Why Are Schools Brain Washing Our Children?

Social justice is the combined effort of a society to promote liberty and equality for all of it’s citizens. To achieve this a society must speak up against injustices and social systems that promote injustices so that action can be taken to stop injustices and destroy unjust social systems in order to create a more equal and just society. As students we are already in a privileged position therefore if we choose to be socially just people it is our duty to study not only study in order to succeed for ourselves but to study how our future success could be beneficial to society as a whole. Our privilege gives us greater power to have an effect on society therefore we should do our best not to conform to preexisting social norms if we feel like they promote injustices. After we graduate we will have the skills to promote great amounts of social change and it is on us to turn away from unjust social systems and instead work for what might not be the most profitable but what promotes the most social

I chose to read the article “Leveraging Conflict for Social Justice: How “Leadable” Moments Can Transform School Culture” by Enrique Aleman, Jr. The article discusses how an elementary school principle implements her vision of success within a school district that has a diverse group of students with low socioeconomical status. She envisions an environment where faculty, staff, students and parents are working together to create an idyllic school atmosphere. Whenever conflict manifests itself between key stakeholders the principle capitalizes on the instances as “leadable” moments associated with social justice. This case describes how a principle is tested by a teacher’s response to racist and bigoted language, and the implications surrounding the parents and district concerns regarding diversity and equal education opportunities for all students involved (Aleman, 2009).

How to minimize the hurts of non-white children once their belief on the theory of a society is fair and equality is completely collapsed when the reality is happening in the opposite. In the reading “Why the Myth of Meritocracy Hurts Kids of Color” Mildred Boveda, an assistant education professor at Arizona State University, said: “I will admit that it sometimes felt risky to tackle these difficult conversations, but this [research] underscores why we cannot equivocate when it comes to preparing our children to face injustices.” I agree with her opinion. Because finding the proper solutions to fully empower and equipping the best knowledge that can help children cope better is not easy, but it is the responsibility of the family, the school, and society. The three elements need to act and work together in an effort to dare to speak about the truths mentioned above.

Dr. Patrick O’Brien was the ACT presenter for the third ACT Brown Bag event. The presentation focused on the aspects of social justice dealing with gender discrimination, children, and mass incarnation. The presenter posed a question to the students, What does Social Justice mean to you? When I think about social justice, I think about advocating for the rights of individuals that are facing injustice acts. Also, I feel it also means education individuals of what is currently going on in the society that needs to change. This paper will focus on understanding why certain groups are targeted.

Initially I felt that this was a perfect way to bring social action into a classroom, but as I continued reading I realized that while popular fiction is the perfect ‘in’ for discussion teacher could also fall into overexpressing and possibly scaring children. While reading through the article for the second time I decided that social injustice and action is too scary for younger children but is essential to talk about from a semi-young age so that the students do not feel overwhelmed when they reach the real world and see it- the perfect age to start with units like this would be 5th grade and then only if the class seems mostly mature enough, then continue on using different books or different lessons throughout junior high and high school.

In “Remember and act: Engaging children in social justice”, Lynn Timble discusses the importance of raising children that are socially aware of the injustices that exists in society. Timble opens the article through an anecdote about her experience with her German heritage in relation to the tragic events that occurred in the holocaust. Timble states that she feels as a German it is her duty to commemorate those who suffered in the event and to educate herself on the issue. She also encourages families to start dialogue with their children about the social injustices seen in modern days. Some of the suggestions given by Timothy Schmaltz, coordinator of Protecting Arizona’s Family Coalition, for families interested in engaging their children

"Social justice is what faces you in the morning. It is awakening in a house with adequate water supply, cooking facilities and sanitation. It is the ability to nourish your children and send them to school where their education not only equips them for employment but reinforces their knowledge and understanding of their cultural inheritance. It is the prospect of genuine employment and good health: a life of choices and opportunity, free from discrimination" (Dodson, 1993).

Much of the literature we have read in this course has been centered around injustice and inequality in society. These ethical questions explored in our literature are inherently tied to public life in that they analyze how communities and societies should handle these injustices. Multiplication is for White People by Lisa Delpit and the episode of the podcast “This American Life: Three Miles” illustrate the systemic inequality ingrained in the educational system of the United States, while Michael J. Sandel’s book Justice explores how communities should deal with the injustice. My service learning as an Adult Homework Helper for the Sumner Library is an attempt to combat the injustice towards disadvantaged people perpetuated by various systems, particularly that of education, in the United States.

To completely cover the questions of what materials helped me understand the class theme of social justice, and how the understanding might impact me as a future teacher I had to choose two very different things. Both of these things came to my mind instantly, when I thought about this reflection, as being both an eye opener and a turning point for me. Both things came from the Supreme Court and Capital Building tour. The first thing that helped me to better understand the class theme of social justice was the history script with Helen Gougar and May Wright Sewall. The second thing that ultimately greatly impacted my course as a future teacher was the intern from IUPUI.

Social injustice can seem easy to solve on paper, but as history and the current state of the world show, solutions often do not fully work in practice. I would love to take a social justice block that not only tackles the topic theoretically, but utilizes a quasi-real-life scenario to impart deeper insight. The block would employ multiple teaching methods to allow for deep understanding and encourage problem solving through creative and critical thinking.

Of particular interest during this week’s reading was the section on “Equity and Social Justice.” While education has developed drastically over the years, educational inequality has widened as well. Rury notes “ . . . school segregation has increased, and the problems of poor and minority children have grown more acute in communities across the country” (Rury 231). Often times, it can be deceptive when we are told that something is developing because people often link development with greatness, which isn’t the truth at all. It’s often suggested that these developments are consistent with neo-liberal policies, however they are also linked to changes in the larger economy. Students who suffer the most are often from relatively poor urban schools,

Studies continually show a racial, economic, and educational inequality within American society. This bias consistently favors the white population, with opportunities trickling down sparingly to minority populations. Social scientists devote a tremendous amount of time, energy, and financial resources in an effort to learn how to correct these disparities. We propose that one of the most intuitive means of creating this social change is to instill a desire in our children to join the battle for change. To accomplish this goal, we must first understand the factors that impact a student’s desire to get involved in creating social change. We think this understanding is critical for impacting the issue of inequality in America.

Social justice and equity are both common ideals to achieve in society. However, social injustice has been more frequently shown throughout history. The poem,“No Irish Need Apply,” the exhibit “Home for the Heart,” and the magazine article “The Education of Frank McCourt” are all pieces of literature that shows the hardships that individuals have to face when searching for social justice and equity. As life progresses, the need to achieve social justice becomes more desirable. Social justice and equity tends to affect all people of all age and race.

With the hidden curriculum found in textbooks and schools portraying the white privilege American as a dominant ruler and social class that maintains a silent objective to oppress and maintain inequality. Wanting to know more, I volunteered over the summer of 2016 at a women and children’s shelter in Santa Rosa California. Women and children go to the shelter for food, shelter, and help in education. Homeless children face stigma when they attend school, and they don’t have clean or proper clothing, school supplies, or haven’t bathed. I reflected on need to educate middle-class America about poverty, equality, and social justice, but some people say this is being done already, but the inequality still exists between classes so it is not enough. As I move forward in my career, I will continue to advocate for social justice, equality and multicultural

Not only is racial tension portrayed through brutality and violence, but it is also apparent in various aspects of public education such as unfair character labeling, racial stereotypes, harsh school punishments, and discrimination from teachers. These inequalities present in what is supposed to be a “color blind” society create the notion that “America does not love [all] children” (Manzama, 2015, p. 11) and engender distrust in the education system. Moreover, impoverished minorities feel a sense of resentment as a result of discrimination based on economic racism and injustice. These minorities tend to rebel when they can no longer bear the weight of their anger and they believe the sentiment favours change (Chavis, 2015, p. 4). Thus we discover that throughout the history of the United States, racism has played a factor, ingraining its malicious effects into the moral fiber of American Society.