CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND THE URBAN CLASSROOM FOR THE NOVICE

URBAN TEACHER
COURSE CREATOR:
CONTACT INFORMATION:

MR. RANDY R. MILLER, M.P.A.

rrmiller@scarletmail.rutgers.edu

Course Description

As student populations in K12 schools in the United States continue to diversify and the teaching
force remains largely White, cross-cultural teaching is an increasingly common phenomenon
(Michie 2007). In a setting where students encounter a different range of life experiences based
on their cultural, social and economic circumstances, teachers may not identify with or relate to
those experiences. Cultural and social ignorance on the part of an educator can cause conflict
within the classroom, detracting from the overall academic experience of both teacher and
student in addition to the educational goals of school and district. This course is designed
specifically for teachers new to urban schools, specifically White teachers (however veteran
teachers and teachers of color can gain from this course) to gain the necessary skills and
competencies to rethink and strengthen their pedagogical practice; specifically examining harsh
and unfortunate truths that can shape the urban classroom dynamic. It is the goal of this course
to provide teachers with the knowledge to build meaningful relationships with students in
addition to teaching impactful lessons with cultural relevance in mind.

Syllabus Disclaimer

This syllabus is NOT the syllabus to an actual class taught in a college and/or university. You will
not receive credits upon completion of the readings and videos. There are no assignments.
However, presented through the readings and videos, are opportunities for reflection and critical
thinking assignments and projects can be created by those using this text for training and
professional development purposes. This syllabus is specifically designed for urban teachers and
educators who seek to grow in the area of cultural competence; those new to the field or
continuing in it. My qualifications for creating this syllabus is that I have taught in an urban charter
school for five years and Ive taught much of this very material to urban teachers as part of their
professional development.

Course Objectives

To (re)introduce the concept of cultural competence to first year teachers of urban

students to increase awareness.
To empower teachers to build meaningful and fulfilling relationship with their students
based on trust, transparency and cultural awareness.
To provide a theoretical foundation on the urban student population to create and
facilitate culturally responsive lessons.
To shift teacher perspectives from a deficit view to an asset-based view of Black and Latino
students through explicit discussions about the many forms of cultural, familial, linguistic,
and other kinds of capital that students bring to enhance their schools and communities

Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this syllabus, students should be able to:

Learn about and affirm all student identitiesby gender, race, ethnicity, language and
culturethrough curriculum and instruction that includes discussions about culture

Create learning environments that are collaborative, democratic, and equitable

Continue to value and create physically and emotionally safe and nurturing learning
environments
Build meaningful and fulfilling relationship with their students based on trust,
transparency and cultural awareness

Required Readings (Books can be purchased with any online or retail vender. Articles

can be found on the web. Scholarly articles may require membership to an online
database or registration at a college and/or university).

Buck, Stuart. 2011. Acting White: The Ironic Legacy of Desegregation. New Haven: Yale
University Press.
Civil Rights Data Collection. 2012. Revealing New Truths About Our Nation's Schools.
Washington D.C.: United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-2012-data-summary.pdf.
Gallavan, Nancy P. 2007. "Seven Perceptions Influencing Novice Teachers' Efficacy and Cultural
Competence." Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education 6-22.
Gandara, Patricia and Frances Contreras. 2010. The Latino Education Crisis. Cambridge:
Harvard University Press.
Haberman, Martin. 2007. "Who Benefits From Failing Urban Schools? An Essay." Theory Into
Practice 179-186.
Howard, Gary. 1999. We Can't Teach What We Don't Know: White Teachers, Multiracial
Schools. New York: Teachers College Press.
Krogstad, Jens Manuel and Fry, Richard. 2014. "Dept. of Ed. projects public schools will be
majority-minority this fall." Pew Research Center. August 18. Accessed October 20, 2014.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/18/u-s-public-schools-expected-to-bemajority-minority-starting-this-fall/.
Mahiri, Jabari, and Sarah W. Freedman. 2014. The First Year of Teaching: Classroom Research
to Increase Student Learning. New York: Teachers Press College.
Martins, Nicole, and Kristen Harrison. 2012. "Racial and Gender Differences in the Relationship
Between Children's Television Use and Self-Esteem." Communication Research 338-357.
Miller, Randy R. 2013. The Cooper Street Offense: A Philosophy for Reaching, Teaching and
Discipling Black and Hispanic/Latino Students in Inner City Schools. Scotts Valley: CreateSpace
Independent Publishing Platform.
Mock, Brentin. 2015. "The Origins of the Phrase 'Black on Black Crime'." City Lab. June 11.
Accessed June 19, 2015. http://www.citylab.com/crime/2015/06/the-origins-of-the-phraseblack-on-black-crime/395507/.
Noguera, Pedro A. 2010. "How Listening to Students Can Help Schools Improve." Theory Into
Practice 205-211.
Ogbu, J.U. 1995. "Cultural Problems in Minority Education: Their Interpretations and
Consequences Part 1: Theoretical Background." The Urban Review 27 (3): 189-205.
Ogbu, J.U. 1995. "Cultural Problems in Minority Education: Their Interpretations and
Consequences Part 2: Case Studies." The Urban Review 27 (4): 271-297.
Painter, Nell Irvin. 2015. "What Is Whiteness." New York Times. June 20. Accessed June 22,
2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/opinion/sunday/what-is-whiteness.html?_r=0.
Richert, Ann E. 2012. What Should I Do? Confronting Dilemmas of Teaching in Urban Schools.
New York: Teachers College Press.

Saffold, Felicia, and Hope Longwell-Grice. 2007. "White Women Preparing to Teach in Urban
Schools: Loorking for Similarity and Finding Difference." Urban Rev 186-209.
Schott Foundation for Public Education. 2014. The Urgency of Now: 50 State Report on Public
Education and Black Males. Cambridge: Schott Foundation for Public Education.
Sikba, R.J. 2000. "When Is Disproportionality Discrimination? The Overrepresentation of Black
Students in School Suspension." In Zero Tolerance: Resisting the Drive For Punishment in Our
Schools, by W. Ayers, B Dorhn and R Ayers, 23. New York: The New Press.
Spring, Joel. 2012. Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A Brief History of the
Education of Dominated Cultures in the United States. Edited by Seventh. Columbus: McGrawHill Higher Education.
Strauss, Valerie. 2014. "For first time, minority students expected to be majority in U.S. public
schools this fall." The Washington Post, August 21.
Toldson, Ivory. 2012. "Debunking Education Myths About Blacks." The Root. July 19.
www.theroot.com/print/64452.
. 2012. "How Race Matters In The Classroom." The Root. October 22.
http://www.theroot.com/views/how-race-matters-classroom?page=0,1.
Tozer, Steven, Guy Senese, and Paul Violas. 2012. School and Society: Historical and
Contemporary Perspectives. Edited by Seventh. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social
Sciences/Languages.
Weiner, Lois. 2003. "Why Is Classroom Management So Vexing to Urban Teachers." Theory
Into Practice 305-312.
Weinstein, Carol, Mary Curran, and Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke. 2003. "Culturally Responsive
Classroom Management: Awareness Into Action." Theory Into Practice 269-276.
Wilson, William Julius. 1996. When Work Disappears. Toronto: Random House.

Contacting the Creator

Any and all questions related to the content are important. Please feel free to contact the course
creator through email with questions, comments and comments.

Professional Development Credits

Academic institutions may use this syllabus for professional development and/or teaching
purposes. According to the New Jersey Department of Education1:

The Department of Education's registration system for professional learning providers

has been eliminated. All providers must meet the requirements of the local school districts
with which they contract for services. Please note: teachers attending professional learning
events should receive a certificate or other authorization of participation for their records
that
includes
the
information
on
the
sample
certificate
here
http://www.state.nj.us/education/profdev/pd/teacher/pdcert.pdf

For professional development regulations in other states, visit the department of education
website of the desired state.

http://www.state.nj.us/education/profdev/pd/teacher/pdcert.shtml

Schedule of Readings & Videos

LESSON 1 COURSE INTRODUCTION
READINGS
Joel Spring Text Chapters 6 and 7
Randy Miller Text Chapter 1 and 2
Haberman Journal Article
Strauss Journal Article
Gallavan Journal Article
Toldson Article:
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2012/10/how_race_matters_in_the_classroom.ht
ml
2015 Schott Report: http://www.blackboysreport.org/2015-black-boys-report.pdf
Krogstad & Fry Report: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/18/u-s-publicschools-expected-to-be-majority-minority-starting-this-fall/
Civil Rights Data Collection: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-2012data-summary.pdf.
10 Ways You Know You are in a Failing Urban District:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-turner/ten-signs-your-child-is-i_b_7698514.html
VIDEO(S)
Nightline: Strawberry Mansion Pt. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA5U0wSMnwo
Nightline: Strawberry Mansion Pt. 2 - http://abc.go.com/shows/nightline/listing/201312/05-nightline-1204-from-tears-to-triumph-strawberry-mansion-high

LESSON 2 THE NEW URBAN POVERTY

READINGS
William Julius Wilson Text Chapters 1 through 5
Mock Article: http://www.citylab.com/crime/2015/06/the-origins-of-the-phrase-blackon-black-crime/395507/
VIDEO(S)
William Julius Wilson Lecture - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xluoImnZwG0

LESSON 3 WHITENESS AND PRIVILEGE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION

READINGS
Gary Howard Text Chapters 1 through 3
Joel Spring Text Chapter 3
Painter Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/opinion/sunday/what-iswhiteness.html
VIDEO(S)
What Is White Privilege https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQK8H0z-irM
White Like Me (Tim Wise) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItiXR5m1yAY
Jon Stewart vs. Bill OReilly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZkrWIT_YZk
Nell Irvin Painter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDZUBX_nY_0

LESSON 4 THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

READINGS
Joel Spring Text Chapter 3
Stuart Buck Text Chapters 3 through 6
Tozer Text Chapter 6
Ogbu Journal Article: Parts 1 and 2
VIDEO(S)
Too Important to Fail (Tavis Smiley) http://video.pbs.org/video/2130039313/
Black In America: Education - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kwOIgtg108

LESSON 5 THE HISPANIC/LATINO EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

READINGS
Joel Spring Text Chapter 5
Patricia Gandara Text - All
VIDEO(S)
The Latino Education Crisis & The Color of Success https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxvPFBk1_pQ
Community Forum on Latino Education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4qYzZB6E-k
Challenges Facing Latina Students In An Urban School https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4wGdfqL0uo

LESSON 6 THE CULTURAL PARADIGM OF ACTING WHITE V. ACTING OTHER THAN

READINGS
Stuart Buck Text Chapters 7 and 8
Martins and Harrison Journal Article
Rhymes Article: http://www.blackcommentator.com/100/100_cover_acting_white.html
Toldson Article 1: www.theroot.com/print/64452.
Toldson Article 2:
http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2013/01/acting_white_theory_black_academic_a
chievement_based_on_other_factors.html
VIDEO(S)
Stuart Buck Lecture - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4b_-1CI9RY
Brainwashed (Tom Burrell) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXdmdMiNQRE

LESSON 7 DISCIPLINE & STUDENT MANAGEMENT

READINGS
Ann Richert Text Chapter 3
Jabari Mahiri Text Chapters 8 through 10
Sibka Journal Article
Noguera Journal Article
Weinstein Journal Article
Weiner Journal Article
VIDEO(S)
Education Under Arrest (Tavis Smiley) http://video.pbs.org/video/2360529591/
School to Prison Pipeline (Project Liberty) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXR51vZCfVY

LESSON 8 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES & STRATEGIES

READINGS
Randy Miller Text Chapters 3 through 8
Jabari Mahiri Text Chapters 2, 3 and 5
Ann Richert Text Chapter 4
VIDEO(S)
Engaging Students In Urban Schools https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp0ENxAGHUA
What If Teachers Used Hip Hop - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu9t0AcQ6Jo
Dr. Ladson-Billings Lecture - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-umqXSAizW8

LESSON 9 ASSESSMENT

READINGS
Randy Miller Text Chapter 9
Ann Richert Text Chapter 5
VIDEO(S)
Student Centered Assessment Jeopardy https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1AiC8eqYcUkt_OKyfAAr2g