"Metaphors & Myths Have Shaped American Schools"

Kimberly Boghossian
Talking Points #5
10/30/07

“Metaphors & Myths Have Shaped
American Schools”
Premise:
diversity, white privilege, public schooling, ideology, myths, metaphors, American schools, merit, scientific efficiency, competition, progress, rich/poor, vouchers, society, desegregation, magnet/charter schools, vouchers, privatization, contributions to society, national unity, social progress, efficient, universal education, social justice, discrimination, injustice

Argument:
Changing and improving our country through education in American schools is the main theme.
Schools are a means to control society.
4 ideologies used by American school system:
1) Myths of merit – Success will come to one who works hard no matter how bad that student’s circumstances are. This myth helps wealthy people to think that they are more moral because they are successful.
2) Scientific efficiency – Setting up schools like a factory with the student as the product being produced. This is the way schools are set up today, as a business.
3) Competition – Schools are like the marketplace. The successful students and the successful schools will be the ones who survive.
4) Myths of progress – Progress is thought to be based on past successes and that it will continue to be even more successful. Many Americans realize that they cannot make a choice on how progress will affect them not trust the system.
These ideologies characterize American culture and the way it runs its schools.

My Thoughts:
Though I know I shouldn’t be surprised but I was disappointed on how political our school system is and how it is set up. This causes many clashes between schools and society. You still see this. For example, there are always disagreements on whether a subject should or should not be taught in school. One obvious subject that is controversial is sexual education. There are also some school systems that do not believe in teaching evolution.
Also, every year there is disagreement on how much money the city should give to the schools. Again, it is political because it affects people’s taxes. The wealthier communities tend to have better school systems because they have more money to get better services and equipment. As much as we are trying, our schools are still not equal in the education they provide.
One thing that bothers me is with the ideology of scientific efficiency. Today, students are required to take too many standardized tests. The teachers use up so much of their class time to teach their students strategies on how to take these tests instead of basic knowledge. There’s so much else to learn instead that is new and useful. It comes down to how the school looks in the present time instead of putting effort into teaching for the future.