AFRS 215 - Intersections of Our Homes, Schools, and Communities

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as EDUC 215) This course draws on varied and rich experiences of all participants to read about, share and discuss the ways our homes, schools and communities intersect to create experiences for youth. We discuss the benefits and drawbacks of different school structures and different behavioral and instructional approaches. We explore how school structures such as standardized testing, tracking, and curriculum design influence students’ experiences in and out of school. Throughout the course we grapple with the continued significance of socially differentiating factors such as race, gender, class, sexuality, dis/ability, and citizenship in shaping public policy and youth’s experiences.

Essential questions we explore together include:

What are the effects of having a predominately white teaching staff teaching in schools that enroll predominately students of color? What effects does this have on families and communities of color?
How have zero tolerance policies contributed to a disproportionate suspension and expulsions for children of color?
How do families and communities come together to offer alternative educational experiences for youth?
How are our own school experiences reflected, or not, in the readings for this course?

Erin McCloskey.

Course Format: INT