My response to the left and the right was the discourse of access and
identity construction that are not problemitized to a greater extent. I
believe we should not leave the questions of access and schools role in
identity construction unquestioned which I see happening in both the
literature of school choice and more community based approaches to public
education. In the public school aspect I include Lave and Wenger, House,
Banks and a host of others who may be considered as "progressive". While
on one end there are strong differences between the educational reforms on
the left and the right, on the other they both employ a very similar
discourse. Where I do not see this problemitizing taking place is outside
the sphere of public education. In one sense then my comments were
directed at the "imaginary" of the market or whatever being able to address
the ills that plague public education.
In reference to public education itself, I question if certain approaches
that are currently popular problemitize cultural reproduction or merely do
a better job at it. Piaget's reference to assimilation and accommodation
serves as a good example of the reasoning I have concerns about.
Assimilation is more likely in a more balanced power relationship rather
than the traditional unbalanced teacher-student relationship. The mind set
of giving children access, making learning fun and meaningful in one sense
are just more successful attempts at cultural production. They are attempts
at creating children who will appropriate the values of schooling and
learning that are common in the "dominant" culture. In one sense the
abusive nature of the Taylor model was problematic because of its lack of
success. My concerns with some of the current emphasis in public education
with identity construction is they are just completing the job the Taylor
model was unable to.
Community building has a long history within the progressive movement in
this country. The settlement houses of Chicago and elsewhere utilized
community as a way to internalize the values of middle-class culture into
newly arrived immigrants. I have no doubt as Lave and Wenger argue that
allowing students to identify with education we make learning more
accessible for students, but I question how this identity construction is
not seen as problematic. Access itself can be a tool for cultural
reproduction.
As in my earlier message, I see production as only being able to come about
through reproduction not separate from it. What we need more of is the
critical social consciousness that Diane discussed which I do not see much
discussion of in the educational reforms of the left or the right. I
definitely do not see it coming about through Bill Gates invisible hand.
In reference to saving public education I have deep concerns with much of
the so called saving that is going on. One school in my district spent the
last five years exporting all the poor and minority students so they could
save the school for the middleclass parents. In turn they designed an
assessment test which is now what all other schools are judged against and
which is being used to legitimize Taylorist educational practices for other
schools in the district. While I think many of the assumptions of public
education need to be critically looked at, I see the solution coming about
through public education itself.
Nate
----- Original Message -----
From: Ken Goodman <kgoodman who-is-at u.arizona.edu>
To: <xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 1999 6:15 PM
Subject: Re: Campaign Against Public Schools
> Apropos of Nate's discourse: who is this left that you think has
> proposals for educational reform and where are they in response to the
> overwhelming power of the right? Where is there a left agenda outside
> of those of us who are in the trenches fighting to save education?
> Ken
> --
> Kenneth S. Goodman, Professor, Language, Reading & Culture
> 504 College of Education, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
> fax 520 7456895 phone 520 6217868
>
> These are mean times- and in the mean time
> We need to Learn to Live Under Water
>