Posted on 07/22/2006 3:19:02 PM PDT by dukeman
New York City's ideal of public schooling as a means of assimilating all children into a common civic culture is under assault - not by teachers who care too little, but by those who, in a perverse way, care too much. The root of the problem is "social justice" education. It starts in teacher preparation programs, where rigorous training in math, science and literacy takes a backseat to theories about victimization and inequality. Teachers-to-be are told that conventional instruction is an outgrowth of capitalist oppression; "true" education helps students see the unfairness all around them and challenge society to change.
But it doesn't stop there. Far too many New York City public schools - including some of the new small schools created by Chancellor Joel Klein and funded with money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - distort education by imbuing social justice into everything they do.
Here's a brief dishonor roll:
El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice in Brooklyn, led by Principal Héctor Calderón. After being chosen for the job, Calderón told an interviewer that he is a dedicated follower of Marxist Paolo Freire, author of "Pedagogy of the Oppressed." (A sample from the book: "Education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by reconciling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students.") His school, Calderón says, now fully incorporates the idea of "education for liberation."
The School for Democracy and Leadership in Brooklyn's Crown Heights, led by Principal Nancy Gannon. "We are incredibly steeped in activism," Gannon says. "We encourage the students to pick something in the world or the community they want to change and then act on it together." Students have put out a brochure saying that they are "committed to fighting against the injustice and inequality within our education system." They call for "mandatory African-American history classes in all New York City public schools."
Leadership Institute in the Bronx, led by Principal Ron Gonzalez. This school is the brainchild of the radical Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and its youth branch, Sistas and Brothas United. When I visited recently, it was already clear that the idea of democratic empowerment for the students was subverting any hope for a rigorous education. Kids wore ghetto garb, chewed gum, and drank soda in class.
Outside school, the same students were bused up to Albany to participate in a day of lobbying organized by the teachers' union to persuade the Legislature to give the city schools billions of additional dollars in court-ordered funding.
Social justice teaching is a frivolous waste of precious school hours, especially for poor children, who start out with a disadvantage. School is the only place where they are likely to obtain the academic knowledge that could make up for the educational deprivation they suffer in their homes. The last thing they need is a wild-eyed experiment in education through social action.
Stern is a Manhattan Institute senior fellow. This article is adapted from a commentary in the Summer 2006 City Journal.
How about students that want to fight Constitutional illiteracy? How about a group of students that thinks the government has no business establishing schools and mandating attendance, so they want to shut them down? Would that be OK?
Is it any wonder why Americans lag sooooo far behind other countries in all the basic classes like, math, science, reading, and writing when most of their time is spent on social issues which will not help them one bit in getting a job in the real job and become a contribution to society, but rather become a drag on society through welfare, food stamps, drug addiction, crime, poverty, and the victim mentality.
"It starts in teacher preparation programs, where rigorous training in math, science and literacy takes a backseat to theories about victimization and inequality. Teachers-to-be are told that conventional instruction is an outgrowth of capitalist oppression; "true" education helps students see the unfairness all around them and challenge society to change."
I don't know about the rest of the article, but this statement is false. I am currently in "teacher preparation program" which is a Masters in Teaching. I have heard nothing remotely close to this statement, nor have I seen anything like it in any of the textbooks we use. We concentrate on math, reading, science and social studies teaching methods, and learning disabilities.
Perhaps this depends upon where you're getting the instruction. My wife has been a teacher for over 20 years and she doesn't report too much pc stuff to me.
Oh where oh where is Sister Mary Ignatius when we need her?
Yes, these indoctrination centers should produce a new generation of leaders adept at creating North American versions of Zimbabwe in whatever locales they manage to attain power.
Another reason to homeschool ping.
Say, anyone know the Public School Ping List person?
I would guess from your handle that you are in a part of the country that is still American?
Only a guess, but I am in Massachusetts, and doubt this story would even evoke a yawn up here.
Yes, I am from Georgia. (My son once asked me why my name was "gay medic") I am sure that probably has something to do with it. But, I haven't seen anything even remotely like this in textbooks either. I know there are teachers and administrators who probably believe these things, probably many in MA.
I don't believe all teachers, or even most teachers think this way. I do believe that the author of this article has an agenda.
Maybe it depends on where you are. I was in Illinois and yes, had a whole class devoted to beating me over the head with Paolo Friere, "social justice," George Counts, Bill Ayers, "Nike's race to the bottom," all that other stuff. I mean it was the drumbeat of communism every inch of the way. I totally hijacked that class, I'm not ashamed to say. But I'm sure that nasty little woman had her way with all the folks who came after me.
Or one my nemesis teachers, Sister Rosaire?
It's been about 50 years since my grammar school, but still remember her and every time I do, my knuckles still tingle a little where her ruler left its "impressions." lol
Probably many more in Massachusetts than here in Georgia. But I live in one of the most conservative communities in this state, and I do not--and would not--send my child to the public schools here. You've heard of "systemic racism." Well, we have "systemic political correctness." That is, no matter what the individual teachers may think, the system itself pushes PC-think--from its heavy-handed secularism (e.g., never may the word "Christmas" be uttered) to its promotion of "tolerance" as the one and only virtue to be cultivated in young people. By the time the kids hit middle school (another mindless invention of the teachers' unions), you wouldn't want your child anywhere around them. They are what they are trained to be: profane.
Your teaching methods class(es), weighted with methods teaching what to think or teaching critical thinking? When & why was history replaced with social studies? Literacy isn't just reading, it's spelling, grammar & writing. Your learning disabilities instruction, weighted towards identification of disabilities or towards dealing with different learning styles, using the individual skills even "disabled" children have? Since "gifted" students may have challenges that other students don't have, why no special instruction about teaching them?
My final paper in exceptionality was written on Gifted Education, and it was included in Exceptionality, just like any other exceptional condition. We did much work with learning styles and teaching methods for each style.
Literacy class was based upon using a variety of methods to integrate writing, reading, spelling, grammar and listening skills. We created "total reading programs", which integrate all of the literacy concepts in one curriculum.
Social studies is similar to Literacy, in that it encompasses geography, history, language/syntax, cultural studies and religious studies. History was not replaced, it is now combined with other subjects that provide context. For example: Explorers from Europe came to the Americas. The following information is taught in this unit:
* geographical routes taken by explorers. Dangers of exploration
* biographical information on explorers
* cultural environment on countries that sent explorers
* trade and economic benefits to exploring
* cultural/religious background on indigenous people that
affected the success of the mission.
That is social studies. It integrates history with geography, economics, religion and cultural studies, and also introduces some linguistics and science concepts. The intent is to make it a more complete understanding of historical events. Some may disagree with the approach. What I have learned is that Social studies was created so that students learn history better, not so that they don't learn it at all.
If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.
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Ha! Isn't if fun being the conservative skunk in some lib's party punch bowl? My brother is one of those rare birds known as a conservative in MA. He served on his little town's finance committee. All town spending issues had to come through his committee and he earned the nickname "Dr. No!"
"Every effort was made to encourage the children at the public schools to "think for themselves." When they should have been whipped and taught Greek paradigms, they were set arguing about birth control and nationalization. Their crude little opinions were treated with respect. Preachers in the school chapel week after week entrusted the future to their hands. It is hardly surprising that they were Bolshevik at 18 and bored at 20."
-Evelyn Waugh
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