Journal Article

Undermining the Struggle for Equity: a Case Study of Chicago School Policy in a Latino/a School June 1, 2000

Lipman, Pauline, Gutstein, Eric

2001

Overview

This paper examines implications of Chicago school policies for educators and students in one Latino/a elementary school. We argue that although Chicago's centrally regulated accountability measures may resonate with demands to improve the education of low-income children of color, current policies actually undermine the struggle for an empowering, equitable education for African Americans, Latinos, and other students of color. We develop this argument through three themes drawn from our qualitative data: 1) current Chicago Public Schools policies frustrate the efforts of some teachers at the school to promote critical literacy; 2) the policies counter curricula and pedagogies rooted in the language, culture, lived experiences, and identities of Latino/a students; and 3) the current policies reinforce ideologically the myth of individual achievement and meritocracy. Finally, we suggest some elements of a framework for a more liberatory education – one that is rooted in a sociocultural analysis of educational failure and that supports critical literacies that are grounded in students' language, culture, and experiences.

• Publisher: Race, Gender & Class,Race, Gender & Class, Jean Ait Belkhir, Dept,Race, Gender and Class
• Subject: Academic Achievement / Beliefs / Bilingual education / Bilingual students / Bilingualism / Case studies / Chicago Public Schools IL / Chicago School of sociology / Chicago, Illinois / Child welfare / Classrooms / Communities / Critical Literacy / Cultural identity / Culturally Relevant Education / Culture / Curricula / Discrimination / Education / Education discrimination / Educational administration / Educational Inequality / Educational Policy / Elementary Education / Elementary school students / Elementary Schools / English as a second language instruction / English as a second language tests / English language / Equal Education / Equity / Ethnicity / High school students / High schools / Hispanic American Students / Hispanic Americans / Hispanic people / Interpersonal relations / Justice / Language teaching methods / Literacy / Minority & ethnic groups / Multicultural Education / Native language / Politics / Public Schools / Racial Bias / Racial discrimination / School Policy / Scores / Second language teachers / Self concept / Slavery / Social inequality / Spanish language / Standardized tests / Student teacher relationship / Students / Teachers / Teaching