Schools can and should be agents of change to address social issues like racism. The document discusses how philosophers believed education could produce good citizens, and examines racism in schools. It details the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling in 1954 that sought to remedy racism through school integration based on a doll study showing black children preferred white dolls. However, integration through busing students was met with both support and criticism, and schools are becoming more racially divided again today. The discussion questions debate whether integration achieved equality or if other approaches could have worked without forced integration.

1. Schools as Agents of Change

2. Agenda
• Tonight: Can/Should schools be agents of
change?
– Racism
– Brown vs Bd of Ed
– Ferguson, Missouri

3. Can schools be agents of change?
• All the philosophers we’ve discussed believed
that the right type of education would
produce good citizens who made moral and
ethical decisions for the common good.

4. Example Social Issue: Racism
• In your group read the book aloud. Take turns reading . There should be a note
taker during the story and after the story when you have your group
discussion.
• After documenting key points, issues, and opinions, we will have a class
discussion.
• How did the story affect you personally?
• How would reading this in school affect
students/educators/parents?
• How can we change racism in schools?
• What are some things that have already been done to
achieve equality? Is it enough? What more can we do?

5. Brown vs Board of Education
• Plessy vs Ferguson said separate
but equal was not racism.
• Supreme Court decision 1954
reversed that and sought to
remedy racism through
integration of schools.
• Court was swayed by 1939 Clark
study of black children
preferring white dolls.

6. Clark Doll Study
• CNN repeated the study in 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkpUyB2xgT
M

7. Results of Brown vs Board of Education
• School districts force
integrated schools by
busing children from their
neighborhoods.
• There were Pros and Cons
to forced integration.
http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=zxknqj-bt3k

8. Did it work? School Integration 60
years after Brown
• Schools are becoming more racially divided

9. Discussion
• Why do you think Brown didn’t work?
• Would you be for or against busing to create integrated schools
• Is your school or any school you went to segregated or
integrated?
• Should parents be able to send their children to an intentionally
segregated school?
• Do segregated schools hurt white people or black people more?
• Could equality have been achieved without force integrating
schools?

10. Racism today
• Readings on Ferguson, Missouri
• What role can education play in this situation?
• Who should take action? Federal government? Courts?
Local officials? Local people? Teachers?
• How can they take action?