Ep. 0151: American Public Schooling & Inner-City Schools with Mike K.
In this DHP episode, CJ talks to Mike K., a DHP listener and former teacher with extensive knowledge of inner-city education based on both research and firsthand, real-world experience.
Join CJ & Mike as they discuss many topics related to education, including:
- Mike’s background, including his studies in education (through the Ph. D. level) and 10 years of experience teaching in an inner-city school
- The particular challenges of teaching in these sorts of schools, and how they compare to more ‘typical’ American public schools
- A bird’s eye perspective of the evolution of schooling in America since the Antebellum period
- De jure desegregation, followed by de facto resegregation
- Comparing poor urban schools to poor rural schools, which face some of the same challenges, but also some different ones
- The problems of over-diagnosing and over-prescribing psychiatric medication for children
- The degree to which building real relationships with students based on mutual respect is a key to effective teaching
- How real, effective teaching often requires a teacher to routinely flout rules in the current American education system, which is a dehumanizing system to both teachers & students
- Teaching as a craft
- The importance of teaching genuine critical thinking
- Possible ways to cope with the current system, whether one is fully outside of it or not
- The problems of NCLB & standardized testing, and the degree to which education is a racket
- Possible things individuals can do with their own children or in their local community to try to improve things in some way
- Plus CJ & Mike share some of their personal experiences and impressions of teaching
Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon
CJ’s official DHP Amazon Wish List
External Links