Critical Pedagogy & NCLB
October 24, 2007
I really like the critical pedagogy phrase we’ve been referring to in class, “reading the word and the world. ” I thought it would be interesting (if not slightly risky) to combine this critical pedagogy this idea of reading the world with some a few things that have been on my mind since the MCTE conference and Jonathan Kozol’s lecture last week. Those things being our current legislator’s unhealthy obsession with standardized testing and the morally reprehensible effects of NCLB on poor urban schools. Why not open up this topic to our own students?
In his lecture Jonathan Kozol made the point that teachers and students have been left out of educational policy-making on the national level. What would it look like to bring your students into this discussion of what do these educational laws like NCLB really accomplish? I think the results would be pretty interesting. After all, all of the stuednts I know love spending hours preparing for these ‘bubble tests’ and obviously, their excited anticipation of that whole day of testing is completely undeniable. Sarcasm aside, I think this issue if NCLB would be worth examining in the classroom through a critical pedagogy sort of lens.
I think the image below would be an excellent introduction to the topic.
(Atlantic Monthly July/August courtesy of Secondaryworlds.com)
I also found a website that is a part of the “Race Contours 2000 Project” which combined US census data regarding ethnicity in L.A. County from 1940 to 2000, into animated maps that demonstrate the change in white/minority population distribution. Link here You can literally see the ‘white flight’ from the cities as more minority groups moved into the city center. I think it’ s important for students to realize how economic and racial factors are unaddressed by the current legislation. – this is especially apparent when you consider these two maps together. By and large the areas with the highest minority populations are the areas with the highest levels of poverty and the greatest number of schools with ’signifigant’ problems. The hook is that these students are characterized by our policy makers in DC as having the same educational opprotunities as students from wealthier outlying school districts – at least that is what is implied in making standardized testing rather than equal funding the focus of the NCLB legislation. Regardless of where we end up teaching , I think the critical pedagogy view would be an excellent way to approach NCLB in the writing classroom- a way to give students a voice concerning legislation that so directly impacts their education and their lives.
Sources:
“Race Contours 2000 Project” maps (http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~philipje/CENSUS_MAPS/CENSUS_2.html)
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December 2nd, 2007 at 9:14 pm
I remember seeing this picture in class and it still amazes me. I think what this really highlights is the institutionalized racism that runs rampant in the U.S. I’m not trying to say that everyone in America is a racist, far from it. What I’m trying to say is that the people in power are closet racists. The picture clearly proves my point. I mean, what you said makes so much sense. NCLB says everyone must reach a certain level and achieve certain scores. But it says nothing about funding, which I have a huge problem with. They – being the President/legislators – wants everyone to do well on standardized tests without giving equal opportunities/funding. So, while the suburban ‘white’ schools have funding and achieve their goals, inner-city schools (occupied mostly by minorities) that have barely enough money to keep their buildings up to code are expected to do the same exact thing. This is, to put it ever so eloquently, absolute BS. Hopefully in the coming months, NCLB will be drastically overhauled to include some sort of funding issue or scrapped completely. Without trying to put words in your mouth, I’d say you would agree with me on that. Anyways, great article and awesome commentary!
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:44 pm
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