Entering the Conversation
Question: What does the first part of Rose tell us about Democratic Education and the
Meaning of Opportunity?
I. Rugged Individualism v. Spheres of Opportunity
II. Rose’s Opportunities and the School
A. Rose’s view of existence, e.g., pp. 17 f.
B. Robert Coles, The Privileged Ones
C. School’s cues to Rose, Chapt 2, e.g., p. 28
D. Students’ response to cues, e.g., pp. 28 f.
D. Redefinition of Rose’s sense of opportunity, Ch 2, pp 29 on, and Ch 3, p. 47 f.
III. Spheres of Opportunity Racialized
A. Historic Example: Roosevelt v. Malcolm X
B. Ghetto w/in a Ghetto
1. In “desegregated” schools, African American boys tracked into special ed
2. Why does this happen?
3. What does McNally think should be done?
4. Is he convincing?
Here’s an ok definition of rugged individualism, an ok place to start:
http://www.bartleby.com/59/14/ruggedindivi.html
Here’s a famous speech by Herbert Hoover, often taken as a key 20th century statement
on rugged individualism: http://www.pinzler.com/ushistory/ruggedsupp.html
Here’s a sophisticated discussion of Rugged Individualism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media_and_public_opinion
National Center for Research in Vocational Education at University of California
Berkeley; has articles for and against voc ed: http://vocserve.berkeley.edu/
Here’s a brief fact sheet from NASP on application of zero tolerance policies to Black
and White students: http://www.nasponline.org/educators/zero_alternative.pdf
Here’s a link to “The Color of Discipline,” a study that challenges the idea that Black
students are less severely disciplined than White ones:
http://www.indiana.edu/~safeschl/cod.pdf
Here’s a page, edited by Pedro Noguera of New York University, with a number of
articles related to tracking Black males into special education:
http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/er.html