INQ-300 | Politics of Education Policy

Full Title: The Politics of Education Policy

Topic Description:

How can we redesign American education policy in a way that promotes both individual achievement and egalitarian principles of democratic citizenship? The purpose of this course is to invite students to engage this question in class discussions, readings, and a semester project. Students will first be introduced to a fundamental paradox in American education; that is, the tension between education policies that encourage student achievement based on individual talent and policies aimed at producing collective benefits for all students. Students will analyze and discuss this paradox as it manifests in several major issues in American education policy, including desegregation, finance, school choice, and separation/inclusion. Finally, using available data on American public education (e.g., National Center for Education Statistics), students will work in research teams to identify a current problem in American education policy, analyze its potential causes, and design appropriate solutions with the aforementioned political paradox in mind.

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: September 2019