Standardization

NCLB=CONTROL. I understand the point of it all, but I don't agree with any of it. If there is a school in trouble, BRING IN TEACHERS. Send more federal aid to assist theses schools. I think there is so much more a government could do to help failing schools. Nurturing students to create a progressive school is more important.

Race

"Only White people say race doesn't matter." p. 475 This is something that I never truly thought about. I am quite the advocate for not using race for anything, whether it be an application for a job or just a word in a discussion. But after thinking about it....maybe it is true. It doesn't matter to me because I'm white....yet I don't agree. I hate the creation and use of race in our country. It has become a construction for injustice that has been used for hundreds of years. Yet it is important to TEACH about the contruction of race and the injustice it has caused over years to hopefully one day prevent the continuation of injustice.

Pedagogy

We live in a social world, therefore the knowledge that is taught in the classroom is heavily based upon the social culture. "Critical pedagogy asks how and why knowledge gets constructed the way it does, and how and why some constructions of reality are legitimated and celebrated by the dominant culture while others clearly are not. Critical pedagogy asks how our everyday commonsense understandings-our social constructions or "subjectives"-get produced and lived out." (p. 409) It is the socioculture dimension of the schooling process.

Respect For All Students

Self-recognition of gay and lesbian adolescents is typically met with intense conflicts with their social environment, many times in the school environment. Yet even though these conflicts arise, those who hide their sexual orientation spend a tremendous amount of energy restricting their interactions with others. If a school were to restrict an adolescent from coming out, this could cause great damage to the adolescent. Recognition and respect towards all individuals is necessary to maintain social dynamics with the student body.

Our country's culture is very diverse, whether it be regarding sexual orientation or the many different languages citizens speak. Our education system needs to be accomadating in every way. Bilingual programs need to be offered in every school. We spend more money keeping people in jail than in educating students. Education conducted in English only limits many from getting the education they deserve in our country. The education of students helps to create better citizens, and shouldn't everyone be given that chance?