"The school was one of the many 'themed academies' that had been newly founded in New York, but it was academic only in its name and it turned out to be a bleak and grimy institution on the top floor of an old five-story building in East Harlem in the lower floors of which an elementary school was housed." (Kozol 142-143)
The word "academy" has really become a catch-all term in education to imply some degree of enrichment. I doubt any educator could really give a decent definition of it off the top of his or her head. Kozol highlights how academy is being used to describe special schooling for urban youth that, in principle, is suppose to enrich them beyond the regualr schooling. In practice, the academies are in some ways worse than the regular schools. But even outside of urban districts, the term has lost meaning. At one school where I worked, each day had a block of time known as "academy time." By using the term academy, the school hoped to imply that this time would provide extra enrichment. The block of time was little more than a glorified study hall, and teachers often scrambled to provide some extra activity outside of their regular curriculum as mandated by the administration. Forced enrichment is not really enriching.
"You have to do what children do and breathe the air the children breathe. I don't think that there is any other way to find out what the lives that children lead in school are really like." (Kozol 163)
As I read Kozol's descriptions of the deplorable physical conditions within these schools, I'm reminded of the famous photographer and social worker Jacob Riis. Jacob Riis used the new technology of flash powder and photography to document the awful conditions in the ghettos of New York City at the turn of the century. People outside of the ghettos had heard of the conditions, but never before had they actually seen them. Riis used the new technology to actually share vivid, graphic images of human suffering in the heart of New York City. I'm wondering if someone could do something similar nowadays with the schools Kozol is describing. It's one thing to read about the conditions, but to actually see a video might really open some eyes. Showing some sort of video of a class might also show people the worth in these children. Too often, outsiders seem to characterize these children as troublemakers not worth the effort. Showing them in the class would go a long way toward dispelling myths.
"The original goals of public schools centered on citizenship training, equality of economic opportunity, and reduction of crime... Most of the original goals of schooling still guide the work of educators." (Spring 5)
I was surprised by this quote by Spring, as it seems quite idealistic. In principle, I guess these original goals are still the guiding principles. But in practice, they're not really the focus. Equality of economic opportunity has been replaced with workforce training. Students are now marched through schooling with the idea that they should be thinking of a future career. Reduction of crime is a bit of an odd goal, though ultimately by creating better citizens this goal is achieved. However, I think about the stories we've read about and heard from various sources about poor and minority students being marginalized. I believe Dr. Love said something to the effect of, "If you keep treating them like criminals, they're going to start acting like it." Is it any wonder crime rates seem to soar in urban areas when we as a society treat them as inferior? I wonder how many students the educational system has unintentionally railroaded into a life of deliquency. Finally, the idea of education being centered on citizenship training is, quite frankly, laughable. When I attended school, there were no civics or public policy classes offered. Social studies was equated with history and only history. And as we've discussed before, history is so often presented as being important "so that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past." Students are not truly taught how to participate in society or even to understand why the tensions in society today exist. The education system has created citizens detached from the society in which they live.
I didn't really understand what academies were all about and I am wondering if they are the same as magnet schools....I know that you have been substitute teaching for awhile, have you ever subbed at an academy? If yes, can you share some of your knowledge about that experience? Also, I agree that technology can be used to illustrate deficiencies and atrocities in society and I would like to see Pinapple and her friends and what they go through. For us who go to a beautiful university, it is hard to imagine not having a chair to sit on or to have rats scurrying under our desks. Video and photography should be used to bring the plights of these schools to light- but I wonder if the public would take action.....
ReplyDeleteI have not subbed at an academy. Academies (according to a quick web search) are a type of school started in England that is funded not by local government as most schools, but through a combination of federal funding and corporate sponsorship. That corporate sponsorship bit sounds familiar in terms of what we're discussing doesn't it? Webster's defines academy as a school for special instruction. The term generally denotes some sort of higher level of education or enrichment. But as I said, it's often become a catch all term to merely convey enrichment. Do they actually provide enrichment? Kozol provides examples where academies clearly fail in that regard. In principle, the goals are noble, but I could easily see the definition twisted in some way that promotes corporate interest, a traditional pedagogical method, or some other educational system that is ultimately a disservice to the learners.
ReplyDeleteEven the word academy has a preppish and uppity sound to it, so its a shame if the schools cannot live up to their hype. The corporate sponsorship does sound really familiar like what we read in Kozol, and I am curious to find out if there are more examples in CT we can find. And you are right, the word enrichment can be used in such a general term and it can be meaningless, too. Real enrichment is offering variety, creative outlets with well planned lessons in a healthy environment- not training students for menial careers.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to knock every academy, but I agree that it conveys a preppy attitude. Of course, preppy attitudes and corporate sponsorship are not exclusive to schools that use the "academy" terminology. Many magnet schools use a similar model. CREC and ACES run magnet schools in Hartford and New Haven counties respectively. They are essentially companies whose business is schooling. Now, I'm not saying these companies do a bad job. In fact, the ACEs schools I've visited do a terrific job. But the fact that they are businesses creates a dynamic that isn't present in public schools. I would just urge use to look at these schools with a critical eye as opposed to accepting them as the best alternative to public schools.
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