Social Context of Schools

Preventing racism in the classroom

Racism is difficult to combat. It is a problem that is present in most multi-cultural societies. There are a few techniques to help combat the effects of racism in the classroom. A teacher can do several things such as:

-Promote respects for cultural differences.
-Believe within themselves that all students can learn.
-Acknowledge and educate students about the history and experiences of different social groups.
-Engage students in becoming agents of change in stopping prejudice.

The History of Schools in the United States

In the United States today, we have a general belief that education should be free and universal. In 1642, the Massachusetts Bay Colony became the first in America to require all children to receive a formal education for the purpose of understanding their religion and country's laws. Throughout the 1800s, the general belief was that an educated society was beneficial to everyone, legislative talks began that pertained to issues about whether attendance should be compulsory and where funding should come from. What evolved from this were different forms of schools for different aged children and the traditional nine month school year that most schools still follow today. Over the years school curriculum has evolved to reflect the ever changing concerns of society.

Around the turn of the century the curriculum changed from teaching children the basics of reading and writing. Because of the industrial revolution, business leaders wanted workers that had been prepared for their factories, the result was educating students on how to follow a rigid routine and rules. During the progressive movement there was a shift in attitudes about children and education, the new thought was that it is more effective for children to learn through experience and discovery, instead of memorization and subordination. After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, there was a fear in the United States that our children could not match the scientific prowess of the east. A new emphasis was places on teaching math and science. Currently there is a schism occuring in the American classroom over what cultures and history should be taught.

Schools as the Workplace for Students and Teachers

Staff and Organization:

In a conventional school in the United States, school systems are designed with a "top down" chain of leadership. The superintendent and principals are usually responsible for allocation funds and making hiring decisions. The teacher's responsibility is to teach.

At our school there would be no superintendent. Major decisions would be made by a committee of a select few that meet at a circular table. Teachers and principals would have similar responsibilities to a conventional American school.

School District's Relationship to the State:

In a typical American school district, there are a lot of rules and regulations that each state forces upon the district. Decisions made by legislators and other top government officials have a direct impact on how the school is run.

Our school would have to follow the same rules as other schools in our state. Since we would only be considered a semi-private institution because of accepting state funding for our conventional students we would have to meet certain criteria.

Role of Federal Government:

Because of our constitution, the federal government has a responsibility to educate our children. Education policy comes from a variety of sources, from the President, Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Department of Education. These institutions have enacted a variety of laws. Recently, No Child Left Behind was enacted with the intent of holding schools to standards.

Again, because our school receives state funding we will have to follow the policies that the federal government has enacted. We can guess that some of the knights in training will not be pleased about this, and could raid Washington D.C. if they pass laws that they do not like.

How Schools are Paid for:

The majority of funding for public schools comes from different types of taxes. More recently however schools have found alternative forms of funding from selling advertising space and privatization.

Our school should not have any trouble with keeping a balanced budget. In addition to the money we receive from taxes we will also make hefty profits from the parents of our knights in training. Most of the knights come from nobility and have plenty of disposable income.

Families and Communities

Different schools have varying degrees of ease in contacting parents and other community members.  Many schools and families have diverging ideas about how welcoming they are to each other.  Its important for teachers to remember that for most children their parents were their first teachers.  Because of this, it is also important for teachers to realize that parents may be concerned that teachers don't have their children's best interests in mind.  Parent-Teacher conferences can create an open relationship between parents and teachers which can help families identify what they can do to aide the education of their child.

Today's Students

The authors of the Joy of Teaching are Hall, Quinn, and Gollinick, they are discussing diversity in American Schools. Although the U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2050 they will only account for 50% of the population, the predominant race in the United States is white. This projection is also reflected in our schools since the average age of most non-white immigrants is younger than whites. Each ethnic group has developed their own identity in this country and has had varying experiences. Because of this, students of different races will often have different perceptions of education. It is important that teachers enlighten themselves about various ethnic groups if they are planning to be effective educators who can instill a lifelong love of learning.