Education

Politics of Education
ED 3652 / 4 q.h.

July 23 - August 18
Burlington (Hybrid) Th 5:45 PM-8:45 PM

Urban public schools operate in a political context. Within the schools, there is a web of political relationships that define curriculum, classroom management, and collegial interactions. Outside the school, the political realities of the community in which schools sit, the municipal system of education, and state and national education policy priorities impact local urban schools and the urban school classroom in both blatant and subtle ways. This course is designed to explore and analyze the politics of K-12 urban education at the local, state, and federal levels. Emphasis will be placed on such contemporary issues as school choice, standardized testing, the influence of political interest groups, and urban school reform policy. The course is also designed to explore and develop the skills and strategies necessary to equip students with the vision and impetus to be transformative social change agents in urban education.