Colton Myhre

EDUC275
Shelly Morrell

Dropping the ball and picking it back up again:

A reflection and a plan.
What was, is, and should be the purpose of schooling in the
United States?
Schooling in the United States, I have learned, has been in the
past an absolute rollercoaster of racism and oppression. In chapter one
of his book Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A Brief
History of the Education of Dominated Cultures in the United States,
Joel Spring outlines many of the horrific acts the country has
committed towards different racial groups such as Native Americans
and African Americans. Spring describes a variety of injustices
throughout our history including the denial of education towards
enslaved Africans, the deculturalization of Native American children,
and even segregation as recent as the 20th century (Spring 2001).
Having a rough start in American history, education has come
leaps and bounds towards becoming a more equal (or equitable)
system. Despite these improvements we still have a long way to go,
and in order to continue progress on improving education, we need to
define the purpose of schooling that we as educators need to strive
towards, and surpass it. The purpose of schooling as it exists now does

not meet the needs of many many students, and we therefore must
change it. Schooling in the United States should be an opportunity and
a right to all students living in the country, and the education they
receive should be equitable, as well as quality. Socio-economic
standing, race, or cultural background should not determine the quality
of education a student receives, and for the reason that this goal
seems lofty or ideal is the exact reason why we must strive to attain it.

What is your role as a future teacher in fulfilling that purpose?

I was talking to my mom one time about an experience I had
volunteering in a resource student classroom. I mentioned that the
students were very behind on reading and comprehension levels
compared to their peers, (some as far a 6-7 grade levels behind,) and
my mom explained to me how we as parents and educators dropped
the ball on these students during their developmental years, and how
their impediment in learning is not their fault, but ours. It occurred to
me then, that my role as a future educator was to not drop the ball on
any student, and when it is dropped, pick it back up again for the sake
of that student.
One of the major reasons the ball is dropped for many students is
that the public education system that exists now is not made to
accommodate students of non-Anglo-Saxon culture. The role then of
educators is to employ mindsets such as Sonia Nietos multicultural

education that she describes in her book, Affirming Diversity: The

Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education. Of the many valuable
concepts that Nieto describes, one of the most important ideas in the
book is the notion that multicultural education should be pervasive in
students curriculums. This not only teaches kids of different cultures
and affirms the diversity in the classroom, but also incorporates culture
naturally and normalizes the exposure and discussion of it in the
classroom (Nieto 1992). This is an incredible way as to not drop the ball
on the education of students of different racial and cultural
backgrounds.
Another way we as educators can give all students the attention
they need is by acknowledging the needs of students of different
socioeconomic standings. We learned from the Gorski article The Myth
of the Culture of Poverty that parent involvement is difficult with
lower income school, not because of a lack of care or concern, but
because the have less access to school involvement (Gorski 2008)
due to financial/work restrictions. On top of these considerations, we as
educators also need to maintain high expectations for all students
despite socioeconomic situations. As we see in the Anyon article
Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work, the level of
questioning and quality of assignments for students of lower income
schools is poor (Anyon n.d.). Students, no matter their socioeconomic
situation, deserve engaging assignments and a stimulating curriculum.

The issues regarding gender and sexuality that we talked about

in class are also important for educators to address. In Lise Eliots
article The Myth of Pink and Blue Brains issues of gendered learning
are challenged. We as educators need to abandon the notion of a
male and female brain (Eliot 2011), in order to make the opportunities
provided by education equitable to all genders. As far as sexuality, the
safe and supportive climate for gay and lesbian students described
in the Gevelinger and Zimmerman article How Catholic Schools are
Creating a Safe Climate for Gay and Lesbian Students is vitally
important for providing equitable and quality education nonheterosexual students.

How does schooling continue the existing order, and how can it
transform the existing order?
Students spend a huge majority of their youth in classrooms, and
the information and content that they absorb while they are there is
vital in indicating what the future generation will know and value. In
other words, what ever is valued in the schooling environment
becomes part of the existing order, and changes made to the
educational environment changes the existing order of future adults.
One very important aspect of this that we studied in class was
discussed in the article by Ian M. Harris titled Types of Peace
Education. Harris asserts that peace education in school combats

the culture of violence that we currently have in the US. Whether or not
one personally believes that it is possible, the idea that education can
change the existing order is a powerful one that we as educators need
to have. Whether it be the culture of violence, the systematic and
civilizational racism described by Schuerich and Young in Coloring
Epistemologies, or prejudice and discrimination in general, educators
should act and teach with the knowledge that what they say and the
environment they create has an impact on the existing order of future
generations.
Being an educator is far from a simple and easy task, and from
what Ive learned in Education 275 Schooling in the US, the task is
much harder than I anticipated, but also that much more important.
Providing all students of any background with the education they
deserve is the first and most important step in changing their lives for
the better. Though fulfilling the purpose of schooling is a daunting task
and the existing order has a long way to go, we as future educators
have the responsibility to strive towards the ideal, and make the most
positive impact that we can on every student. Dropping the ball on
students has happened and will happen, but making the constant
fervent effort to pick that ball back up again and give every student
the education they deserve is the most important thing we can do.

WorkCited
Anyon,J.(n.d.).SocialClassandtheHiddenCurriculumofWork.Justice,
Ideology,andEducation.
Eliot,L.(2011).TheMythofPinkandBlueBrains.BestofEducational
Leadership.
Gevelinger,M.,&Zimmerman,L.(2002).HowCatholicSchoolsare
CreatingaSafeClimateforGayandLesbianStudents.
Gorski,P.(2008).TheMythofthe'CultureofPoverty'Educational
Leadership.
Harris,I.(1999).TypesofPeaceEducation.HowChildrenUnderstandWar
andPeace.
Nieto,S.(1992).AffirmingDiversity:TheSociopoliticalContextof
MulticulturalEducation.NewYork:Longman.
Scheurich,J.,&Young,M.(1997).ColoringEpistemologies:AreOur
ResearchEpistemologiesRaciallyBiased?EducationalResearcher.
Spring,J.(2001).DeculturalizationandtheStruggleforEquality:ABrief
HistoryoftheEducationofDominatedCulturesintheUnitedStates
(3rded.).Boston:McGrawHill.