Contested Values Tug-of-war in the school yard Brian Johnson Ed 448 Helms

School War: Which Values Should Children Learn  American public schools, traditionally responsible for teaching common values, have become battlefields. At issues are differences about moral authority, family life, sexual expression, and how to live together despite our differences.

The Issues  Moral Education: Values have been an integral part of the school curriculum since the nation was founded. Today while there is a clear consensus about importance of moral education in the schools, there is not consensus about which values should be taught  Teaching Sexuality: The battle over moral education intensifies when the issues is sex education, which as recently as 1980 was mandatory in only three states. Today, 47 states require or recommend it, and all 50 states support AIDS education of some kind. Yet despite its wide spread adoption, sex education is a contentious issue

Issues Cont.  Prayer In The Schools: A lot of American s believe the public school have overstepped their boundaries on teaching social values. Far from reinforcing the moral lessons parents are trying to teach at, they say, school programs and materials are corrupting their children. Also at issue is where the line between church and state should be drawn.  Multicultural Education: Some of the most sharply contested values in the school wars concern whose version of history will be taught. This new view is that of multiculturalism, it is both notable and troublesome, for it poses divisive questions of historical interpretation and point of view. What should be taught?

The Four Perspectives  Each of these disputes are look at to form the for perspectives or choices about public life and our schools. 1) Pluralist Perspective 2) School for Virtue 3) Christian Traditionalist 4) Parental Choice

The Pluralist Perspective: Preparing For Life In The 1990’s  In a diverse and rapidly changing culture, advocates say, children must learn to think critically, to make carefully considered personal choices, and to examine phenomena from various perspectives.

The Proposed Solution  Respecting Diversity: Multicultural education is a must in the new era of education and society.  In this new view point the school and teacher must not advocate any on view over the next. Ultimately the teachers job is not to tell students what is right and wrong, but to help students figure out right and wrong for themselves.  Also there must be a separation of Church and State in the classroom. This is expressed in the establishment clause of the 1 st Amendment.

What This Perspectives Mean  If the schools promote the importance of diversity, tolerance and respect there will hopefully be unity in this diverse nation.  Forbidding religious expression and practices in schools is important and necessary in a liberal democracy that will maintain a clear boundary between Public and private.

Criticism  Pluralism has caused the school day to be cluttered with questionable activities.  Schools don’t emphasis the importance of values and moral to children. And ultimately fail in forming charter and defining shared moral guidelines.

School Virtue: An Idea whose Time Has Come Again  A generation of educators who emphasized moral relativism neglected the traditional obligation of character education. There is a set of ethical precepts that command allegiance from people of various races, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The Proposed Solution  The public school should teach values.  To help develop virtue and good habits children need to be shown clear examples of right and wrong.  Schools must prepare student for being responsible citizens by teaching a common set of civics and political principles. However they must recognize strict neutrality about all topics where there is no overall consensus.

What This Perspective Means  The institution which is long been responsible for providing virtuous education are no longer doing there job.  This in effect has caused our currant social ills.  Because of this they need clear and moral guidelines from adults.  There should be not values taught that are not commonly held by all Americans. Consensus values must be recognized and taught in school.

Criticism  To Multiculturalisms, who will define the core values.  Church and state must be separated even if a majority favors certain types of religious devotions in the schools.  The most important values are religious. In a nation whose dominant culture is Christian, it is appropriate for these values to be taught in the schools.

Christian Traditionalist: Convictions of the Moral Majority  The Moral erosion that pervades American Society today stems directly from the decline of religious influence in the public schools and elsewhere. Considering how important the Christian religion is to most American in their daily lives and how important it has been to this nation historically, public schools must clearly convey Christian values.

The Proposed Solution  Religious values should be an important part of students curriculum.  Schools should not condone values that are not morally acceptable to most Americans.  Schools should permit group prayer at any school event and where student see fit.  Evolution should not be the only creation perspective taught in science class.

What This Perspective Means  Americans share a single religious tradition and common religious based convictions.  The US was founded on Christian values. If they are taken away not much is left.  Not teaching the side of creation in science class undermines the values parents teach at home.  To combat social problems that have ties to sexual activities advocates say schools have a responsibility to teach abstinence to students.

Criticism  In this diverse society to teach Christian values in public schools is offensive to many Americans who do not follow those views.And it is a blatant violation of the 1 st Amendment.  Schools must not teach creation they must stick to what is scientifically true.  Accurate sex education is needed to ready children for the real world and realistic results and situations.

Parental Choice: Breaking the Public School Monopoly  As things stand, Parents are forced by compulsory attendance and compulsory taxation to support a school system that does not reflect the values held by millions of Americans. Parents have the right to raise children according to their own set values.

The Proposed Solution  Recognize the parent to make decisions on behalf of their children, which includes there right to raise the according to their own values and rules.  Schools should reflect the wide and diversity of our values.  A voucher system should be started to allow all parents to use tax dollars to send there children where they want.  Encourage Parents to teach at home.

What This Perspective Means  Pluralism can only occur if parents are allowed to choose which schools there children attend.  Public schools have a virtual monopoly over school-age children.  There should variety in the choice for parents to choose form to send there students to that reflect there values and feelings.  The bad side of vouchers is that schools that children do bad in and schools which undermine parents will lose most if not all support.

Criticism  The system of vouchers will undermine the publics school system that has been the backbone of our educational society.  The formation of a network of special school and particular groups at schools will cause widespread re- segregation all over again.  Vouchers will in effect violate the 1 st Amendment again. As well as undermining the sense of commonwealth that we all share in some way.

Conclusion  In conclusion each of these four views have no consensus, however the on thing that they have is the underling feeling of interest in the well being of our education that will in effect benefit our children. And with that it will in return help the future for all, and so on. So we must first try to define a common ground about what should be done and grow form there because the future is in our hands and it is very important.