Lisa Banavich and Denise Alexander
“Selfishness is a virtue, unlike
altruism and its idea that others are
more important than oneself.”
History: Conservative
 Traditional methodology which has been returned to on
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many occasions
Sputnik illustrated the failure/gaps of the progressive
reform movement
Traditional education became popular again after the fall of
the SAT/ACT scores in the early 80’s.
Importance of patriotic values & stricter discipline
The push for PC speech in schools is unrealistic and is not
the proper way to combat hate speech.
Main changes credited to conservative reform:
academically tougher schools, vouchers, charter schools,
rigorous standards, more discipline and training in moral
behavior
History: Liberal
 Progressive education movement from about 1920-WWII
 Involved severe criticism of traditional conservative
schooling ideas and such practices as corporal punishment,
rote memorization and drill.
 1960’s liberal reform: open education, non-graded schools,
more electives, more student freedom, getting rid of dress
codes/rigid rules, less reliance on standardized tests
 Desired reform for liberals: make schools active, pleasant,
student oriented, critical and sensitive to social problems
What do you think justice and
equality look like in education?
Justice and Equality:
Conservative
 Equality and justice are related, but not one and the same
 Teacher accountability & limitation of unions creates a
stronger education system
 Vouchers create competition for public schools
 Inequality based on performance is okay. Inequality in the
attempt to rectify a former inequality does not yield the
best performance.
Justice and Equality: Liberal
 Justice depends on many factors
 Justice for each child may look different. Each child would
get an education (curriculum, instructional delivery) that
fits their specific needs
 Students who are at an economic disadvantage may get
more opportunities in school
 Both conservatives and liberals support the basic ideas of
freedom and equality
What would be more important
to you : Individual rights or
social rights?
Individual and Social Rights:
Conservative
 It is in the best interest of everyone to maintain as
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many freedoms as possible
Values education may infringe on the rights of some
individuals, but that is acceptable
Trying to better oneself through enlightened selfinterest is in everyone’s best interest
Allow schools to continue traditional practices and
limit government involvement
Those who have worked hard to achieve success can
keep what they have earned
Individual and Social Rights: Liberal
 Support individual freedoms for teachers and students
to study controversial topics, to protest and to criticize
 Schools must be flexible, child-centered and future
oriented
 Ensure individual rights by governmental regulation.
Example: More laws governing special education- both
students who are gifted and students w/disabilities