In my opinion, this excerpt provided a classic example of the many inadequacies and inflexibility of the school system. Instead of catering to the students' needs and interests, schools expect students to conform to the uniform standards of the school curriculum and standards of behavior. As pointed out by Oakes and Lipton (1999), the school system has been governed by archaic and entrenched policies that are meant to create an efficient system for "mass-produc[ing] learning" for decades (p. 283). Orfield, G., Bachmeier, M. D., James, D. R., & Eitle, T. (1997, September). Deepening segregation in American Public Schools: A special report from the Harvard project on school desegregation. Equity & Excellence in Education, 30(2), 5-24. Yet, in recent years, educators have learned that all people have unique learning styles and strengths. Therefore, teachers will only be able to develop the potential of their students by acknowledging their differences. Instead of undermining minority students for their difference from the white, middle class peers, educators should celebrate diversity and difference in schools. For example, in Oakes and Lipton's (1999) discussion, the creation of the two-way bilingual programs basically challenges the assumption that the m |
