Systems of power and privilege inquiry paper.docx

Guidelines for BEDUC 210 Final:  Systems of Power and Privilege Inquiry Paper

Relevant Learning Objectives

· Define and discuss what is meant by “systems of power and privilege” and examine how they are implicated in schooling.

· Explore and analyze how issues related to race, ethnicity, social class, and other factors intersect and influence students’ opportunity to learn.

 Identify one of the current issues below impacting education. This is an inquiry paper and is not based on your opinion but on your informed knowledge and your critical social justice stance.  You will want to gather evidence, examine the topic from multiple perspectives and “stories” and provide reasons and evidence to support your stand on this issue.  Research the background information and history to gain context of this issue (nothing happens in a vacuum or emerges out of nowhere).  Apply critical social theory and help us all think more deeply about the issue and how we might think about it in terms of social justice.  Systematically ask questions:  Who benefits?  Who is excluded?  Who is included?  What are the unintended consequences?  In what ways does this issue perpetuate systemic power and privilege – the status quo?  How might teachers navigate this issue in their practice?  Include multiple perspectives from different constituencies to accurately demonstrate how you have arrived at your analysis of this issue.  Finally, find an ally** who is speaking out and acting for social justice around your issue.

Here’s what you will do with your paper:

· Build our background knowledge on the issue and the relevant historical, economic, legal and socio-cultural context

· Apply a critical social theory lens by posing and answering critical social theory questions and applying critical social theory concepts

· Identify one or two guiding questions

· Use an ally (someone who is an activist working to bring justice to this issue)

· Help us understand the implications of this issue for us as teachers and as citizens in a democratic society.

· Try to connect the dots

· Follow the money

· Provide evidence and data

· Use multiple perspectives, avoid the danger of the single story and resist binary thinking, but in the end: take a stand!

· Point out conflicts, confusions, new insights and implications

· Go deep!

Deliverables

· 5-7  double-spaced pages (this does not include the references page)

· APA style format for references (you may use another citation style as long as you use one style consistently)

Enduring Educational Issues of the 21st Century that impact Social Justice (choose one):

· WA Charter School law (I-522) and its potential impact on “at risk” populations and the districts they are located in

· High Stakes Tests (MAP, Proficiency, edTPA, Smarter Balanced) – and alternatives

· Desegregation in WA State, east and west of mountains, Supreme Court decision on bussing in Seattle…

· Literacy and Curriculum: High Track curriculum/Low Track students – who gets what knowledge?

· OSPI Report Card and the “achievement gap” in WA

· Teachers’ Unions

· Detroit or New Orleans: Charter Schools in the aftermath of a crisis, (financial in Detroit and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans). Where have the public schools gone?

· School Closures, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans

· School to prison pipeline

· Zero tolerance discipline policies

· 50 year War on Poverty in US

· School Funding in WA State and the invisibility of oppression/inequity

· Economic Inequality and its impact on communities, families and schools 1980-present

· Drop-out rates

· Common Core State Standards

· Teacher Merit Pay

· Teacher evaluations based on testing (VAM)

· School funding (pick specific contexts for examining)

· E-Learning (on-line schools)