Two weeks ago, we read about and discussed tracking and "ability" grouping and the ways in which such exclusionary practices limit and define students' experiences. We also discussed how such practices contribute to the prison-to-school pipeline. This week's readings, while broad, also address methods of sorting, partitioning, and ultimately excluding students, according to race, gender, class and perceived behavior disorders.

Each article addresses, directly or indirectly, the Thomas theorem, which states: "If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences" (as cited Tyson, Castellino, & Darity, 2005, p. 291). I have selected a few provocative sentences from the articles that highlight how school structures "define situations as real" and thus make them "real in their consequences."

Black Students School Success: Coping With the 'Burden of 'Acting White'": "Apparently, black children's general perception that academic pursuit is "acting white" is learned in the black community. The ideology of the community in regard to the cultural meaning of schooling is, therefore, implicated and needs to be reexamined" (Fordham & Ogbu 1986, p. 280).

Despite the controversy that has surrounded this article for the last twenty-five years, many researchers, authors and much of the general public still subscribe to the "acting white" argument. For instance, consider the recent book by Stuart Buck titled "Acting White: The Ironic Effects of Desegregation"
Michael Eric Dyson on Stuart Buck's "Acting White: The Ironic Effects of Desegregation" (skip ahead to min 31:35)


Do you think that the majority of teachers believe Fordham & Ogbu's claims that black students are resistant to "acting white", that they associate "acting white" with being academic, and that parents are to blame?


Considering the following quote, how might teachers' misconceptions about African American resistance to education and "acting white" shape black students' educational structures?:

"They were becoming what teachers assumed they already where-racial subjects. Race is not merely a fixed characteristic of children that they bring to school and then take away intact but something they learn about through school lessons and through interactions with peers and teachers. Moreover, schools do not merely produce children as racial subjects-they produce racial disparities in life outcomes. Children were not only learning racial lessons but were receiving different educational opportunities. Racial inequities then are, at least in part, products of racialized institutional and interactional practices withing the education system...Race is never a finished product; it functions as a dynamic, artificial, and powerful category that applies to us-and that we react to -in new and old ways on a daily basis" (Lewis, 2003, p. 327).


What roles do we have as educators to challenge these "common sense" assumptions? How might we problemetize notions of gender, race and (dis)ability? The following quote from the Danforth article offers some insight:

"First, educators and other helping professionals have often focused heavily on developing and using authoritative knowledge. This effort has effectively amounted to building a knowledge base about students and families that we then say supercedes the knowledge of students and families about themselves. Our reasons for listening carefully to students and families have been unfortunately diminished by our own scientific knowledge. Second, educators and helping professions have often viewed social problems in a depoliticized way. Rather than becoming aware of complex dimensions of social inequality that surround so many troubling students, we have often defined the problem as an individual disorder needing treatment. This approach has allowed us to ignore the unequal and unjust social and political" (Danforth, p.32)

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Professor Mulcahy was surprised last week by our willingness to blame "the system." Considering our work so far this semester, how might we, as educators, further challenge common beliefs about students' willingness to learn and their (in)abilities?

Perhaps one way is to bring this discussion out of our classroom and engage in more public debate.

Newspapers such as the New York Times often post forums on school-related topics. Also, many of their regular articles allow for readers' comments.

The following NY Times articles and discussion boards begin to touch some of the issues we're exploring this week. Many of the responses from NYT readers reflect broad misconceptions about gender, race, ability and schooling. If you're interested and have the time, engage in the online discussion.


Single-Sex Schools: Separate but Equal?

How well do teachers handle disabilities in the classroom?

The 'Two or More Races' Dilemma

Closing the Achievement Gap Without Widening a Racial One

Message From a Charter School: Thrive or Transfer

An interesting NPR On The Media discussion on the DSM: The Art of Diagnosis