Finn - School is Cool vs. School Sucks

Up to this point, I have yet to agree with our authors, Johnson or Delpit.  I found them to be "way off".  I wasn't sure if we were going to encounter an individual who actually knew what was happening in the schools or in the education world.  That was until I read Patrick Finns assessment on the division of education in this country.  Did I know it existed, yes, I didn't put a label on the schools but I had a feeling that it was "different strokes for different folks".  Finn writes that in the US we have 2 types of education.  First, there is the empowering education which inevitably leads to power, authority and great financial stability.  Second, there is the domesticating education, which makes a person productive members of society in that they are not troublesome but know how to follow orders.  (Pg.2) "We don't worry about a literate working class because the kind of literacy they get doesn't make them dangerous".  Talk about derogatory.  The  Culture of Power at work, keeping people down, suggesting everyone has their place in society, don't rock the boat.  Finn places the blame equally among the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of the poor just as much as those of the elite.

   Finn states some minorities feel they have bee wronged by society and have developed what is called "oppositional identity" to education and what is being taught.  I do believe this to be accurate and find it ridiculous.  Can't they see they are only hurting themselves and that if you don't help yourself there are many people and  institutions out there that would gladly like to keep you down and out of the Culture of Power.  Finn also suggests there are degrees of "oppositional identity" even among whites, particularly working class.
Reading Finn left me disheartened but aware.  Aware of myself and my teaching practices and the realization that I too pigeon holed my students just like he  describes later in the article.  I can't believe I'm one of them.
 
   This statement by Finn really makes you think where we're headed "the fear was that literacy would make the rabble aware of the injustices they suffered, and they would attempt to overthrow the ruling class violently and take its place-same roles, same rules, only a switch in actors in the roles"(pg2)  This sounds like The USSR or North Korea or China, fear of losing the power.  What they don't know won't hurt "us".  This is the US, where there is or should be "hope" of a  better future.  Work hard and you'll be rewarded, for education is power, but Finn also suggests that there are certain socioeconomic groups that are not given the necessary tools to succeed.  Not only that but there are those that don't want the power. Finn writes about one teacher,  Mrs. Kennedy who schooled her students to take orders, to replace their parents at the bottom of the economic heap.  Is that what we're doing?  Preparing most of our students to remain at the bottom.?  I realized the chain of command will never change, it will stay in the hands of the well educated and privileged who have been "handed" the best opportunities available. Only the reinforcements will change, children and grandchildren of the working class who have been taught that this is a good life, honest work and to not question. 

   The best part of the article was Finns suggestion that there are 4 different types of schools: the executive elite  whose incomes were in the top 1 percent, affluent professional whose incomes were in the top10 percent, middle class whose incomes were better than average but below the top 10 percent, and working class about half were unskilled and about 15 percent were unemployed.  It was interesting to see how in these schools the same subject matter was taught so differently.  Giving the upper hand to the executives and affluent because they can handle the rigorous lessons and since they will be our future leaders of capitalism they should know how to think critically and creatively.  Higher order thinking can only be done by the affluent because they are the only ones given the necessary tools to achieve the highest standards.  While the middle and working class were taught how to follow orders and routines, that there was only 1 right answer to everything and not to question the teacher.  Good lessons to have when working for someone.  

   Our education system is not about hope and possibility, but survival of the fittest, only the strong will survive and know your place.  Not only do schools have to change but the attitudes and stereotypes of society must also change.  After reading Finn I am empathetic to the plight of some of my students and don't want them to adopt the  feeling of "why bother to work hard, you're future is already mapped out for you"