As we discuss our praxis sites and Frederick Douglass' Narrative, the question of ownership kept coming up. Who owns the written word? Often it feels like the mere writing of down of a narrative and calling it such, means owning those people you represent and the narratives they bring with them. In our work, especially, that is tricky because, unlike Frederick Douglass, we are not the lions in the story, we are not the ones who have been silenced and misrepresented; the lions are the people we are representing. Because of this, we must be vigilent in how we represent them and their stories, and try our hardest not to perpetuate the dominant narratives concerning them [even if that is impossible]. Right then, I purposefully used a reference that Wendell Phillips, Esq.

Here's a relevant and disturbing article Valerie has shared -- please have a look if you have a chance.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/missouri-school-law_us_585d26b1e4b0de3a08f4f5c0

In class we have discussed many issues about our current education system and the future we have in the system. As political issues continue and decisions are being put into play, I think it demands our attention of what to do next? As a future educator my worries are rooted in the future of k-12 education.  From market based education to school choice to issues of resources and curriculum- I have concerns. One thing we discussed in class that struck my attention is the topic of money. Education is marketable but how can this become profitable to the right people? In class we made a long list of WHO Is making money off education, when it comes to charters it can be the organization, administrators, and legislators.

The many inequalities that underlie much of the social structure of the country have severely impacted the urban education system. I think the most pressing issue that affects schools is funding problems based in poverty. The lack of funding in these high-risk areas and schools only exacerbates the overall issues that plague urban schools. By not having sufficient funding children are at a higher risk to be without properly trained teachers, have little to no access to a nurse, and often do not have any access to a counselor. The children in these schools are at a big disadvantage because of the lack of funding in these school districts which then perpetuates a system that only begets more inequality and children lost to the system.

An issue in American schools that I've been thinking about is the impact that charter schools has on resolving and/or furthering racial inequality. Because students are now leaving their neighborhood schools to attend a "better" school elsewhere, this could be seen as an attempt to resolve de facto segregation in schools due to segregated neighborhoods. I would like to know more about whether or not these schools are actually providing better opportunities for their students. Schools like KIPP, for example, have a reputation of advertising innovation, but inevitably mirroring the same system of hierarchy in decision making that occurs in public schools.

When trying to discern the key issues impacting urban education, it is difficult to examine one issue without considering several others. Since the start of the semester, our readings and class discussions have touched on some of the internal and external issues that impact city schools, specifically. Although it is difficult to pick out just one issue to focus on, I think addressing the unequal distribution of funds and resources allotted to public schools in cities is one of the most pressing problems that needs attention. Even with dedicated teachers, responsible leaders on the school board, involved parents and a supportive community surrounding a school, students will still struggle without the materials they need to learn and a functioning place to learn in.

One issue that has really struck me and been brought up in a few different locations (City Schools and the American Dream, the chapter in “What Teachers Need to Know About Poverty” in City Kids, City Schools)seems to be the extremely difficult position urban public school teachers find themselves in. Certainly there are several actors impacted in considering the myriad of issues affecting urban public schools but for the purposes of this initial post, I wanted to highlight the tough role of the urban education teacher.

While there are many important issues in urban education, perhaps the most pressing one is poverty and its effects on education inequality. Inequality in school funding based on property taxes and other class-based factors creates a system in which students who live in poorer areas receive fewer educational resources at their schools. Additionally, the fact that wealthier families can afford tutors and enriching after school activities while students from poorer families may have to work just to help support their families is also harmful, making it extremely difficult for students living in poverty to achieve academic success at the same rate as their wealthier peers, even if they are at least as smart and motivated.

While reading Nielsen's telling of the country's history through the lens of disability, I was interested in how attitudes about disability related to the broader political/social/economic climate. I was surprised by the author's account of Coleridge's mental illness, particularly the lack of stigma surrounding this type of difference. It was intersting that the community used him for his teaching abilities at the same time as acknowledging that he had significant care needs. Nielson's account of this time seems to show a very economically 'pragmatic' view of disability that focused on the economic potential of each individual.