Social Foundations of Education

This course in the foundations of education will help aspiring teachers and students interested in education or education policy interpret the craft of teaching within the historical, philosophical, political, and sociological contexts of preK-12 education in the United States both inside and outside of schools. This course will provide students with an understanding of the connections between teacher, student, school, and society which will allow them to be reflective advocates for students, families, and education as practitioners and scholars?or in whatever fields they pursue. Students will relate educational organization and processes to educational theories and practices and connect these relationships to meaningful activity, such as the complexities of educational problems and their solutions. This class will highlight diverse perspectives, identities, and topics as students probe and critique education with a focus on equity including the main axes of inequality in education and how education can reproduce or destabilize those. Through readings and discussions, we will focus on current social justice issues and educational policies, practices, and politics. We undertake the study of the foundations of education in order to re-imagine and work toward more equitable and humane educational arrangements.