A key component of recent school reform policies has been the authorization of public charter schools. A subset of public charter schools, often termed "no excuses" schools, have received national attention for their students' academic success; however, scholars have recently begun to question the role of the schools' authoritarian discipline systems in the process of social reproduction. This study examines the extent to which authoritarian discipline systems are necessary for success at "no excuses" schools, drawing upon qualitative research at a strategic site: a school that adopts many of the practices of "no excuses" schools while also pursuing a relational approach to discipline. Qualitative analysis of classroom observation and interview data finds that a relational approach to discipline cultivates non-cognitive skills more closely aligned with the evaluative standards of middle-class institutions, such as skills in self-expression, self-regulation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. A comparison of academic achievement data also suggests that "no excuses" schools may be able to implement relational discipline approaches without sacrificing academic success on a key predictor of future academic performance.
Numerous factors influence health, including family background, individual behaviors, and community context. Access to care and insurance are critical, especially for people in lower socioeconomic groups who often face challenges beyond their immediate control. Building from a synthesis of theoretical frameworks, and using data from the Delta Rural Poll, this article utilizes logistic regression to explore the relationship between macro and micro socioeconomic resources and self-rated health
Cultural narratives about the proper scope and focus of teaching are embedded in contemporary school reform policies. This review examines literature related to two competing cultural narratives about US primary and secondary teachers: that "good teachers" are autonomous saviors, defined by their abilities to act independently and against great odds to improve academic outcomes for low-income and minority students, and that "good teachers" are disempowered technicians who follow the guidance of externallyrecognized experts in their efforts to reduce educational inequalities. A review of literature critiquing these narratives finds that scholars have often analyzed these narratives using theoretical frameworks associated with race, class, and/or neoliberalism. This review examines what historians of education and feminist scholars can contribute to a critical analysis of the representation of US teachers in political speech and popular culture. It demonstrates that gender, as part of an intersectional approach, is important to understanding how White middle-class women teachers can be positioned simultaneously as "autonomous saviors" and as "disempowered technicians" and how these narratives inf luence the professional status and autonomy associated with the work of teaching.This review examines literature related to two competing cultural narratives about US primary and secondary teachers: that "good teachers" are characterized by their abilities to act autonomously and against great odds to "save" low-income and minority students from failing schools and that "good teachers" are technicians who follow the guidance and best practices of external experts in their efforts to close achievement gaps among subgroups of students. A review of literature critiquing these narratives finds that sociologists and critical education scholars have tended to analyze these narratives using theoretical frameworks associated with race, class, and/or neoliberalism. This review examines what historians of education and feminist scholars can contribute to a critical analysis of the representation of US teachers in political speech and popular culture. It demonstrates that the consideration of gender, as part of an intersectional approach to studying the representation of US primary and secondary teachers, is critical for understanding how the predominately female teaching force can be simultaneously represented as "autonomous saviors" and "disempowered technicians."
Representations of US K-12 teachersThe No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 was enacted with the stated goal of reducing achievement gaps among students of different races, ethnicities, and income levels. This legislation embraced logic of accountability in which teachers and schools were required to report their progress in improving the standardized test scores of low-income and minority students and faced sanctions for failing to meet particular standards. This logic of accountability has
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