Lisa Banavich and Denise Alexander

“Selfishness is a virtue, unlike altruism and its idea that others are more important than oneself.”

History: Conservative Traditional methodology which has been returned to on many occasions Sputnik illustrated the failure/gaps of the progressive reform movement Traditional education became popular again after the fall of the SAT/ACT scores in the early 80’s. Importance of patriotic values & stricter discipline The push for PC speech in schools is unrealistic and is not the proper way to combat hate speech. Main changes credited to conservative reform: academically tougher schools, vouchers, charter schools, rigorous standards, more discipline and training in moral behavior

History: Liberal Progressive education movement from about 1920-WWII Involved severe criticism of traditional conservative schooling ideas and such practices as corporal punishment, rote memorization and drill. 1960’s liberal reform: open education, non-graded schools, more electives, more student freedom, getting rid of dress codes/rigid rules, less reliance on standardized tests Desired reform for liberals: make schools active, pleasant, student oriented, critical and sensitive to social problems

What do you think justice and equality look like in education?

Justice and Equality: Conservative Equality and justice are related, but not one and the same Teacher accountability & limitation of unions creates a stronger education system Vouchers create competition for public schools Inequality based on performance is okay. Inequality in the attempt to rectify a former inequality does not yield the best performance.

Justice and Equality: Liberal Justice depends on many factors Justice for each child may look different. Each child would get an education (curriculum, instructional delivery) that fits their specific needs Students who are at an economic disadvantage may get more opportunities in school Both conservatives and liberals support the basic ideas of freedom and equality

What would be more important to you : Individual rights or social rights?

Individual and Social Rights: Conservative It is in the best interest of everyone to maintain as many freedoms as possible Values education may infringe on the rights of some individuals, but that is acceptable Trying to better oneself through enlightened self- interest is in everyone’s best interest Allow schools to continue traditional practices and limit government involvement Those who have worked hard to achieve success can keep what they have earned

Individual and Social Rights: Liberal Support individual freedoms for teachers and students to study controversial topics, to protest and to criticize Schools must be flexible, child-centered and future oriented Ensure individual rights by governmental regulation. Example: More laws governing special education- both students who are gifted and students w/disabilities