Reading Response Sep. 23: Battleground Schools

 The first thing that made me stop when reading this article was the fact that the word “elite” was used in the table on page 392 when describing the group of students who would receive a higher level of instruction for mathematics (in the conservative column). This was especially interesting as it ties into some conversations we’ve been having in other classes, and particularly the idea that school was initially formed and structured around the idea of socialising students and preparing them to continue in their social class, instead of purely for educational purposes. It’s interesting to see that reflected here as well, as that further cements the idea that school was, and still is, a social institution with ulterior goals or impacts on students lives rather than just giving them a well rounded education. 

Another thing that stopped me was the idea that there is a general fear around mathematics that the public holds, and especially that it is something that most people aren’t good at and should indeed avoid. This is of particular poignance to me as I think one of my main goals as a mathematics teacher is to destigmatize the subject and the idea of ‘failing’ at math, as I know first hand just how demoralising it can be. I hope that my own pedagogies will help address some of the complications that this article outlines, as this is something that will likely need time to disseminate throughout generations in order to overcome the fearful ideas parents have “from their own schooling”. Although, with the increasing emphasis on more exploratory and inquiry based methods of teaching math, I would think that we are already making headway in that department. 

The third thing that made me stop was the sheer scope of the role that politics and outside factors played on the shape that mathematical education took over the last century, and in particular the impacts of the cold war on mathematical reform as outlined in The New Math section. While conversations throughout the last two weeks have made it clear to me that education does not exist in a vacuum and is often serving a larger purpose, this revelation was really fascinating, as it was really not something I had considered. It goes back to my first point about how schools can act as socialisation industries to prime children for particular roles in life – in this case, scientists to beat the USSR in the space race. It’s intriguing to think about how much outside influences impact the way education is formulated, even in arguably recent times, and it makes me wonder what possible events could happen in the future that might have a similar impact.