I find your idea of not wearing a racial mask helpful because it makes me more aware of how easy it is to forget being human and become self conscious about that particular part of our DNA that shows itself so publically in skin pigmentation. Looking back I remember reading Malcom X's autobiography where, after his Minnesota Red phase, and Whitey is the Devil phase, he went to Mecca and realised for the first time he was being treated as just another human being. If I understand you correctly then here are two examples from my experience in the streets of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe as a white American where I found myself both not wearing and also wearing a racial mask. In the first case I inadvertently caught the eye of a man who was visibly very upset coming toward me in a crowd. I got it that I was involved, so I acknowledged him and his tale of horrendous family difficulties began to pour out of him. I said I'm just a tourist here, but I can and will take the time to listen. I did, and we parted a while later with him a bit clamer. No mask, only a human interaction. On another occasion I was walking down a long empty street on a sleepy Sunday African afternoon when I saw three young men coming toward me wearing American style baggy shorts and shirts with caps on sideways. I was suddenly self conscious of my race and anxious, but when they passed me they all sang out together "Good Afternoon, Sir!" They were middle class school boys, acting in the English manner acquired from their private school. Joke's on me - let the humor begin.
My first problem with public schooling is one of ethics. It is not taught. I am for a return to the Upton-Chassell framework. I describe it here: https://mdcbowen.substack.com/p/forty-virtues
Follow up - what are some current examples of egregious failure to collaborate in public schooling? Doesn’t have to be a national trend, any examples would be fine.
It has been a long time since I personally got involved with public schools. My experience is that, especially in large districts like LA Unified, the bureaucracy is so thick that everything is captured. Just trying to get computers into schools was high near impossible in the early 90s. So I became an early support of Green Dot Charter schools and school choice. I think the divide between charter schools and public schools is very thick, and the biggest difference is made by individual teachers.
I found that Harvard's Roland Fryer has learned some extraordinary lessons in his research. I think he concludes that the 'formula' does not exist and what transpires towards the good is emergent magic. The good teachers just know what to do, and they don't spend a lot of time categorizing or really understanding the metaphysics of what it is they do. but the difference it makes in the students is immediately recognizable.
I've also seen the abject failure of funding to parochial schools and know their successful methodologies fall on deaf ears. There are folks who understand this associated with Holy Name of Jesus School in Los Angeles. http://www.hnojla.org/
Generally I defer to my cousin who makes this field of study his profession. He's seen everything, bottom to top.
I find your idea of not wearing a racial mask helpful because it makes me more aware of how easy it is to forget being human and become self conscious about that particular part of our DNA that shows itself so publically in skin pigmentation. Looking back I remember reading Malcom X's autobiography where, after his Minnesota Red phase, and Whitey is the Devil phase, he went to Mecca and realised for the first time he was being treated as just another human being. If I understand you correctly then here are two examples from my experience in the streets of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe as a white American where I found myself both not wearing and also wearing a racial mask. In the first case I inadvertently caught the eye of a man who was visibly very upset coming toward me in a crowd. I got it that I was involved, so I acknowledged him and his tale of horrendous family difficulties began to pour out of him. I said I'm just a tourist here, but I can and will take the time to listen. I did, and we parted a while later with him a bit clamer. No mask, only a human interaction. On another occasion I was walking down a long empty street on a sleepy Sunday African afternoon when I saw three young men coming toward me wearing American style baggy shorts and shirts with caps on sideways. I was suddenly self conscious of my race and anxious, but when they passed me they all sang out together "Good Afternoon, Sir!" They were middle class school boys, acting in the English manner acquired from their private school. Joke's on me - let the humor begin.
Many questions, I’ll start with, what would successful collaboration in public schooling look like?
My first problem with public schooling is one of ethics. It is not taught. I am for a return to the Upton-Chassell framework. I describe it here: https://mdcbowen.substack.com/p/forty-virtues
100% agree.
Follow up - what are some current examples of egregious failure to collaborate in public schooling? Doesn’t have to be a national trend, any examples would be fine.
It has been a long time since I personally got involved with public schools. My experience is that, especially in large districts like LA Unified, the bureaucracy is so thick that everything is captured. Just trying to get computers into schools was high near impossible in the early 90s. So I became an early support of Green Dot Charter schools and school choice. I think the divide between charter schools and public schools is very thick, and the biggest difference is made by individual teachers.
I found that Harvard's Roland Fryer has learned some extraordinary lessons in his research. I think he concludes that the 'formula' does not exist and what transpires towards the good is emergent magic. The good teachers just know what to do, and they don't spend a lot of time categorizing or really understanding the metaphysics of what it is they do. but the difference it makes in the students is immediately recognizable.
https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/fryer/files/2014_injecting_charter_school_best_practices_into_traditional_public_schools.pdf
I've also seen the abject failure of funding to parochial schools and know their successful methodologies fall on deaf ears. There are folks who understand this associated with Holy Name of Jesus School in Los Angeles. http://www.hnojla.org/
Generally I defer to my cousin who makes this field of study his profession. He's seen everything, bottom to top.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rod-bowen-6360423/