EDU 101 - History & Politics of American Education

Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR (students beginning prior to Fall 2024): Meets general academic requirement SL.
Meets Explore Core requirement (students beginning Fall 2024 and later): HS and RP
This course examines the larger historical and sociopolitical forces that have shaped education and schooling in the United States. Beginning with Jeffersonian America through the late industrial period to the present day, the course traces changes in political economy and how race and power have influenced educational policy and practice. By studying the various conflicting aims of education in a democracy, students examine how schools interpret, translate, and transfer culture and ideology through overt and covert curriculum and public policy. The course covers key moments in the history of education, such as the Brown decision, and also addresses how marginalized groups have shaped American education within certain political and social contexts, such as Reconstruction and the civil rights movement. Students also will reflect on contemporary policy debates over curriculum, testing, and school funding. Overall, the purpose of the course is to develop the students’ potential for thinking critically about American education and its institutions in preparation for ethical citizenship and/or educational leadership.