Case Studies

Today in class we had discussions about equality and fairness in schools. We broke into groups and talked about the consequences and values that go into making controversial school decisions. All of the case studies or issues discussed were based on the gifted and talented programs, the connection between academics and after-school activities (sports, music, etc), and/or budget cuts. I really enjoyed the class period because it was very interactive and all students were given a chance to share their opinions about these easily debatable subjects. My group spent a long time contesting the case study in which the star player of the #1 high school football team in the state in a blue-collar Kansas town is at risk for failing a class. In doing so, he would be forced to sit during the conference championships. This seemed to be the most controversial issue for our group because we had to decide what we would do as teachers. Would you let the student play even though he hasn’t been doing the required work for your class? Or would you follow the school policy, make no exceptions, and require him to sit out of the big game? Clearly the conclusions that each group member came to were a result of the things that they valued highly. I found that I seemed to be much more lenient on this issue, while others in the group thought it was appalling that I would even think about allowing that student to play in the big game. However, there was another case study about a student who wants to try-out for the all-state choir concert but was caught drinking. I found that some students were more apt to make exceptions in this situation if they valued this kind of extracurricular activity more than sports. One thing that I think is important to consider when making big decisions is whether you are making decisions based on value judgments, or on personal preferences. Overall, each of these case studies were extremely controversial and it would be a very hard job to be an administrator who is forced to make decisions like this on a regular basis and be held accountable for those choices.

Brighouse: Educating for Flourishing

I really like the book, On Education, by Harry Brighouse. He presents some pretty big ideas, but does so in a casual manner that is easy to read. I think he presents the information so that it becomes meaningful and valuable to all concerned citizens and not simply future educators. I like the way he uses examples and creates scenarios to further his main points. Although I agree with many of the concepts he suggests, I found a few points a little bit hard to totally see eye-to-eye on. For instance, I think the school does have a responsibility to help foster "life skills" in its students. However, I definitely disagree that the notion of having classes based on subjects like family life, work/life balance, credit and taxpaying, and how to use leisure time should be separate subject matters. Because children spend so much time in schools, it is the responsibility of the school to enhance their life-related skills as well as the academic subject lessons, but I think they should be something incorporated across curriculum areas. Brighouse says he does not have a stance on whether the life-skill subjects should be separate or incorporated. I think it would be a huge mistake to feel that the focus of any time in school should be primarily on some social issue. These concepts should be part of any well-balanced literature curriculum. And skills such as taxpaying and credit balancing, should not have to be taught in specifics. If the students are learning the set math curriculum, then they should have an easier time understanding these "life-skill" concepts later on. Schools should be building the foundation and giving exposure to a wide variety of subject areas.