The Purpose of American The Purpose of American Public EducationPublic Education

American schools serve multiple American schools serve multiple purposespurposesPassing on the cultural heritagePassing on the cultural heritageBasic instructionBasic instructionEconomic PurposesEconomic PurposesCivic purposes-Civic purposes-

Contradictory PurposesContradictory Purposes The problems of American schools are The problems of American schools are

politicalpolitical Americans do not disagree so much about Americans do not disagree so much about

how to make schools better as they do how to make schools better as they do about the purposes of schoolsabout the purposes of schools

What Americans have to do is to make What Americans have to do is to make choices among goals about which we do not choices among goals about which we do not agreeagree

Contradictory Purposes Contradictory Purposes Why canWhy can’’t we agree on the purposes of t we agree on the purposes of

schoolingschooling Schools are political institutions and in a Schools are political institutions and in a

democratic society politics implies conflictdemocratic society politics implies conflict Education is a public good-The purpose of Education is a public good-The purpose of

education is to provide society with benefits education is to provide society with benefits that can be collectively shared that can be collectively shared

Contradictory PurposesContradictory Purposes

Education is also a private good—the purpose Education is also a private good—the purpose of education is to gain a competitive of education is to gain a competitive advantage over others, a credential that will advantage over others, a credential that will distinguish one individual from othersdistinguish one individual from others

Democratic EqualityDemocratic Equality The task of schools is to prepare individuals The task of schools is to prepare individuals

to assume their role as active and to assume their role as active and participating citizensparticipating citizens

Schools must be accessible to all children Schools must be accessible to all children and provide them with the knowledge and and provide them with the knowledge and skills of citizenshipskills of citizenship

Education is a public good Education is a public good

Social EfficiencySocial Efficiency

The major role of schools is economic and The major role of schools is economic and involves preparing students for their involves preparing students for their occupational rolesoccupational roles

The school as a sorting agency—curriculum The school as a sorting agency—curriculum differentiationdifferentiation

The principal mechanism of social efficiency The principal mechanism of social efficiency is tracking or ability grouping, which serves is tracking or ability grouping, which serves to stratify students and channel them to their to stratify students and channel them to their appropriate occupational destinyappropriate occupational destiny

Social EfficiencySocial Efficiency Education is a public goodEducation is a public good

Social MobilitySocial Mobility

Education is a commodity whose purpose is Education is a commodity whose purpose is to provide individual with a competitive to provide individual with a competitive advantage over othersadvantage over others

What does the school do for my children?What does the school do for my children? Education as a commodity to be purchased Education as a commodity to be purchased

with the intent of getting more of it than with the intent of getting more of it than oneone’’s competitorss competitors

Social MobilitySocial Mobility

The value of education is as a credentialThe value of education is as a credential Education is a private good designed to help Education is a private good designed to help

the individual get ahead of othersthe individual get ahead of others

How Contradictory Goals How Contradictory Goals OperateOperate

These goals can work together or in These goals can work together or in oppositionopposition

Democratic equality requires schools that Democratic equality requires schools that are widely accessible so that everyone can are widely accessible so that everyone can be equipped with the skills and knowledge be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to be included in the political they need to be included in the political processprocess

Contradictory GoalsContradictory Goals Social mobility requires accessible schools Social mobility requires accessible schools

so that individual merit and accomplishment so that individual merit and accomplishment can be rewardedcan be rewarded

The same condition, accessibility serves The same condition, accessibility serves different purposes. For those committed to different purposes. For those committed to democratic equality, accessibility allows for democratic equality, accessibility allows for equal economic and social outcomes. For equal economic and social outcomes. For those committed to social mobility, it allows those committed to social mobility, it allows for unequal outcomesfor unequal outcomes

Contradictory Goals Operate Contradictory Goals Operate in Tandemin Tandem

Social mobility and social efficiency both see Social mobility and social efficiency both see education as having a market goal of education as having a market goal of preparing individuals for their occupational preparing individuals for their occupational rolesroles

Both goals accept the principle of unequal Both goals accept the principle of unequal outcomesoutcomes

Those committed to social mobility accept Those committed to social mobility accept unequal outcomes because they believe unequal outcomes because they believe that privileges depend on meritthat privileges depend on merit

Operating in TandemOperating in Tandem

Those committed to social efficiency also Those committed to social efficiency also believe in unequal outcomes. They hold to believe in unequal outcomes. They hold to this view because they believe that the this view because they believe that the purpose of education is to prepare a purpose of education is to prepare a workforce that will promote economic growthworkforce that will promote economic growth

The Dominant Role of Social The Dominant Role of Social MobilityMobility

Schools once sought to advance the public Schools once sought to advance the public interest through the training of good citizens interest through the training of good citizens and the preparation of a skilled workforceand the preparation of a skilled workforce

Today schools are more likely to promote Today schools are more likely to promote the private interests of individual success the private interests of individual success and advancementand advancement

Schooling has become less about learning Schooling has become less about learning and more about obtaining the correct and more about obtaining the correct credential to get aheadcredential to get ahead

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) (1743-1826)

The Bill for the More General Diffusion of The Bill for the More General Diffusion of KnowledgeKnowledge

Divide the colony into Divide the colony into ““hundredshundreds”” (subdivision of a county) and establish (subdivision of a county) and establish ““hundredshundreds”” school to provide all free white school to provide all free white children—both male and female—with 3 children—both male and female—with 3 years of free instruction in reading, writing, years of free instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and history (roughly 166 counties arithmetic, and history (roughly 166 counties and 10 and 10 ““hundredshundreds”” in a county) in a county)

Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson Establish 20 grammar schools that would Establish 20 grammar schools that would

provide instruction in Latin, Greek, English provide instruction in Latin, Greek, English grammar, geography higher arithmetic that grammar, geography higher arithmetic that would prepare for collegewould prepare for college

College of William and MaryCollege of William and Mary The brightest boy in each The brightest boy in each ““hundredshundreds”” school school

was to be selected (girls only needed 3 was to be selected (girls only needed 3 years of schooling) and sent forward to the years of schooling) and sent forward to the grammar school at public expensegrammar school at public expense

Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson Each year the best boy from the grammar Each year the best boy from the grammar

school would be continued at public school would be continued at public expense for up to six years and the residue expense for up to six years and the residue dismissed. dismissed. ““By this means twenty of the By this means twenty of the best geniuses will be raked from the rubbish best geniuses will be raked from the rubbish annuallyannually”” and the brightest sent forward to and the brightest sent forward to the College of William and Marythe College of William and Mary

Schools were accessible to those who could Schools were accessible to those who could paypay

Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson Meritocracy-rule of the most ableMeritocracy-rule of the most able Aristocracy-rule of the few usually based on Aristocracy-rule of the few usually based on

nobility or wealthnobility or wealth Aristocracy of talentAristocracy of talent

What Makes a Good School?What Makes a Good School?

Inputs vs. outcomesInputs vs. outcomes A good school is one that has certain curricular A good school is one that has certain curricular

and pedagogical characteristics and pedagogical characteristics There are many ways to educate a child with the There are many ways to educate a child with the

outcomes being the most importantoutcomes being the most important Criteria of good schools: parent, teacher, Criteria of good schools: parent, teacher,

student satisfaction, degree to which school has student satisfaction, degree to which school has achieved its goals; ability of schools to produce achieved its goals; ability of schools to produce students who possess democratic behavior and students who possess democratic behavior and attitudes attitudes