Running Head: LOVINGNESS IN EL PASO SCHOOLS

Lovingness in El Paso Schools

georgina cecilia pérez

SCFE 6334 / TED 5319 – Ethics in Education

LOVINGNESS IN EL PASO SCHOOLS 2

Abstract

This paper will discuss access to effective education via lovingness for El Paso students,

why it is crucial for current teachers as well as pre-service teachers to learn how to develop

loving learning environments, and how a lovingness approach for real transformation from the

classroom to the community can occur.

LOVINGNESS IN EL PASO SCHOOLS 3

Lovingness in El Paso schools

Introduction

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ethics as, “rules of behavior based on ideas about

what is morally good and bad (Merriam-Webster 2014). The National Education Agency (NEA)

defines ethics in education using two straightforward principles: “1) a commitment to the

student; 2) a commitment to the profession” (NEA 2014). The Texas Education Agency (TEA)

doesn’t define ethics in education. A webpage search results in a page titled, “Texas

Administrative Code, Educator’s Code of Ethics.” TEA’s priorities are listed as such: 1) Protect the

safety and welfare of children; 2) ensure educators are morally fit and worthy to instruct the

youth of the state; 3) resolve educator disciplinary proceedings at the least expense possible to

the parties and the state (TEA 2014).

If we are to accept Merriam-Webster’s definition of ethics as a belief that something is

very important, then apply it to TEA’s “Educator’s Code of Ethics, “one may internalize that what

is most important in Texas education is not the educating of students – it’s saving money then

disciplining teachers… Is the lack of ethics in education for students in Texas unethical?

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El Paso, Texas Data

Texas is listed #50 for high school graduations (US Census, 2012). El Paso data reflects

that fewer than 25% of adults (age 25 and older) have a high school diploma or equivalency

certificate (US Census, 2012).

El Paso’s population is 827,718;

28.9% are under 18 years of age (US Census, quickfacts). Using figure 1, we can deduce that as

much as 75% of El Paso’s youth drop out of the public education system without attaining a high

school diploma, never returning for an equivalency certificate. El Paso’s drop-out rate has not

fluctuated since the 1950’s, leading to the question – Is the current education El Paso students

receive ethical?

52% Indigenous-Chicana/o-Latina/o

29% European American

13% African American

4% Asian American

1% Two or More Ethnicities/Races

1% Pacific Islander

52%

29%

13%

4% 1%1%

Texas Student Dempgraphics, 2012

Figure 1

Figure 2

The demographics of Texas public school students (TEA Enrollment Data, 2014)

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When you don’t know what you don’t know

Studies prove that students who attend schools that demonstrate a real and tangible

respect for them, their families and communities inherited culture, beliefs and traditions -

attendance increases, classroom participation surges, grades rise, parents involvement, on-time

graduation and college readiness surges (Cabrera, 2012, 2014). Knowing this data, we are left

asking why aren’t we using these pedagogical frameworks? The simple answer, we don’t know

what we don’t know. Many parents did not receive an education that valued them as human

beings, therefore, while their children are also denied these educational opportunities; parents

do not identify the issue. Many teachers didn’t receive this education as students in public

schools nor later in college, consequently, they teach what they were taught, eradicating the

cultural aspect and do not know of the opportunity they are denying their students. This lack of

cultural education pushes many students to internalize hate and feel they have no value. Many

parents easily identify with this despite not being able to name it. History predetermines our

starting point (West, 2000, p. 10), as we perpetuate the drop-out rate generation after

generation. Glass discusses this in his article, Education and Ethics of Democratic Citizenship

(Glass, 2000), as the dehumanization of our children/classmates by peers and parents alike.

Glass refers to this as the Anybody, Nobody and Somebody in School. Anybody blames

her/himself for not meeting expectations and becomes a Nobody while Somebody means to be

the best among Anybody. Glass defines this systemic maintenance of the dominating class’

power structure as undemocratic. Demanding the question, if our schools are undemocratic, are

they ethical?

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Who’s to Blame?

Looking at all of the evidence provided to us by Giroux, it is clear that while we may not

blame teachers; they are certainly under attack (Giroux, 2013, p. 167). Teachers have become

an easy target in El Paso. Texas is a “Right to Work” state that equates to teachers are not

allowed to unionize; they cannot strike. In addition to hostile work environments created by

state and district evaluations based on standardized curriculum and assessment measures, many

teachers are unaware of studies which demonstrate the hidden curriculum they actively

participate in – consciously or otherwise (Zizek, 2010). Parents need/want to believe that

sending their children to school is sufficient, that teachers know what they are doing, principles

are naturally good people and districts have kids’ best interest at heart. However, we know this

is not the case. In 2011, Texas legislators cut the state’s education fund by $5.4 billion, and TEA

introduced merit pay for administrators, districts and campuses scoring high marks on

standardized assessments (TEA 2011). These decisions, made by people who have little to no

experience in education, resulted (and continue to result) in a large population of “undesirable”

students. Teachers who enroll in merit pay bonuses are less inclined to ‘want’ low scoring

students in their classrooms. Several administrators and teachers in all El Paso school districts

have been caught participating in fraudulent behavior in order to boost student scores, school

performance percentages, receive additional funding for their district/schools and pocket a large

sum of money for themselves. Demanding the question, is this ethical?

Teaching Strategies

Teachers teach the way they are taught. Simply put, shouldn’t we be providing cultural

studies to our teachers via undergraduate studies, so they can in turn facilitate an efficient

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educational process in the classroom? Obviously the answer is yes, however, teacher education

and professional development is created by the dominating class’ “new and improved” meaning

of pedagogy based on the teaching of skills focused on raising standardized test scores (Giroux,

2014, p. 171). These practices are based on potential profits from selling a standardized

curriculum designed by billionaires who are now influencing and determining education policy.

While teachers sit in these conferences, many remain silent while a few comment based on what

their supervisors ‘want’ to hear, consciously perpetuating the dominant class’ undemocratic

design.

Teaching is the most revolutionary act one can perform… Teaching has the ability to

transform students who will transform the world. So why aren’t more teachers revolutionaries?

Why aren’t more teachers creating equitable learning environments by incorporating social

justice? Teachers deserve respect and autonomy, thus why aren’t teachers receiving any?

Modestly answered, they aren’t demanding any – at least not in large numbers in an organized

manner. Arrogantly answered, teachers who consciously (and ignorantly unconsciously)

participate in any reform without question should not be teaching (Neumann, 2013). As

teachers, we are obligated to demonstrate critical thinking - how to question what we are doing

and why we are doing it, who it affects and who benefits from my actions. If we actively refuse

to focus our goals on transformative education (Freire 1998, 2004), our students will continue to

face life and death situations due to a lack of education. You may ask yourself, how is this a life

and death situation in El Paso? The answer lies in figure 1, +/- 25% of our students are leaving

school never receiving a diploma and a mere 13 of 100 college/university enrollees complete a

degree program (US Census, 2012). El Paso’s unemployment rate is 7.2% (the US national

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unemployment rate is 5.8%) (Bureau of Labor & Statistic, November 29, 2014), allowing

employers to pay low-wages because of the high number of low-educational-level job seekers. In

addition to high unemployment, El Paso’s job market leaves much to be desired. Living wage

employers do not find a city with fewer than 25% of adults attaining a high school diploma a

desirable location for their companies. Demanding the question, is our teacher education

ethical?

What should our children be learning?

There are opinions on both sides of the cultural relevancy approach to teaching. While

the conservative approach continues to argue that including culture in education is divisive,

radical, and results in students wanting to overthrow the United States government,

conveniently oblivious to the fact that teaching a Euro-centric framework is undemocratic and

can be defined as unethical due to the use of teaching materials which do not accurately reflect

the classroom/school demographic (Gersema, 2012).

A lovingness learning environment exists where educators and students alike believe they

all have much to learn and much to contribute to learning. Each human is respected and their

experiences, intelligences, and humanness are appreciated. When we incorporate ‘lovingness’ in

our classroom utilizing the model of the Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz, we allow for teachers

to be critical of their pedagogies while following the provided standardized curriculum. Realizing

the standardized curriculum is not going away anytime soon, a ‘lovingness’ model offers an

opportunity for teachers and students to acknowledge our realities and environments we must

live and work in. As educators, we are responsible for taking standardized curriculum and

supplement it using culturally responsive and anti-bias materials. The ‘lovingness’ pedagogical

LOVINGNESS IN EL PASO SCHOOLS 9

framework occurring in classrooms will naturally transform the school, students homes and our

communities because students now see themselves as valuable human beings with a great deal

of potential; and teachers are on a path to becoming fully realized human beings (De Lissovoy,

2010). This journey to ‘lovingness’ is a powerful force against the punishment and consequence

discipline systems most of our Chicana/o-Latina/o students suffer from. Students and teachers

alike are highly engaged in a curriculum which they can connect to and critically reflect upon.

Students and teachers want to be in class, they want to share knowledge, attendance (truancy)

and discipline are no longer issues because the human need to love and be loved is far more

influential than any punishment that anyone can imagine. Furthermore, the lovingness

pedagogical framework is the only proven curriculum to close the achievement gap for Barrio

kids (Cabrera, 2012). Classroom participation rises because students want to share their stories

and want to learn more about who they are, where they come from and how to use this

knowledge to transform themselves and their communities. On-time graduation increases

because students have become active participants in their learning and have developed their

natural desire to learn more, be more. College readiness is achieved because teaching the

standardized curriculum alongside the culturally responsive and anti-bias curriculum naturally

requires critical thinking skills and critical reflection of themselves. Teachers regain their power

because they are now putting their feelings into practice, remembering and acting on why they

became teachers.

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Conclusion

Throughout this paper, I discussed the ethics – or lack thereof – in El Paso schools. It is

not my place to decide ‘whose ethics’ are right, nor is it my place to determine what is morally

good or bad. Each of us must determine for ourselves and our students which pedagogical

framework we will present to our students; leaving us with more questions than answers. Will

we perpetuate the chaos and the life death situations our children face? Or will we supplement

the standardized curriculum with ‘lovingness’ via culturally responsive and anti-bias materials?

Does maintaining the dominant class’ power structure serve our community? Are our children

being sacrificed to the billionaire methodology of teaching a skill? Are we ready to organize

students and parents? Do we want to?

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References

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