Does the policy count for you?

In this weeks article “What ‘Counts’ as Educational Policy? Notes toward a New Paradigm” author Jean Anyon discussed policy attempts to improve urban education and how policies have changed over the decades. Policies change, yet a theme remains, people of poverty are not always represented fairly or given the resources to have a chance. “It is important to note that federal education policies intended to improve urban schools did not take aim at the economic arrangements and practices that themselves produced the poverty in which city schools were embedded.” (Anyon 67) Anyon points out that policy makers don’t take into account on how economic status has an impact on education. Not being financially stable makes the opportunities beyond high school almost impossible. What will policy makers do for these students beyond that? A policy is what they intend to do but sometimes falls short or is not implemented properly.

Anyon also talks about policies supporting Charters school and vouchers as a way to help improve the overall education of urban children. As we read in last week's articles “Local Control, Choice, Charter Schools, and Homeschooling” from Joel Spring’s book American Education and “Race, Charter Schools, and Conscious Capitalism: On the Spatial Politics of Whiteness as Property)” by Kristen Buras that charters school do give a chance for some low-income families to attend but at the cost of decreasing financial support of public school many of which are already struggling. This doesn’t help all, policymakers are not viewing the “all”. The results of improvement as Anyon puts it is “illusory”, not real, they showcase the best outcomes of policies in the media but not the failures.

The intention of education policies is to improve education for all. It’s difficult to implement something when students are at a different “starting points” financially. I remember a video that Melissa posted on week 4 “Race of life” and how whatever resources you are given at the beginning of a race or even a game will determine your success at the end. It’s sad to think the same goes with life. But, policies can help with giving the opportunity to obtain resources that will lead students to educational achievement.

Anyon states, “that increased family supports such as financial resources and less segregated neighborhoods raise educational achievement”. (Anyon 77) The evidence she collects shows that providing income support leads to students having a positive behavior in and out of school and overall performance increases, I’m sure leads to more confidence in themselves too. Anyon believes that implementing a “new educational policy paradigm” by making an effort to eliminate economic differences by providing more higher paying jobs in the city, creating more public transit so that low-income residents can attend those jobs and providing better living conditions in neighborhoods. I think it's important to support a new model like this for education policies where thought is put in people of low-income communities that their educational matters and need better support.

Who decides your Education?

Who should be deciding what we teach our learners? School board? The government? Parents? The first reading is Chapter 8, “Local Control, Choice, Charter Schools, and Homeschooling” from Joel Spring’s book American Education. In this chapter Springs discussed the different ways education is controlled. Spring begins by illustrating the idea of the “education chair”. This chair is what is being taught in schools and the question again is, who controls it? Many of these answers depend on your own political views on education control.

There are many criticisms of each party trying to control education. The school board is criticized by the parents because parents feel their interests are not being heard. Springs then points out the demographic of the people who are in these positions on school boards, predominately white and upper to middle class, which do no match the population as a whole. “Boards of education are criticized for being dominated by white members when in 2014, discussed in Chapter 6, for the first time the “non-white” populations of U.S. public schools exceeded the number of whites.” (221)

Parents do have the choice to decide where to send their children to school and sometimes the government plays a role in that decision. Vouchers are given by the government and school get reimbursed when families choose their school. Being able to choose your children's school sounds like right people should have, yet, part of this method is taking finical support away from public schools.

I wanted to look more into vouchers being used in education.

I do see a benefit of allowing low-income families the chance to pay for private schooling but then I think about the rest of the community. The community that needs extra resources to support their learners but are limited due to tax dollars going elsewhere. Can privating school students be considered part of the community if they don't go to the school of their home community.

A quote I use in week 2 from “Imagining futures: the public school and possibility” by Maxine Greene, “the creation of communities in classrooms may be one of the most difficult and yet the most essential undertakings in the schools of the future.” (Greene, 273) I’m thinking how difficult will it be to create communities if the government gives vouchers to allow students leave their home community to go to another?

In the second reading, “Race, Charter Schools, and Conscious Capitalism: On the Spatial Politics of Whiteness as Property (and the Unconscionable Assault on Black New Orleans)” author Kristen L. Buras, discusses the effect on public schools and the rise of charter schools after Hurricane Katrina. Buras argues , “that New Orleans charter schools are less about responding to the needs of racially oppressed communities and more about the Reconstruction of a newly governed South.” (Buras 297) With the destruction of 80% of New Orleans schools a change was going to happen. The idea of opening Charter schools seemed like a good idea to bring society back to normal after a such a devastating event. Rebuilding, and reforming for the win right? A Louisiana Federation of Teachers representative said “we are going to have a brand new school system and it’s going to be the bright new city of great opportunity for all children” (Buras, 307)

This sounds like an exciting and great project but this great opportunity for all will just have “fewer poor people”.(Buras 307) The process the enroll student in Charters schools took many requirements. The New Orleans Parent Organizing Network had a guide available to parents who interested for their child to go to charters school. This was a 95 page document, which I’m sure required thorough reading and parents providing tangible items like report cards and test scores for the child. Something that can be impossible if the parent was able to further their educational or completely lost their personal belonging from the destruction of Katrina. A task like this can be done “easily by parents with surplus time, readily accessible transportation, intact documents, physically undamaged homes, monetary resources, and education, thereby advantaging more privileged families as well as families with “able” and “high-achieving” children.” (Buras 317) The upper class of white and the few black families would be the only ones to be able to send their child to these charter schools because they had that financial stability to recover from the hurricane while others are left behind in the wreckage and have very little choice for school. What happened to the great opportunity for all?

Both of these articles makes me think about the idea community. Our young learners are seeing the impact the government has on their communities. How does this look when only some people in a community get the benefits of education but others are left behind?

Where do you learn from? Can a community promote learning?

When do we start learning?

School is not the only place one learns from. We are influenced by family, friends, community, society, and all forms of media. Where do we learn the most from? Which of these can be the best resource? In “Community as text: Using the community as a resource for learning in community schools. New Directions for Youth Development”, authors, Martin Blank, Sheri DeBoe Johnson, and Bela Shah explains that learning starts early. Young learners learn everywhere, especially from their families and communities. The article discusses the benefits of having a community as a resource and how community schools are available. “Community schools are open to students, families, and community members” [Community schools] “build on classroom experiences and help students expand their horizons, contribute to their communities, and have fun.” (Blank, Johnson, and Shah 108). Community schools get students involved in learning, give support and help them become great assets in their communities.

Having community be apart in learning, “helps students become motivated and engaged in learning and builds strong connections between the school and community” (Blank, Johnson, and Shah 109). Students need that support to feel valued. Being encouraged to learn this way will allow them to discover other interests and develop skills. Teaching through the community is also teaching the student to be an active member of society. “Students to improve academic skills and apply what they learn in school to the broader community” (Blank, Johnson, and Shah 112).


Having community coming together and be a part in ones learning opens up a safe space of support. That sense of togetherness can aid in emotional healing as well. In the article, “The Future of Healing: Shifting From Trauma-Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement” author Shawn Ginwright discusses how healing centered engagement provides students who have experienced any kind of trauma a way to cope and reflect. Ginwright promotes adults to encourage young people to dream and imagine. To not let what trauma they have defined them. That they are in control of their learning. I think back the documentary last week “Precious Knowledge”, where the teachers of the Razza program were teaching content that intrigued their students and encourages them to continue learning beyond the classroom. The trauma they were experiencing was the elimination of the program they loved so much. The risk of losing the program made them reflect and share with their teachers. They were able to express to lawmakers what they had learned and the positive outcomes the program had. This is what we want for our student to be passionate and care for the things they believe are important.

We want our students to think about their future and take charge of their learning hopefully in an optimistic way. Ginwright also talks about the idea of fostering empathy. “To create this empathy, I encourage adult staff to share their story first, and take an emotional risk by being more vulnerable, honest and open to young people.” Being able to be “real” and honest with our student allows them to do the same an open up. It enforces of the idea that they have a voice and should be heard. Listening is such an important part in a community, we need to listen to the needs of our students in order to help them to grow, develop and continue to be an asset for our community. We should want this for ourselves as well. we are lifelong learners and members of many communities, we should use our skills to make the contributions to better ourselves and our communities too.

In the last article I read, “Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers”, authors Ana Marie Villegas and Tamara Lucas argues the need for teachers to be culturally responsive. If we want our student to open up, share and reflect, we, as teachers need to understand our students. The journey to be culturally responsive should start in our preparation to be a teacher. Courses that prepare teachers for diversity in their classroom are often added on to existing curriculum as optional. It is absolutely necessary for teachers to make better connections with their student and extend the sense of community into the classroom. Villegas and Lucas believe in six strands that will prepare teachers and “conceptualize the curriculum for preparing culturally responsive teachers” (Villegas and Lucas 20). They state that these are not the only ways but what they felt the most necessary.

1. Sociocultural Consciousness

2. Affirming Attitude

3. Commitment and Skills to Act as Agents of Change

4. Constructivist Views of Learning

5. Learning About Students

6. Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices

Teachers need to know their students, how they learn and be able to personalize their learning, encourage them to build on their personal and cultural strengths. I agree that this will promote learning, students will feel they are capable to learn and make sense to what they are learning. To achieve the pedagogical knowledge and skills to be a culturally responsive teacher will take time and dedication. Being prepared to teach in a multicultural society should not be an option, it's needed because we live in a diverse world and should be celebrated.

It is critical that all learners are exposed to a community where they feel valued, a place where they feel they can contribute and be heard. And in schools, I feel it is important that my administration colleagues and I work together to encourage each other to do what is best for our students. They need to know we care. We need to understand what it means to be culturally responsive in our classrooms and society.