LBR&WS M136
Working Families and Educational Inequalities in Urban Schools
Description: (Same as Education M136.) Seminar, three hours; fieldwork, five hours. Exploration of complex relationship between working-class and poor communities and inequalities in American urban schools. Drawing on multiple disciplinary frameworks that address issues of race, ethnicity, and immigration, schools viewed as sites where inequalities are produced and resisted. Review of history of exclusionary treatment and divergent conceptual frames that educational researchers have used to understand notion of inequality, access to quality public education, and how race, ethnicity, and class affect school experiences for working-class and poor communities. Look inside schools through community service learning opportunity to examine systems, structures, and everyday practices that sustain and reproduce inequality and policies that intend to remedy educational inequalities in urban schools. Opportunity to investigate issues of working-class families and inequalities as they relate to students' own communities and experiences. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 0.0
Units: 0.0
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2023 - I love Janna as a Professor and a person. As someone who wants a career in education, this class was engaging and just overall enjoyable. This class is only offered in spring, so if you're looking for an easy class to finish off your senior year, this class is not it, because there is a considerable amount of work alongside fieldwork. This includes a reading group presentation, two essays, your fieldwork essay/curriculum, and your final essay (8-10 pages). The fieldwork I decided to participate in was going to a school and creating a curriculum of activities for the student's after-school program. While I liked the students and the work I did, it was heavily unorganized, and it was clear that I was doing more work compared to the other fieldwork options. The other fieldwork options were simply a 2-page essay or one Zoom/after-school session, I had to attend my after-school sessions multiple times throughout different weeks with my own time and gas money to get there, despite this, this didn't result in extra points. I ended up with an A- in this class because while Janna grades pretty fairly, in the final I felt it was unjustly graded harshly. Not only was the final very unclear and overall confusing, but despite putting in my best effort it was graded horribly putting me from an A+ to B+ I was only saved because of participation points. I also felt Janna was biased against group papers, which is what I did, and talking with other groups they were also graded the same low score. I understood Janna preferred it to be done individually, however, with all the work she required alongside me dealing with other classes, my group certainly felt we can make an effective paper together. This also included other parts leading up to the final paper that was done as a group which is confusing why the final isn't done as a group originally. So overall, while I like Janna and the course content, the final was like getting hit by a bus suddenly, with nothing you can do. I would probably recommend this class if you are a junior preferably.
Spring 2023 - I love Janna as a Professor and a person. As someone who wants a career in education, this class was engaging and just overall enjoyable. This class is only offered in spring, so if you're looking for an easy class to finish off your senior year, this class is not it, because there is a considerable amount of work alongside fieldwork. This includes a reading group presentation, two essays, your fieldwork essay/curriculum, and your final essay (8-10 pages). The fieldwork I decided to participate in was going to a school and creating a curriculum of activities for the student's after-school program. While I liked the students and the work I did, it was heavily unorganized, and it was clear that I was doing more work compared to the other fieldwork options. The other fieldwork options were simply a 2-page essay or one Zoom/after-school session, I had to attend my after-school sessions multiple times throughout different weeks with my own time and gas money to get there, despite this, this didn't result in extra points. I ended up with an A- in this class because while Janna grades pretty fairly, in the final I felt it was unjustly graded harshly. Not only was the final very unclear and overall confusing, but despite putting in my best effort it was graded horribly putting me from an A+ to B+ I was only saved because of participation points. I also felt Janna was biased against group papers, which is what I did, and talking with other groups they were also graded the same low score. I understood Janna preferred it to be done individually, however, with all the work she required alongside me dealing with other classes, my group certainly felt we can make an effective paper together. This also included other parts leading up to the final paper that was done as a group which is confusing why the final isn't done as a group originally. So overall, while I like Janna and the course content, the final was like getting hit by a bus suddenly, with nothing you can do. I would probably recommend this class if you are a junior preferably.
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