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Educational Institutions Negotiating Democracy and Social

Justice

Dr. Paul CarrYoungstown State University

Beeghly College of EducationDept. of Educational Administration, Research and Foundations

Youngstown, Ohio, 44555prcarr@ysu.edu 330-941-2241

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Outline1. Conceptual Framework2. Data Sources3. Democracy and Social Justice: Two

ships passing in the night?4. Contextualizing Education5. Transforming the institution, or

institutionalizing the transformation?6. Discussion

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Guiding Questions Can education lead to social change? Can institutions promote transformational change?

How can social justice best be understood and advanced?

Does accountability and the quest for high standards include social justice?

Are “democracy” and “education” mutually reinforcing concepts?

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Conceptual Framework Transformational change & anti-racism (CARR)

Leadership, strategic planning & diversity (FULLAN)

Systemic racism & marginalization (DEI) Cultural discontinuities & minority castes (OGBU)

Social re-production (BOURDIEU) Critical pedagogy (FREIRE; McCLAREN) White power and privilege (FINE et al.)

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Data Sources1. Research on anti-racism and

institutional change in Toronto and Canadian schools (mid- to late-1990s)

2. Professional experience in government as a Senior Policy Advisor working on educational policy (1988-2005)

3. Research on educational policymaking, democracy and citizenship (2003 – present), with preliminary research on students/faculty in an Ohio university

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Change & Anti-racism “Racializing” education is opposed by many Education is a political enterprise Social construction & intersectionality of identity Marginalized communities Inequitable power relations “Multiculturalism myth” and the rise of anti-racism Power and privilege (Whiteness) Effect of affirmative action and employment equity Role of RM teachers and anti-racist education Uneven academic achievement

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Teacher Race and Education Findings on five topics where White and RM teachers have different perspectives:

1) views of anti-racist education2) RM teachers as role models3) role of principals 4) support for employment equity5) the treatment of RM teachers

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Leadership and Equity Need to make the agenda explicit “Big picture" is critical Key factors re: leadership and social justice:1) commitment to equity2) preparation and understanding of equity 3) demonstrated leadership4) the role of mediator5) racial representation

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Institutional Barriers Commitment to equity is fraught with problems and obstacles

Five barriers to the implementation of equity:1) lack of vision2) decentralized nature of school system3) lack of RMs in key positions4) compartmentalization of interests5) informal resistance to racial equality

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Educational Policymaking Is government capable of conceptualizing social justice?

The predominance of Whiteness as a dominating influence

Political agendas and the notion of accountability

Two steps forward, one step back… (informal resistance)

No Child Left Behind (accountability for results; emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research; expanded parental options; local control)

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Government (In)Action Ontario (NDP 1990-1995; PC 1995-2003; Liberals 2003-present)

Huge shift in ideological presence and resources Focus, mandate, planning and profile of social justice

Formal discourse on minority issues, social cohesion and human rights and informal resistance

Can there be progressive change from the inside? Business plans, communications strategies, tax cuts and democracy

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Democracy and Citizenship

Preliminary research with students, teachers, faculty and community groups

Humble appreciation for concepts; demonstrated commitment/experience is often nebulous

Emphasis on elections and the constitution Support for democracy in education with limited critical analysis

Accountability is not always connected to social justice

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Conceptualizing Democracy: “Official Version”

National/international ethos and ideology favouring “democracy”

Mainstream cultural appreciation of “democracy”

Human rights and laws based on “democracy” Free-market economy equals “democracy” Elections equal “democracy” Our values are rooted in “democracy”, which protects are “freedom” (according to FOX News, “fair” and “balanced”)

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Conceptualizing Democracy: “Unofficial Version”

Democracy is experienced differently according to origin/background and context

Elections not necessarily democratic (money, participation, identity, media, polling)(Jenson et al.)

“Democratic racism” (Tator and Henry) Is poverty “democratic”? Rational incoherence to democracy (the monarchy, the Constitution and slavery, wealthy folks who don’t pay income tax, the role of the media)

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The Identity of Democracy

Diversity, equity and social justice Social construction of identity Representative vs. participatory democracy White power and privilege is not neutral Decisionmaking processes are shaped by power/money Changing demography (i.e., Latinos in US) Converging trans-national interests (i.e., environment, war, poverty, etc., have international linkages)

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Educational Context Wide-ranging educational reforms Academic achievement vs. employability Accountability (for who?) Standardized testing for students Changing context for teachers Political-economy of globalization (competition) Multiculturalism, social justice & White teachers

Underachievement and a lack of response Privatization as opposed to societal responsibility

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Diversity in Toronto Schools

UN declares Toronto world’s most multicultural city

300,000 students in 558 schools (Canada’s largest)

ESL: 52% of (S) and 47% of (E) students Significant refugee population 24% (E) students born outside of Canada 12% of (S) students in Canada < 3 years Approx. 15% of (S) students live without parents Approx. 30% of students live in poverty RM: approx. 55% of students and 14% of teachers Special education: 10% of students Disproportionate drop-out rate/academic achievement

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Education in a Democracy

The purpose of public education? to support “democracy” social change (or social re-production) social cohesion individual choice civic engagement skills and knowledge attitudes and behaviour some combination of these

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Formulating “democratic education”

An amalgam of concepts: How decisions in education are made? What are those decisions? What is the effect of those decisions? (especially re: citizenship, social justice and human development)

Classroom/school content + institutional processes and culture

Accountability (not the TQM type)

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Institutional Culture Decisionmaking processes (who is at the table, and what happens?)

Policy process (what issues are brought forward, and how? is research used to inform the policy process?)

Accountability mechanisms (what do we measure, how, and why? what about social justice?)

Data-collection and usage Traditions and ethos (types of leadership) Formal vs. informal implementation

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DE in the Classroom Curriculum (formal vs. hidden)

civics vs. social studies ideology of policies, documents and resources

facts vs. reflective learning integrated/infused or centralized approach linkages with community are teachers able and prepared? (Mellor) politics, levies, standards and the national priority for public education

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(Un)Critical Democracy Is critical thinking construed as anti-patriotic behaviour? (Westheimer)

Can educational systems support critical reflection, and also adhere to prescriptive curriculum documents?

How does critical learning mesh with teaching and standardized tests?

Can we have “democracy” in the classroom if we don’t have it in the system supporting the schools?

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Service-learning/Community Service

Volunteerism that is non-critical avoids doing “democracy”

Role of business and community in schools

Authentic civic involvement may lead to less social problems and individualism

Learning programs can be categorized (Westheimer and Kahne) responsible citizen participatory citizen social reformer

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Rationale for DE Framework No consensus on exact definition of DE Political nature of education (shifting visions) Insistence on short-term vs. long-term goals No culture of assessing entire education system Concern about exposing gaps and weaknesses Structural issues not conducive to accountability White privilege and power If not implemented, risk of losing credibility, moral authority, and capacity to confront problems (in Toronto, the call for “black-focused” schools)

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DE Framework Matrix-based, multi-layered, comprehensive framework for entire education system (province/state, school district and school levels)

Ten substantive CONTENT components:- Strategic policy - Training- Leadership - Evaluation- Policy development - Service-learning- Community involvement - Social justice- Extra-curricular - Curriculum

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DE Framework Eight FUNCTIONAL criteria:

- Inclusion - Data-collection/analysis- Representation - Decisionmaking process

- Communications - Accountability mechanism

- Funding - Monitoring and review

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Considerations for DE framework

Cyclical nature of review Formulation of measures and targets is key Diversity must be contextualized Need to be open, transparent and accountable Political system must be responsive Same rigour used to develop standards for academic achievement is required for DE

What is the cost of not developing, implementing and evaluating a DE framework?

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Potential for DE Framework1) Positive effect on “democracy” in

society (civic participation) 2) Support for human rights and social

justice3) Improved educational experience

(academic and citizenship) 4) Educational systems/institutions will

become more “democratic” and accountable5) More critical debate of public good

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Questions Is this model realistic, given political/economic interests of the state?

Would this model assist in asserting social justice?

Why and how would educational institutions reject/embrace the model?

Would the model be helpful to marginalized groups?

Is there a socio-political interest in achieving greater “democracy” and accountability in education?

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MERCI BEAUCOUP !!MUCHAS GRACIAS!

MESI ANPIL!THANK YOU!