CSU, Chico • School of Education
The CSU, Chico School of Education aspires to be a recognized leader in preparing professional
educators to meet the needs of a diverse society through innovation, collaboration and service.
EFFECTIVE • REFLECTIVE • ENGAGED
EDMA 600: Critical Perspectives in Education, Section 01• Fall 2013
Instructor:
Office location:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Office hours:
Classroom:
Dr. Maris Thompson
429 Tehama
898-4196
mrthompson@csuchico.edu
Tues 2:00-3:30, Wed 2:30-6:00
Butte 209
Course Usage of Blackboard Learn (BB Learn)
Copies of the course syllabus and major assignments may be found on BBLearn. You are
responsible for regularly checking the online resources, which is accessed through the Chico
State Portal at http://portal.csuchico.edu. This course will be managed as a hybrid including
both BBL tools and regular face-to-face meetings. Graduate students are expected to
maintain classroom norms of respect and professional discourse in both online and
classroom environments.
Course Description and Goals
This foundations course examines current and historical issues related to supporting the
important connections between social justice and democracy in public education and
society. Students will explore, research and discuss past and current socio/political issues
and trends in education, with particular focus on diverse student populations in our schools
and the democratic professional practices that best serve our educational communities
COURSE RATIONALE:
There is an equation that has generally proven true throughout the history of our nation;
The quality of one’s education is closely linked to the quality of one’s life. Furthermore, the
quality of our collective lives is directly related to a system of public education that educates
all children. Equity and excellence is not for a favored few, but for all; at least that is the
accepted presumption of the ideals of a democratic society. In other words, how well we
educate children is directly related to the quality of our lives, and to the well being of our
democracy. Public education provides the foundation for virtually all occupations and
institutional structures in our society. Public education also provides the single best
opportunity for children to learn how to successfully live in a democracy. To sustain and
improve the quality of our democracy, schools require educators who are committed to
serving the public good-who can teach children how to make a positive difference in their
own lives, and in the lives of others.
If public schooling is to be effective and educators are to be exemplary leaders,
public schooling, its purpose, its assumptions, and its direct connection to the survival of
our democratic way of life must be made explicit. The central theme of this course is
schooling for democracy. The purpose of this course is to assist students, as potential or
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practicing educators, to become informed, reflective, and critically aware of the ideas and
issues involved in the public enterprise of education, all within the context of preparing for
both professional practice and democratic and moral stewardship.
Course Objectives
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. Candidates will relate the history of education in America to past/present
philosophical, socio/political issues and trends in education. (SLO1;
Assignments 2, 3, 4)
2. Candidates will understand the important historical and contemporary
relationship between diversity, democracy and public education. (SLO1;
Assign. 1, 2, 3, 4)
3. Candidates will define diversity and describe how US public schools have
addressed equity in education for diverse populations. (SLO1; Assign. 1,
2, 3, 5)
4. Candidates will be able to identify key legislation as it pertains to diverse
learners. (SLO1; Assign. 4)
5. Candidates will examine politics and ideology in relation to personal and
professional values related to education. (SLO2, 3; Assign. 2, 3)
6. Candidates will examine and evaluate how the media portrays and the
public views the institution of public schooling. (SLO2, 3; Assign. 4, 5)
7. Candidates will analyze and evaluate past and current research in
education, examining alternate points of view to develop an informed
perspective. (SLO2; Assign. 4, 6)
8. Given an informed perspective, candidates will engage in an advocacy
project that culminates in a well-developed paper representing a strong,
well- defined interest relative to the concepts developed in this course.
(SLO2, 3, 4, 6; Assign. 6)
Required Texts (note where available)
Required books:
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
Apple, M.W. and Beane, J.A. (2007). Democratic schools, Lessons in powerful
education. 2nd ed. Portsmouth, N.H., Heinemann. Available in the AS
Bookstore.
Course Reader #
EDMA 600: Critical Issues in Education available at Mr.
Kopy 119 Main St. (530) 896-1804. Other assigned readings are available online
in Vista.
Library Liaison (if applicable)
Irene Korber is the designated Librarian for the School of Education. Her contact info:
Meriam Library
Room 216. Tel # 530-898-6487. Consultations available by appointment.
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Classroom Protocol
General Involvement, Attendance, and Preparedness
Attendance is required. Given that the course meets in a very short space of time,
attendance is expected for every session. This is a graduate course and therefore the
primary value of the course is derived from your preparation with the weekly readings and
your class participation. Your voice and experience are critical to our shared learning.
Therefore, your preparation and informed participation will be considered in the final
course evaluation.
Email Accounts and Internet Access:
The Department of Education requires that you have an email account and avail yourself of
Internet access. Information about student email accounts can be found at
http://www.csuchico.edu/stcp/email/You will need to access to BB Learn for a portion of
this course. A BBL account will be created for you to facilitate communication outside of the
course.
Writing Format:
APA (American Psychological Association) is the writing format used by the Education
profession. The reference for this academic writing format is the Publication Manual of
the American Psychological Association, 6th Ed. American Psychological Association.
October 2009. ISBN: 978-1-4338-0561-5 (softbound). Online references and examples
of APA writing format can be found at apastyle.org. Sample papers can be found in the
APA Manual 6th Edition in Chapter 2 beginning on page 40.
Dropping and Adding
You are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops,
academic renewal, etc. found http://www.csuchico.edu/catalog/. You should be aware of
the new deadlines and penalties for adding and dropping classes.
Assignments and Grading Policy
1.
Assignments
value
Preparation/Participation/Attendance
20 pts
This is a graduate seminar. The primary value of the course is derived from your
preparation and class participation. Your voice and experience are critical to our
shared learning. Therefore, your preparation and informed participation will be
considered in the final course evaluation. Absences could result in a lowered
grade or having to retake the course.
2.
Democratic Philosophy Statement.
10 pts
In 2 pages, describe your philosophy of education (feel free to revisit any prior
philosophies you have written for other MA classes). Some suggested questions
to consider are: What do you feel the purpose of schooling in a democracy ought
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to be? How might these practices look in a classroom, school, or other
educational sites of work? Describe specific ways that you might enact these
beliefs in your professional work and practice.
Two resources on BB Learn will help you in this assignment. See Learning
Module “Educational Philosophy” for a self-quiz that will help you identify your
own educational philosophy and Learning Module, “Democracy Articles” for a list
of seminal articles on democracy and education. Strong papers will reference at
least 2-3 of these sources.
Post your Democratic Philosophy to BB Learn Discussion Board,
"Democratic Philosophies" by Sunday Sept 22 midnight. Post a response to
at least 2 colleagues Democratic Philosophies by midnight, Wed Sept 25th.
3.
Democratic Experience Paper
10 pts
This essay is intended to be a point of departure for you to reflect on your own
early experiences with democracy or anti-democratic mechanisms in your
schooling, workplace or community and to consider how these experiences might
already impact you as a teacher or future educator.
Please address some or all of the questions below. These are meant to be guiding
questions but please be clear about how this information informs your
understanding of democracy or school/workplace practices. There are several
questions worth considering:


What experiences with diversity do you have? Where do you encounter
people who are most like you? What have you learned about interacting
with others that are different from you? What kinds of experiences do you
have with difference in school, outside of school?
What experiences with tracking in school do you have? How has society
and school viewed you given your cultural, socioeconomic, linguistic
background? Did you experience any kind of social or cultural labeling (by
others-teachers, administrators, peers) in school? What were these
experiences like? How did these labels affect your experience positively
and/or negatively?
****Post your Democratic Philosophy to BB Learn Discussion Board,
"Democratic Philosophies" by Sunday October 6th midnight.
3.
Current Issues in Education Paper
20 pts
This paper will require you to investigate current issues related to public
schooling. We will look at some current issues as our starting points to discuss
the debates about how beliefs and values related to democracy and diversity are
being taken up in public school districts around the country. You will need to
choose a topic about which to write. In this 5-6 page paper you should:
1. Include a brief discussion of the historical context of the current issue –
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e.g. How did this come to be an issue? Where is this issue playing out?
How is it related to democracy, diversity and/or public schooling? What
laws or court cases are related to this topic? How has the topic been
portrayed (or not portrayed) in the media?
2. Adopt a relevant position or perspective about the topic – what is your
position on this issue and why?
3. Present evidence in support of the position statement using credible
sources to support your position and connect to course content – you
should use at least 4 sources. (APA format required)
4. Address the complexities of the issue and potential lasting issues
(implications) as they relate to public schooling
In order to get you started, we will explore some of these issues in class. I
have also created a BB Learning Module, “Critical Issues in Education” that
includes a number of topics and links to learn more (Charter schools,
Local Control Funding Formula, Ethnic Studies, etc) Keep in mind some of
these resources are from particular points of view and the task of this
paper is to present the complexities of the issue and clearly state your own
position. It is expected that you will also engage your own research skills
in order to further extend your understanding of the issue you choose.
***Post to BB Learn Discussion Board, “Current Issues in Education”
by midnight Sunday October 27th.
4.
School/Community Equity Study (SCES)
30
points
There is an old adage “It takes a village to raise a child.” Although children spend
a major part of their childhood in school, there are many people in a community
that contribute to a child’s education. This assignment will assist you in learning
about a school and community, the ways in which they interact with K-12
schools, and how these relationships may figure into (or not) to equity outcomes
for students and democratic approaches to schooling. Below are some
assignments that will support you in completing the Equity Study.
1. Demographics Overview and Equity Survey
Choose a school or educational workplace. If a school, use the school/district
website to describe its history as a school, total enrollment and demographics,
class size ratio, facilities, special programs, etc. You should also use other sites,
such as www.edresults.org, to report NCLB status, test scores, etc. Pay careful
attention to achievement outcomes of different groups of students.
If a workplace, gather as much information on the related history,
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mission/beliefs, working conditions, number of employees, demographics.
In order to assess the social climate of the school or workplace, conduct a short
survey with a teacher or worker. Administer the school climate survey found on
BB Learn with this person or a couple of others. (Note: you may have to adapt
these questions for the specific site) Have a conversation following that
addresses some of these suggested areas:




How might your responses have looked a year or more ago? (assess what
may have changed or be changing about school climate)
What activities is the school currently engaged in that are improving
school climate?
What questions might be important to add to this survey?
How did people feel about taking a survey like this?
2. Handbook analysis
Evaluate your school or workplace handbook (or other document that lists
mission, policies, procedures, philosophies) for examples of the following
democratic IDEALS. (Handbooks are often available online—school secretaries
will know if so) Reference actual quotes or page numbers from the handbook and
describe why it is an example of the ideal. In some cases, you might need to
conjecture. e.g. “The school appears to have an active PTA.” If the PTA committee
works closely with administration in shared decisions about the school, then this
would be a great example of inquiry or discourse. However, if the PTA typically
involves parents from one racial, SES group—consider how well this addresses
the Ideal of Equity. For more information, see learning module on BB Learn, titled
Handbook Ideas: IDEALS framework or go there:
http://k20center.ou.edu/about/ideals/
Inquiry: Teachers and students engaging in questions, in the curriculum or about school
practices
Discourse: Conversation and debate about teaching, learning, and schooling
Equity: Concern for achieving fair and just practices in school and society
Authenticity: Teaching and learning that engages and has value beyond the classroom,
perhaps a type of public engagement
Leadership: Opportunities (for students, families, or community) to initiate experiences
that result in inquiry, discourse, and critique
Service: Experiences that develop social responsibility and stewardship
***Bring short summaries of parts 1 and 2 to class on October 12
3. Community Map
Go to your assigned school and conduct a community walk. Draft a rough map of
the neighborhood of the school (5-8 block radius). Your map doesn’t need to be
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drawn perfectly but you should include as much detail as possible. Below is a list
of things to look for in the community surrounding the school.

Housing

Public Transportation: How accessible is the neighborhood?

Stores/Businesses

Community Resources (e.g., organizations, faith centers, clubs, museums,
community centers, libraries)

Other schools

Recreational facilities (e.g., playgrounds, pools, basketball/tennis courts)

Open space and parks: are there trees, yards, public spaces in which to
walk and sit?
4. Interview with a Community Based Agency or Organization
Select a local agency, organization, or business to research that serves the area
around the school or workplace you are focusing on. Consult with the
organization to determine someone informed and available for an interview
about the agency’s mission, goals and work with the local community. Use
professional communication skills to thoughtfully arrange for a 15-20 minute
interview – this may be done in person (preferred), over the phone, or by email
(not preferred). Be prepared with a set of 3-5 questions to guide the interview,
but you may follow up with other questions if appropriate. Below are some
suggestions for questions to get you started:

Could you tell me a little background about your organization?

What is the mission/vision of your organization? What are the primary
things you do to accomplish that mission?

In what ways does your organization serve K-12 children? Schools? Families?
Do you interact directly with schools and if so, how?

What are the benefits and challenges of collaborating with or supporting
local schools?

What are this community’s greatest assets?
***Bring short summaries of parts 3 and 4 to class on November 2
5. Analysis: School Community Equity Study (SCES)
Synthesize the data you collected about the school and community, refer to any
information you gained from your interview with the community member, and
reference the readings from class or other research you have read. (Use APA)
Papers should be 7-8 pages and use APA format if citations are used.
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Some suggested questions to address are:

What is your overall impression about the role of the school(s) in the
community?

How does this information impact the ways you think about working in
this community?

In what ways do you see democratic practices supported in these
community relationships?

What questions do you have or might you pursue as a result of what you
have learned?

How does this information inform your philosophy about teaching (revisit
your initial democratic philosophy statement)?

Describe specific ways that you (will) use this community information to
enact these philosophical beliefs in your practice.
Parts 1 & 2 DUE in class Oct 12
Parts 3 &4 DUE in class Nov 2
Post only part 5 (Analysis) to BB Learn Discussion Board, “School
Community Equity Study Analysis” by midnight Saturday November
16th.
5.
Final Action Project
Select a critical educational issue related to democracy and education that is
important to you, become informed on this issue, and prepare a proposal for
constructive educational change. This project idea may have emerged through the
School/Community Equity Study or may be a new direction for you. This project
should be something you could realistically accomplish in the near future.
Your Action Project should address the following considerations:
 What is the problem/issue related to democracy and education that
you would like to address? How do you define democracy and
education?
 Why is this issue critical and how will this educational change
enhance democracy and/or education?
 What is the objective of your project? How will you accomplish the
goal? What are the measures of success? (How will you know you
were successful?) Note: Because of the short duration of the
course you are not expected to implement the change, but rather
prepare for it.
Some suggestions for structuring your action project proposal:
A. Submit an editorial to a selected magazine, journal, or newspaper
B. Develop an oral proposal for change to present to a public forum or
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30 pts.
group
C. Design a lesson/unit of study or curricula that will incorporate
democracy in critical ways and bring about some clear action on
the part of students, your community, your school, or your
workplace
D. Develop a manuscript for publication
Your project proposal should include references to ideas/theories/readings
discussed in class and be cited appropriately using APA format. Length will
depend largely on the type of project but I imagine to do a thorough job will take
10-12 pages. Please submit with font size of 12 and double-spaced. Make sure
to use APA format and include a Bibliography at the end. Suggestion for
readings that support your project and help frame your ideas: include at
least 5-8 readings in your bibliography.
**Prepare a 10 min oral presentation on the key ideas from your proposal
to share with colleagues in class on December 14. Paper DUE IN CLASS Dec
14th.
Assignment
Participation/Attendance
Democratic Philosophy Statement
Democratic Experience Paper
Current Issues in Education Paper
School/Community Equity Study
Final Action Project
Total:
Points Possible
20
10
10
20
30
30
120
CSU Chico University Catalog Grading System for MA students:
A - Superior Work: A level of achievement so outstanding that it is normally attained
by relatively few students.
B - Adequate Work: A level of achievement indicating adequate competence in the
subject matter/skill. This level will usually be met by a majority of students in the
class.
C - Minimally Acceptable Work: A level of achievement, which meets the minimum
requirements of the course.
F - Unacceptable Work: A level of achievement, which fails to meet the minimum
requirements of the course. Not passing. Because a C is the minimal acceptable
grade for a 300-level course, a D grade is not allowed.
Criteria for grades
 Attendance and meaningful contributions to class discussions based on assigned
readings
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 Meeting due dates on time
 Successful completion of all assignments; grading expectations will be provided in
advance
 Academic writing, organization, grammar, spelling and use of APA format in
assignments
 Connections made to course content, thoughtfulness, and depth of responses in
assignments
University Policies and Campus Resources
Academic integrity
Students are expected to be familiar with the University’s Academic Integrity Policy. Your
own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at California State
University, Chico, and the University’s Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest
in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to
the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. The policy on academic integrity and other resources
related to student conduct can be found at: http://www.csuchico.edu/sjd/integrity.shtml.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability or chronic illness,
or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please
make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Please
also contact the Accessibility Resource Center as they are the designated department
responsible for approving and coordinating reasonable accommodations and services for
students with disabilities. They will help you understand your rights and responsibilities
under the Americans with Disabilities Act and provide you further assistance with
requesting and arranging accommodations. The Accessibility Resource Center is located in
Student Services Center 170 or can be reached at 530-898-5959.
http://www.csuchico.edu/arc
IT Support Services
Computer labs for student use are located on the first and fourth floor of the Meriam
Library, Room 116 and 450, Tehama Hall Room 131, and the Bell Memorial Union (BMU)
basement. You can get help using your computer from IT Support Services; contact them
through their website, http://www.csuchico.edu/itss. Additional labs may be available to
students in your department or college.
ESL Resource Center The ESL Resource Center is a free tutoring service available for
CSU, Chico students who are non-native speakers of English. We seek to support students to
achieve their academic goals. Tutors at the Center provide assistance in:





Writing
Grammar
Pronunciation and intonation
Oral presentation preparation
Reading comprehension
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Hours and Location
The ESL Center opens the third week of each semester and remains open through Final’s
Week. Operating hours are Mondays - Fridays from 11:00 - 4:00 and are drop-in hours only
(no appointments). The ESL Resource Center is located in Siskiyou Hall, Room 128.
Phone: 898-6744
http://www.csuchico.edu/international/esl-tutoring.shtml
Graduate Student Deadlines
Fall 2013
Fee Payment Deadline for Spring 2014
12/13/13
Classes Begin
8/26/13
Last day to add/drop classes
9/6/13
File for Graduation-MA Fall 2013
9/20/13
Target deadline for completion of thesis/project with approval by all MA committee members
11/15/13
Completed and approved Thesis/Project submitted to
Graduate Coordinator for review
Recommended deadline for oral defense – thesis/project
11/15/13
11/20/13
Thesis/Project submitted to Graduate School
12/2/13
Comp Exam scores to Graduate Studies
12/2/13
Graduate Commencement
5/16/14
EDMA 600: Critical Perspectives in Education
Fall Class Schedule Note:
Readings listed for a class meeting date are to be read BEFORE class meets. Bold
indicates a face-to-face class meeting. Italics indicates an online submission assignment/due
date.
September 14 (face to face meeting)—Democratic Foundations, starting point definitions



Come to class having read: Dewey, Freire and Goodlad in your Course
Reader. Welcome/introductions
Democracy overview and definitions
Course Overview/Syllabus
September 22 (Online) Educational Philosophy Statement


See complete Assignment description in syllabus
Post your own (emergent) Democratic Philosophy statement by
midnight Sunday Sept 22 to the BB Learn Discussion board. Post a
response to at least 2 colleagues philosophies by Wed Sept 25th
midnight
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
For additional articles on Democracy and Education foundations see BB
Learn folder Democracy Articles (amazing work in there)
September 28 (face to face) Understanding Anti-Democratic Mechanisms in Schools and
Society




Read articles by Sleeter, Freire, Oakes, Finn, Apple, West (Reader)
Reading review-jigsaw
Ability grouping vs. tracking overview
Films TBD
October 6 (Online) Democratic Experiences Essay


See complete Assignment description in syllabus
Post your own Democratic Experiences Paper to BB Learn by
Sunday, October 6 midnight.
October 12 (face to face)—Resistance to Anti-Democratic Mechanisms from Students,
Teachers, Schools and Communities


Have Read Democratic Schools. Chapters 1, 2
Have Read articles Aronowitz, Bigelow, Sleeter: Ch 5, 6 (Reader)

Due in class: School Community Equity Study (SCES) Parts 1 & 2
October 27 (Online) Current Issues in Education Paper


See complete Assignment description in syllabus---This paper will require
you to investigate current issues related to public schooling. We will look
at some current issues as our starting points to discuss the debates about
how beliefs and values related to democracy and diversity are being taken
up in public school districts around the country.
Post to BB Learn “Current Issues in Education” Discussion Board by
Sunday October 27, midnight.
November 2 (face to face)-Critical Literacy and English Language Learners



Have read Democratic Schools, Ch. 3, 6
Have read Freire, Morrell, Lucas, Freeman & Freeman (Reader)
*Recommended Online: Gustavson, Leif. (2007) Youth Learning on Their
Own Terms: Creative Practices and Classroom Teaching. Scratching,
Cutting and Juggling: The Turntablist as 21st Century Scholar” Routledge,
NY.ADSD
Due in class: School Community Equity Study (SCES) Parts 3 & 4
November 16 (Online) School Community Equity Study

See complete Assignment description in syllabus
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
Post Part 5 Analysis of School Community Survey SCES to the BB
Learn Discussion Board, “School Community Equity Study by
midnight Saturday November 16.
*** November 23 (face to face)—Civic Engagement and Taking Action




Have read Noddings, Putnam
Democratic Schools, Ch 4, 5
Guest speaker TBA
Bring Part 5 of your SCES to class to share with colleagues (5 min
oral overview of this work will take place in groups)
December 14 (face to face) Reforms, Emerging Democracies, Future Directions


Democratic Schools, Ch 7
Due: Final Action project. See complete Assignment description in
syllabus. Prepare a 10 min oral presentation on the key ideas from your
Action Project to share with colleagues in class on December 14.
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