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We have engaged a range of texts that deal with the topic of education: from the individual vs. collective perspective, from a critical and a constructive point of view, and from contemporary and historical sources. Now that you have this range of sources available to you, I would like you to apply your ideas about education to current concerns in urban education.
Imagine that you are on the school board in an impoverished and racially diverse school district in Washington D.C. Schools in your district have a very low rate of students who go on to attend college compared to other school districts. Unemployment in your district is also very high. There is a significant amount of pressure to reform how your schools operate and you have been tasked with writing a report that lays out your educational priorities. You have been asked to speak to a number of issues: what will the curricular priorities be (i.e. what kinds of classes and programs will you offer), what kinds of skills and knowledge would you like to promote amongst the students, and how do you see the schools serving the community This leads to a range of other considerations: are schools primarily related to economic development Should the moral development of students be the concern of schools Is there any room for parent involvement Should resources from outside the school (e.g. in the private sector or through non-profits) be sought
In writing your proposals you are encouraged to draw on class readings as a way to justify why you make the proposals that you do. Try to avoid clichs and truisms about education and think about what schools should do and are capable of doing in the kind of urban school districts that, even if you have no direct experience with, you can imagine.