Januar 2021: Hvad kan forventes af Bidens uddannelsespolitiske reformer?

 

I artiklen “The Biden presidency and a new direction in education policy” tages der udgangspunkt i den kendsgerning at Biden regering er tvunget til både at genoprette og tage nye initiativer. 

Udannelsespolitik under Trump gik hovedsageligt ud på at tilbagerulle initiativer, der blev lanceret af Obama-administrationen fra 2008-2016. Det var særligt initiativer der fremmede systemisk racelighed, beskyttede studerendes rettigheder og styrkelse af kapaciteten på delstats og skoledistrikts-niveau.

Citat fra den 22 årige digter Amanda Gormans tale ved indsættelsen af præsident Biden

Der gives i artiklen nogle bud på de største udfordringer under følgende overskrifter:

 

TAME THE PANDEMIC AND INVEST IN INNOVATION

 

FIGHT SYSTEMIC RACISM

 

HUMAN CAPITAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

DELIVER NEW LEGISLATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

 

RETURN TO RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE

 

Artiklen slutter med dette afsnit:

“I erkendelse af, at det haster med at genoprette ansvarlig regeringsførelse for at imødegå flere kriser, signalerer det kommende Biden-regeringsførelse en stærk forpligtelse til at samarbejde med mange interessenter og eksperter i de enkelte emner. Gennemførelse af Bidens uddannelsesdagsorden forudsætter en bred koalition ... der inkluderer borgerrettighedsledere, guvernører, borgmestre, lærerforeninger, statslige lovgivende ledere, innovative praktikere, ledere af videregående uddannelser og interessenter fra samfunds - og forretningslivet. Vejledt af et klart moralsk kompas til at tjene alle studerende og deres familier vil den valgte præsident Biden være i stand til at lede nationen mod uddannelsesmæssige fremskridt.” ( min oversættelse)

 

Læs hele artiklen her:

Wong, Kenneth K. (december 2020): The Biden presidency and a new direction in education policy. Brown Center Chalkboard. The Brookings Institution klik her

 

USA er vendt tilbage til en en politik på føderalt niveau, der sætter “the common good”/ “det fælles gode”i højsædet igen.

Modsætningerne i amerikansk politik mellem fokus på individuelle rettigheder og det fælles gode har dybe historiske rødder.

 

Det sidste uddybes i denne artikel:

Moll, Jakob (2020): USA har været splittet lige fra begyndelsen. Det amerikanske folk består nemlig af 11 (vidt forskellige) stammer, Zetland klik her   

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Denne blogartikel fortsætter hvor denne slap: 

 

Januar 2021: Den amerikanske undervisningsminister Betsy DeVos og den officielle ringeagt for lærere  er væk, men de politiske modsætninger (med historiske rødder) fortsætter, klik her

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Dette blogindlæg supplerer afsnittet ”Fjerde uddybning: kampen om forståelse af reformer”

i mit kapitel Hedegaard, E. (2017): "Uddannelsespolitik og globalisering - uddannelsesreformer i en usikker tidsalder"  

i bogen P. Ø Andersen & Tomas Ellegaard : "Klassisk og moderne pædagogisk teori". København: Hans Reitzels Forlag.

 

Se Overblik over alle blog-indlæg

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Hvordan bør lærere undervise børn om, hvad der skete ved og i Capitol i USA den 6. januar 2021?

Denne blogartikel fokuserer på hvordan man taler om det, der skete den 6. januar 2021 da en skare af demonstrerende invaderede det amerikanske parlament Capitol.

Artiklen formidler 6 amerikanere såkaldte uddannelseseksperters og en lærers overvejelser over hvordan man taler med børn og unge om så voldsomme begivenheder. Der er også fokus på de dybe uenigheder, der er om hvad der egentlig skete, og de store forskelle på hvordan det, der skete, fortolkes.

Mange af de overvejelser, der udtrykkes her, er også værd at overveje i forhold til hvordan vi voksne taler med dem, vi er uenige med, så vi undgår at isolere os i egne bobler og undgår at grave skyttegrave. Demokratiet kan ikke overleve nogen steder uden demokratiske samtaler.

Her er en summarisk introduktion til seks af de 7 stemmer:

 

David Schonfeld (January 2021): How should schools teach kids about what happened at the US Capitol on Jan. 6? We asked 6 education experts. 

Læs hele artiklen her

 

"Don’t avoid the topic

... Educators may worry they don’t know the right thing to say and will unnecessarily upset students. But saying nothing can say a lot to children – that adults are unaware, unconcerned, unable or unwilling to provide support in difficult times. ...

Especially in the midst of a pandemic, when children and adults are worried about illness and death and many families are dealing with financial concerns and other sources of stress, it’s not a time for teachers to introduce their personal take on what elected officials did right or wrong or to speculate about potential future dangers. ..."

"No business as usual

... When engaging in this work, teachers must not treat the question, “Did Joe Biden legitimately win the 2020 election?” as open to interpretation. He most definitely did. ...

The question, “Should President Trump be impeached again?” is, however, open for interpretation. ...

This moment is an opportunity for everyone to deepen their understanding about democracy. And social studies teachers should not let it slip away. ..."

"Focus on white supremacy

White supremacy has always been violent, protected and upheld in America’s institutions. This is well documented and we must teach it. The world witnessed yet another example on Jan. 6, 2021. ...

Teachers also must resist the urge to view what I consider a coup attempt as an isolated incident. Instead, they should place it in a historical context.

Many resources are available. ..."

 

"Kids are, sadly, familiar with violence

... Children and teens are no strangers to disagreement, questions of fairness and, unfortunately, scenes of violence like those we saw in the Capitol. ...

For example, schools commonly have active-shooter drills that can leave children feeling confused, scared or angry. ....

In a truly democratic society, students are not only taught about democracy but are encouraged to practice it. ...

That is, students are empowered to use what they have learned to engage in civic life outside of the classroom walls. ..."

 

"Connect events to the past and the future

... Most students today have never seen our elected leaders and political systems work well, let alone live up to America’s constitutional ideals. Many are confused by what they’ve seen, if not angry and traumatized. It’s important for teachers to communicate that all kinds of emotional reactions are valid. ...

Let students express and process what they feel safely. Do not dehumanize any student because of their opinion – but teach them to always consider the intent and impact of their response. If appropriate, encourage methods like journaling that allow for reflection without sharing. ...

Even with younger students, I don’t believe educators should shy away from the fact that some people violated not just social norms but their professional, political and moral duties – and why their actions threaten the health of our republic."

 

"Explain what ‘dissent’ is (På dansk: uenighed)

... teachers should help students distinguish justified protest from the violent siege that occurred at the Capitol. They should explain how good dissent to understand problems, critiques injustice, sparks discussion between people with different views, bases claims on evidence and employs democratic processes. ..."

Læs hele artiklen her

 

... og her den syvende stemme:                                                                                                                      

 

Lyt

Denne lærer, som laver en ugentlig video på YouTube, tager som  udgangspunkt at man må lytte uden at have en plan på forhånd om, hvor samtalen skal føre hen. Ellers lytter man ikke 100 %:

 

”Talking to Students About Capitol Invasion” https://youtu.be/wGhMyLpXmXA

Afslutning

Disse overvejelser er også relevante i forhold til hvordan man taler med børn og unge om mange andre begivenheder verden rundt som er foruroligende.

 

Som sagt er mange af de overvejelser, der udtrykkes her, også værd at overveje i forhold til hvordan vi voksne taler med hinanden.

Supplerende blogpost:

Januar 2021: Den amerikanske undervisningsminister Betsy DeVos og den officielle ringeagt for lærere  er væk, men de politiske modsætninger (med historiske rødder) fortsætter klik

     

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Dette blogindlæg supplerer afsnittet ”Tredje uddybning: kampen om borgeropdragelsen”

i mit kapitel Hedegaard, E. (2017): "Uddannelsespolitik og globalisering - uddannelsesreformer i en usikker tidsalder"  

i bogen P. Ø Andersen & Tomas Ellegaard : "Klassisk og moderne pædagogisk teori". København: Hans Reitzels Forlag.

Se Overblik over alle blog-indlæg

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Januar 2021: Den amerikanske undervisningsminister Betsy DeVos og den officielle ringeagt for lærere er væk, men de politiske modsætninger (med historiske rødder) fortsætter

 

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos valgte at gå af den 8. januar 2020, og begrundede det med den indflydelse som præsident Trumps retorik havde haft på oprøret ved og i Capitol i Washington D. C. Det havde været mere end hun kunne stå inde for.

 

Nedenfor har jeg fremhævet de vigtigste pointer i en ny artikel hvor fire amerikanske ”scholars” formuler, hvad de anser for at være arven efter hendes 4 år som minister.

“Interestingly, DeVos has a history of using some rather caustic and divisive language herself. Although she never encouraged or condoned the use of force to achieve political ends, her insulting characterizations of public educators as “sycophant[s] of the ‘system’” and “Chicken Littles” will leave a troubled legacy of their own.”

 

“When Donald Trump was elected in 2016, there was little doubt that he would appoint a secretary of education who would support private school vouchers, oppose teacher unions and be reluctant to enforce civil rights statutes. That agenda is consistent with every Republican administrationgoing back to Ronald Reagan. Why, then, did Betsy DeVos become “the most unpopular person in our government”?” What set her tenure apart was not what she did – it’s that she personified those policies.”

“For her,all that’s required for schooling to be considered “public education”is public funding and use by the public, meaning that private schools can provide “public” education.DeVos, from the moment of her appointment, became a powerful symbol. That, more than any action she took while in office, set her apart.”

“In her four-year tenure as secretary of education, it could be said that her biggest achievement was making the role of the U.S. Department of Education less prominent, and, similar to Donald Trump, undoing that which was done during Barack Obama’s tenure”

 

“While many of these actions have noticeably impacted educational policy, almost all of them can be overturned quickly in a new administration through direct administrative action. Few, if any, of DeVos’ school choice plans were codified and passed into law, making her legacy one of controversy and little action.”

 

“One of the great questions at the start of Betsy Devos’ tenure was whether she would enforce the federal education law signed by President Barack Obama at the end of his second term. Four years later, we know the answer: She did not try to undermine the federal testing regime instituted by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.”

 

(Min kommentar til sidste pointe: Dette testing regime har længe  været meget kritiseret og er nu til stor diskussion)

 

Læs hele artiklen her:

 

Hlavacik, Mark (January 2021):Through her divisive rhetoric, Education Secretary DeVos leaves a troubled legacy of her own.  https://theconversation.com/through-her-divisive-rhetoric-education-secretary-devos-leaves-a-troubled-legacy-of-her-own-152914

 

- Her er link til 28 emneartikler om Betsy DeVos´politik og hanlinger 2016-2020 https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/betsy-devos-33829

 

- Denne artikel giver et rids over udviklingen af den federale uddannelsespolitiks rolle I forhold til delstaternes rolle.

Hornbeck, Dustin (2017): Federal role in educationhas a long history. https://theconversation.com/federal-role-in-education-has-a-long-history-74807

 

- Citater fra denne artikel:”The 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution states … leaves the power to create schools and a system for education in the hands of individual states, rather than the central national government. Today, all 50 states provide public schooling to their young people – with 50 approaches to education within the borders of one nation.

… As for the federal government’s role, education is not specifically addressed in the Constitution, but a historical precedent of central government involvement does exist.

… The role of the federal government in general grew much larger after the Great Depression and World War II, but this growth largely excluded K-12 education until the 1960s. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson included education policy in his vision of a “Great Society.””

 

En grundigere baggrundsforståelse for politiske spændinger i almindelighed og uddannelsespolitik i særdeleshed kan tilegnes ved læsningen af denne bog:

Woodard, Colin (2011): American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America. Penguin Books, New York

 

En kort redegørelse af bogens pointer fremstilles i denne artikel: 

Woodard, Colin (2017):Balkanized America.  Welcome (Back) to the Divided States of America. The U.S. is cracking along centuries-old cultural fault lines.We need quick action to mend its wounds.https://medium.com/s/balkanized-america/welcome-back-to-the-divided-states-of-america-ff3522597689

 

 

Her er en dansk artikel som formidler de vitigste pointer i bogen “American Nations”:

Moll, Jakob (2020): USA har været splittet lige fra begyndelsen. Det amerikanske folk består nemlig af 11 (vidt forskellige) stammer, Zetland 

https://www.zetland.dk/historie/sO3Emvnx-meWEr6A6-648c5

 

Uddybning: Se Blogindlæg fra 2017: Skolepolitik i USA klik

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Dette blogindlæg supplerer afsnittet ”Fjerde uddybning: kampen om forståelse af reformer”

i mit kapitel Hedegaard, E. (2017): "Uddannelsespolitik og globalisering - uddannelsesreformer i en usikker tidsalder"  

i bogen P. Ø Andersen & Tomas Ellegaard : "Klassisk og moderne pædagogisk teori". København: Hans Reitzels Forlag.

Se Overblik over alle blog-indlæg

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