EDE 200: Social Foundations of Education

Session 12

Housekeeping

• Questions • Journal Article Critique • NYSTCE reminders - $79 or $149 • 3 stories – – –

Agenda

• Watch/discuss School video part 2.

• Listen/Talk about George S. Counts on teacher neutrality.

• Discuss Banks (2009).

• Discuss all of these issues in the context of contemporary society.

• Listen/talk about specific NYC teacher issues.

Video Discussion

• School: The Story of American Public Education • Narrated by Meryl Streep.

• Key: Relationship between history and today • Episode Two – As American as Public School – 1900 – 1950

Points to Think About

• Schools role in removing “the barbarism of our immigrant background” • Role of patriotism – school’s job to teach love of country?

• Tracking - does a bricklayer really need to know Shakespeare? Ellwood Cubberley Lewis Terman

George S. Counts

• Educational theorist • Head of teachers union (AFT) • Contemporary of John Dewey (progressivism) • Dare the school build a new social order?

• American ideals and how they play out in school

Should the Teacher Always be Neutral?

• Look through Counts’ article for one line that you feel has particular pertinence. • On one side of the card, write the quote.

• On the other side, briefly state why you chose it.

Uses of Education in Dictatorships • Particular form of education • Unquestioning of authority • Group > individual • Lack of dissent • Uniformity • Brainwashing?

Teacher Neutrality and Bias

• Is public, American, and well meaning education a form of brainwashing/indoctrination?

– Yes, this is bad – Yes, but this is can be beneficial – No • Dangers of teaching “just the facts” • Dangers of giving equal time to all views

Journal Article Discussion

• Reminders: – About 15 minutes.

– No need for presentation of facts.

– A few prompts that we can discuss.

– Facilitation, press when needed.

– Being prepared with comments/questions.

– Allowing “space” for others.

Journal Discussion

• Banks (2009) o “The Father of Multicultural Education”

Questions

• What questions do you have about teaching in NYC that we have yet to address?

• What have you seen during your observations that needs clarification?

Layoffs / Excessing

• Seniority procedures – Last in, First out – Retention rights • Pros and cons • Layoff situations (downsized) – Last faced in 1970’s • Excessing (inconvenienced) – Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) Chancellor Dennis Walcott

For Next Time . . .

• Look ahead at upcoming readings.

• Be thinking about your upcoming assignments (see syllabus).

10/20 – Journal Article Critique 11/17 – School Visit Paper 11/29 – Group Presentations begin 12/13 – Researched Position Paper & Participation Reflection Paper