Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Why organize school socially?

Gee, guys. Dewey talked a great deal about social justice in education a century ago, and many have done so since. Whether those arguments penetrate the ed schools these days is another question entirely. Personally, I'm an Illich gal at heart.

Here is the NEA's take on this.

http://www.nea.org/tools/30414.htm


Some thoughts from Oz:

http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v5n5/schulz/paper.pdf


A question about the Justness of GT education.

http://www.philosophy-of-education.org/conferences/pdfs/Richard_Bailey.pdf



Isn't it comforting to know that high ability is just "luck" and "luck" is to be "neutralised?"

Quote:
Social justice refers to a concept in which equity or justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than in only some aspects or for some people. A world organized around social justice principles affords individuals and groups fair treatment as well as an impartial share or distribution of the advantages and disadvantages within a society.


***Wow. I'm teaching the novel _Anthem_ right now, and that statement quoted above from the NEA is downright scary. Let me be clear in saying that there should be justice for all, but the NEA appears to be confusing two crucial concepts: "fair" versus "equal." What is "equal" is not always "fair," and what is "fair" is not always "equal." For example, if I have ten pounds of meat, I could impartially share or distribute it among all of my ten animals: my lion, my cat, my ferret, my fish, my raven, my platypus, my bunny, my three-toed sloth...well, you get the picture. Each would be given an impartial distribution of meat. The lion and the bunny would both starve. The raven, fish, and ferret would be drowning in food in a quantity too great for them to consume. Equal, yes. But fair?

I am deeply suspicious of the idea that "same" and "equal" are "fair."

Great post, Baudelaire. Do I recognize you from a while back on Mothering?

I think so!

I was/am ChristaN over there . Good to see you here.

You rock, Austin

I suggest you read John Taylor Gatto's Underground History of American Education for a really close look at why our schools are the way they are:
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/

I finally wrote that blog entry on this subject. It went a direction I didn't intend after I spent some time reading about Sudbury schools. If you're interested: http://29-letters.blogspot.com/2010/03/social-structure-of-schools.html.

I think some of you are confused about the real motives of NCLB and the standardized testing push of the last 20 years or so. Do a little research and you'll be amazed at how many elected officials/families/friends have financial interests in testing companies.

And I really don't think the concept of social justice was considered much when the public school system was established in the US. The simplest answer is one from an early post- it is a system that works (relatively) well for the vast majority of students. The outliers on both ends are hurt by that kind of a system, which is why more flexibility is needed for those kids.