Teaching to Change the World- Jeannie Oakes & Martin Lipton

Teaching to Change the World is about...

ideologies

Power

Myths

Privilege

Advantages

Disadvantages

Poverty

Economic conditions

Social condition

Scientific management

Opportunities

Segregation

Schools

Manufacturing

Argument

Oakes and Lipton argues that myths of merit, competition, progress and scientific efficiency characterizes American culture and schools which prevents schools and society from democratic possibilities.

Evidence

1. " Students who have the resources,opportunities and connectione that come with the priveldge,the more ambitious and hardworking may well go farther than those who simply do okay in school" (19).

2. "Americans belief that sucess in school (and life) follows from ability and aspirations masks the reality that schooling, within the broad social structure, favors children from priveldge families"(19).

These quotes show how myth of merit and progress charecterize American schools by preventing social quality. Priveldge is a major factor to preventing social equality in schools.

3. "[...] The "decline" in school achievment and the decline in the national economic preminence- [...] caused by an emphasis on equity issues such as desegragation and compensary education. Schools were told that they must find ways for their test scores to improve students achievements[...] but programs designed to help them do that were cut back"(27).

Points to share/ Questions or Comments

This article was intresting but not was intrestin as the other articles we've read in class. According to Oaks and Lipton family background seemed to determine how well students do at school. In some ways I agree with this statement while in some ways I do not. My family does not come from a wealthy family and like some families my family has been through financial issues. Due to my family situations, I've always wanted more for my life and never wanted to be in the same financial situation my entire life. In my case, my family background did determine how well I did in high school and how far I wanted to go with my education, which is attending college.But this isn't the case for EVERY student. A family canbe wealthy...full of doctors and lawyers but have a child who does not want to go beyond high school. Or a student can be from a poor family and never even complete high school or even go beyond grad school. I believe a students family has an influence on their education but the family background does not necessarily determine how well they do in school.