EDUC 250 - Education and Equity in the U.S.

This course focuses on two essential questions. Do schools reduce or increase inequality? And do education policies really make a difference? Despite our hopefulness, schools are not necessarily liberating or empowering institutions. Unless teachers are vigilant and reflective, they can unintentionally marginalize or limit opportunity for learners. Similarly, the reform strategies proposed by politicians and policymakers may or may not serve to counteract the influence of out-of-school inequality. In addition to exploring these tensions, this course introduces students to the basic principles of effective lesson planning and instruction, while also surveying the Professional Standards for Teachers (PSTs) that define the knowledge required of all educators in Massachusetts. The PSTs are: (1) Curriculum, Planning and Assessment; (2) Teaching All Students; (3) Family and Community Engagement (3); and (4) Professional Culture. In the first half of the course, instructional principles will be modeled (PSTs 1 & 2) while students examine the purposes of education and the extent to which class and race shape schooling in the United States (PSTs 2 & 3). During the second half, students will apply the strategies that were modeled while teaching each other about education policies. Ultimately the course encourages students to identify multiple perspectives while developing their own stances toward current topics in education (PST 4).

Credits 4

Area
Social Sciences

Connection
20053

Division
Social Sciences

Compass Attributes
Social Science, Structure/Power/Inequality, Taylor and Lane Scholars