What is Sacred? Learning to Name and Nurture What is Most Important in Systems Change
Re-reading Bowles & Gintis’ Schooling in Capitalist America this week left me reflecting (somewhat dismally) on a 20-plus-year career in education and human service improvement research. In the re-reading I reminded myself that many educators and education researchers understand deeply that the work they do each day to uplift the dignity of young learners and use education settings and practice to enhance their freedom is to a great extent designed and constrained by larger social and economic systems that sort individuals into strata defined by who does what and who gets what . Educators don’t show up each day because they are deluded. They show up because they believe that there is something to be gained by being present, by participating, by being in relationship. Let’s be clear that many educators understand that even if they were to suddenly arrive at a moment in their lifetimes when all the curricular and infrastructure improvements resulted in all students graduating ...