any other known civilization, propounded the Golden Rule? Would it not help us to see that dishonesty, greed and flawed integrity, rampant in sports, politics, and business are practical and emotional dead-ends, inimical to individual joy and brotherly love?

It is my own personal hope that these questions might be the ones we ask our educational systems to address at every level, in every classroom, in every interaction.

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