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This course introduces students to many of the salient issues related to public education in the United States and its connection to issues in society. The course explores the complex relationship between schools and the larger social, political and economic forces in society of which they are a part, as schools are microcosms of the larger society, both historically and currently. Specifically, the course explores: the origins and development of the "common school" in the 19th century, the contradictory political purposes of public schools (historically and currently), persistent challenges with unequal funding and racial segregation, biases in curriculum and instruction related to race, gender, and social class,, the use (and misuse) of assessments and standardized testing, as well as current education reforms related to privatization, vouchers, and marketization, and a host of debates about the role of technology and artificial intelligence in classroom instruction and learning. The course also highlights enduring efforts to support inclusive and diverse identities in a multicultural society, including by race, ethnicity, language, social class, gender, sexuality, citizenship status, religion, and ability. While the course supports students who are minoring or majoring in education, the course is not a methods course, and thus will not focus on how to teach or teaching strategies. Rather, it centers attention on the larger issues that influence education and schooling in a democratic society.

Learning Objectives

• Engage in interactive discussions of complex readings. This is a discussion-based course with active-participation expected on the part of students (as opposed to lecture-based). Students serve as discussion leaders each week to facilitate engaging conversations and dialogue about the readings (usually a small group of 3-4 students). Students are invited to sign up early in the semester for a desired week to lead discussion; and are grouped with students on their designated week to prepare an interactive discussion based on that week's selected reading. The discussion group is responsible for leading ~30-minutes of discussion on one or two readings for that week of class. Students typically review main points in the readings, and then move to an activity or discussion question that encourages participation from their classmates. Students are also encouraged to share additional sources like news articles related to current events to connect the material to contemporary happenings.
• Debate traditions and curricular ideologies in education. Students will be able to identify, discuss, defend and debate various traditions and curricular ideologies in education using and citing course material, both individually and in small groups, in verbal argument and presentation and in written format via standard essays or academic papers.
• Identify complex ethical dilemmas and take reasoned positions. Students will be able to critically analyze a complex, research-based, policy-informed ethical dilemma in education, using a guided framework regarding ‘ethical dilemmas’ faced by many educators today, and take a reasoned and principled position, citing course material to defend, explain and support their position. Students’ responses will be produced in academic writing and reflective essays, as well as participation in guided discussions, mock town halls, or pre/post surveys or polls in class.
• Produce a critical educational autobiography. Students will produce an educational autobiography that will include a personal narrative of their own educational experiences in the context of the larger picture of school and society, including intergenerational experiences with education by their parents and/or grandparents and relative opportunities for education related to class, gender, race, ethnicity, language, immigration, etc. The production of autobiographies is an opportunity for creative expression via poetry, visual art or mixed media alongside more formal academic writing that conveys their perspective, narrative, experience, or journey in education; students must convey connections to theories, concepts and insights from course material in class.