Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Power, Labor, and Compliance in Education Reform: Why We Must Refuse
Last edited Thu Nov 12, 2015, 04:09 PM - Edit history (1)
If youve ever lived with small children then you know this feeling: You have just cleaned the house. All clutter is put way. Table tops and floors have no dirt or food. Clothes are folded. And then, they come home. Next thing you know theres a trail of chocolate chips on the floor from the refrigerator into the TV room. The cabinets and drawers are vomiting out their contents; pencils, rubber bands, clothing, snacks, scissors. Theres mud and leaves all over the floor . And you know that within a short period of time youll have to pick everything up all over again. Now, Ive come to terms with this process. It comes with the territory. Its never ending. At least until they move out.
But, now imagine having this feeling as an educator as it pertains to education policies. It appears apparent to anyone who has worked in education for more than a few years that what we have before us is a never-ending avalanche of policies. Further, dedicated and committed teachers try their best to follow instructions. They try to follow the latest round of to-do lists hurled upon them from above by experts and policy makers.
But theres a catch.
We are naïve in believing that there will ever be an end to the policy demands, or that, once we finally get a grasp on the latest thing and have command of it, that we can get ever get caught up. Its an illusion (a deliberate one at that) that this next thing, whatever it is, will be the solution to our education woes. We are being sold an endless slew of promises that all we need to do is clean house and the problems will be solved. But we must do our part right?
However, the house of education, beset by a neoliberal agenda is designed to perpetually re-create new messes for us to clean up. What does this mean? (A)t the heart of neoliberal ideology is the appreciation of the role of market in defining and ensuring (supposed) human well-being, where the state is more of a facilitator providing institutional supports in the form of strong private property right, free markets, and free trade (Harvey, 2005, p. 2).
_________________________________________________________________________________
This is an important, irrefutable article. I hope you will read every word.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
2 replies, 1119 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Power, Labor, and Compliance in Education Reform: Why We Must Refuse (Original Post)
chervilant
Nov 2015
OP
yurbud
(39,405 posts)1. link?
chervilant
(8,267 posts)2. Thank you for making me aware
that I forgot to post the link.