EDUC 609 | American Schools Inside and Out

This graduate level course occurs in the initial summer term for the Master of Arts in Teaching program. It provides a foundation for prospective educators in understanding and grappling with public policies and structural dimensions that shape and impact American schools. Broad philosophies of education are engaged, including historical lenses as well as the current literature on classroom reform. The course contrasts central issues of schooling as seen from the "outside" political domain and the "inside" experience of students. In particular, the course addresses how issues of race and social class as well as economic inequality surround current debates over the best way to improve schools in the 21st century. Students utilize their understandings in this course to identify and respond to inequitable structures in schools and to support the development of culturally responsive teaching practices during the MAT program. The course is waived for students who have completed EDUC 419 at the University of Puget Sound or its equivalent at another institution.