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Teachers’ rights regarding freedom of expression and
academic freedom depend on a balance between individual and governmental
interests.Teachers have rights guaranteed to individuals under the
Constitution, but school boards have obligations to ensure the “proper” and
“regular” operation of the schools, taking into account the rights of parents,
teachers, and students.

Tenure protects teachers from dismissal except on such specified grounds as incompetence, immorality, insubordination, and unprofessional conduct. Teachers accused of such conduct are entitled to due-process protections.

Examine several weeks’ worth of the state and local news
section of your daily paper (hard copy or via the Web) for articles relating to
school finance. Do these articles support or criticize the current system? Do
they agree with any of the points of view presented in this chapter, or do they
take a different approach? Share your findings with the class.

1. What are some reasons for and against shifting
educational responsibilities from the federal government to the states?
2. How, as a teacher, can you influence educational change
at the local level? At the state level?

Imagine that you have been hired as a new teacher in a
school with a racial, economic, and linguistic composition quite unlike your
own background.What can you do to improve your chances to succeed, and whom
might you ask for assistance?

1. Which revisionist arguments are the most persuasive?
Which are most vulnerable to criticism?
2. To what extent would you be willing to contact parents of
low-achieving students when you become a teacher? Do you think this should be
part of the classroom teacher’s responsibilities?

What can teachers and schools do to overcome each of the
school-related obstacles and problems that contribute to low achievement among
economically disadvantaged students? What might you accomplish in working to
overcome these obstacles and solve these problems?

Social class relates both to achievement in elementary and
secondary schools and to entry into and graduation from college. Students with
low socioeconomic status tend to rank low in educational attainment;
middle-class students tend to rank high. Low achievement is particularly a
problem in poverty areas of large cities.

1. Should first-year teachers be assigned difficult classes
such as this one? Justify your answer.
2. What obstacles must David hurdle to be considered an
effective teacher?
3. How would you prepare for and handle a class such as
this?

Write a description of the “regularities” of schooling as
you remember them at the high school you attended. Compare your description
with those of your classmates. Do these patterns seem to vary much from one
school to another? If so, how?