[SteveH]

I don't know about the social reconstructionist perspective, but it does help new teachers to think about our own enthrocentric attitudes. I had to take one multicult class for certification and I didn't pay enough attention apparently.

Social reconstructivism is a movement started by George Counts in the mid 1930s. Counts is recognized in the educational research field as the successor to John Dewey. Social reconstructivism maintains that educators should address socio-economic inequities in the classroom and integrate studies of such problems into curriculum as a means of enabling and motivating students to overcome those inequities. In other words, it is indoctrinating collectivism at an early age in public schools. Anywhere that one sees wording such as the "social foundations of education," think George Counts and social reconstructivism. See:

George S. Counts, Dare the School Build a New Social Order (New York: John Day, 1932), and The Social Foundation of Education (New York, Scribner and Sons, 1934), and Theodore Brameld, Toward a Reconstructed Philosophy of Education (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1956).

Teacher certification often involves taking a course in multiculturalism. Sometimes the professor is reasonable and tolerates alternative viewpoints; such may have been the case in your course. However, often the professor is more concerned with modifying the beliefs, values, and behavior of the pre-service teachers. In such cases, the professor often employs the "Delphi Technique," or "Alinsky Method," to teach multiculturalism.

In some schools of education, the multiculturalism course is a wash-out course. Whites, males, heterosexuals, conservatives, and Christians are first identified (by the mandatory "tell us a little about yourself, and be honest"), and then eliminated if they do not submit explicit evidence of change towards prevalent multiculturalist theories in their (previously identified) original attitudes ("dispositions"). Instructors are ranked by how well this process is performed. College certification based on such courses is upheld through the (liberal) organization NCATE, the National Council for Accreditization of Teacher Education (see http://www.ncate.org/). This is one of the hoops through which preservice public school teachers must jump, due to accredited teacher levels mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act.

[Eska]

Boy, I'm sure glad I live in Alaska; quite independent leaning towards conservatism. We have a large native population and the multi-cult class is a requirement to help white teachers understand the complexities you find in bush alaska. I've seen teachers from lower 48 fly into bush villages, get off plane, take a look around , and get back on before it leaves. Have seen cases where teachers housing is shot up, dogs shot, and teachers have been run out of villages after a couple of weeks. The classes they teach up here attempt to wise new teachers up on how to act, respect the local culture, and just survive their contract year. I had a tough time my first year, but now find I can get along with most all natives and in turn; I'm accepted also. It wasn't my multi-cult class but it didn't hurt. Also as I remember, everyone that attended the multi-cult class got A's for the course; he let everyone know that this class was to help new teachers understand; not a right or wrong answer.

Can't imagine what would occur if they tried to eliminate teachers through these classes. Our repub legislature & gov would dismantle what's left of the ed dept. Actually, 40% of teachers up here are reg repubs anyway.

Biggest thing I see with NCATE is that the the politicians, academics at univ, NEA, and the entire state/fed ed beurocracy work in conjunction with each other to preserve their power & control. NCLB has forced some districts to improve but is quickly becoming it's own elephant; not all the answers.

I guess back east they try to weed conservative teachers out of the mix, but I have never seen it here in alaska. We still have 338 mags behind the office door for bear protection on the playgrounds up here.