Journal of Educational Controversy Blog: March 2023

I am pleased to announce that our special issue on “Teaching for Social Justice in a Highly Politicized Historical Moment” is now online at the Journal of Educational Controversy. Here is a direct link: https://cedar.wwu.edu/jec/vol15/iss1/ Please consider continuing the conversation by contributing a rejoinder.

Authors responded to the following controversial scenario:

As the nation begins to reckon with its racial past, it is now experiencing a backlash by some states that are implementing laws and policies that will target how civics education, controversial topics, and divisive issues will be discussed from kindergarten through higher education. From restrictions on the teaching of academic theories that analyze systemic racism to limiting other race-related discussions in the classroom, actions by these states pose not only a challenge and a danger to traditional academic freedom but also to the very definition of the role of education in a democratic society.

This issue of the Journal of Educational Controversy asks authors to contribute their thoughts on issues such as:

1. How should racism be appropriately addressed at different age levels and the college classroom? What social, historical, political, and cultural understandings should be brought to bear on the conversation? How do we defend the educational significance for the choices we make? How do we act in proactive ways to engage in such work so that we are not forced to be reactive?

2. How are we to understand the political nature of the attacks against theories like Critical Race Theory and other current political actions by states to restrict and censor discussions on race in order for us to counter them more effectively? What political dynamics and historical precedents are at play? Can incidents from the past illuminate a response today?

3. How should university professors prepare the next generation of teachers in confronting these issues?

4. What would it look like if a college of education took on the work of dismantling structural racism?

Below is the table of contents from the journal:

Editorial

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Teaching for Social Justice in a Highly Politicized Historical Moment
Lorraine Kasprisin
Vol. 15, Iss. 1

Theme: Teaching for Social Justice in a Highly Politicized Historical Moment

Articles in Response to Controversy

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The Sociohistorically Situated and Structurally Central Nature of Race: Toward an Analytic of Research regarding Race and Racism
Rolf Straubhaar
Vol. 15, Iss. 1

Theme: Teaching for Social Justice in a Highly Politicized Historical Moment

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