Youth Activism in an Era of Education Inequality

YOUTH ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF EDUCATION INEQUALITY

INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE

This is what democracy looks like: Youth or- ganizers in Colorado negotiate new school discipline policies to end the school to jail track. Latino and African American students march to district headquarters to protest high school closure. Young immigration rights activists persuade state legislators to pass a bill to make in-state tuition available to undoc- umented state residents. Students in an ESL class collect survey data revealing the preva- lence of racism and xenophobia.

These examples, based on ten years of research by youth development scholar Ben Kirshner, show young people building political power during an era of racial inequality, diminished educational opportunity, and an atrophied public square. The book’s case studies analyze what these experiences mean for young people and why they are good for democracy. What is youth activism and how does it contribute to youth development? How might collective movements of young people expand educational opportunity and participatory democracy? The interdependent relationship between youths’ political engagement, their personal development, and democratic renewal is the central focus of this book. Kirshner argues that youth and societal insti- tutions are strengthened when young people, particularly those most disadvantaged by educational inequity, turn their critical gaze to education systems and participate in efforts to improve them.

240 PAGES • 2 FIGURES PAPER • 978-1-4798-9805-3 w w w . n y u p r e s s . o r g NYUPRESS 2 INTRODUCTION Introduction going tocrafta“youthbillofrights,”whatwouldyouinclude? tunities togiveinputintopoliciesandpracticesthataffect theirlives?Ifyouwere ➥ racists?” ➥ ➥ among youthofcolorintheUnitedStates? ➥ QUESTIONS FORDISCUSSION flected indamagingpoliciesrangingfrom policeinschoolstothewarondrugs. Inequality andagesegregation are compoundedbyongoingstructuralracismre as dependentrecipients of servicesratherthanpartnersindecision-making. Age-based segregation refers toalongstandingpracticeoftreating youthmore of undocumentedyouth,are excludedfrom highereducationinmoststates. are offered worsepublicschoolsthantheirmore affluentpeersand,inthecase exhorted, forexample,tofollowtheAmericanDream andgotocollege,but structural racism.Theseconditionsfuelactivismamongyouthofcolor. Theyare ing economicandeducationalinequality, age-basedsegregation, andpersistent three broad trends defininglifeintheUnitedStatesforyouthofcolor:increas This introductoryof chapter contextualizescontemporaryyouthactivisminterms SUMMARY ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ Do youthinkyoungpeoplebetweentheagesof14-18haveadequateoppor What ismeantwhentheauthorcitesBonilla-Silva’s phrase,“racismwithout theclaimsmadeinthisbook? What kindsofvaluesandevidenceinform What, according totheauthor, are theconditionsthatgiverisetoactivism NYU PRESSINSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE - - - 3 CHAPTER 1 - - - - - Was the project either successful or unsuccessful? On what grounds? What What On what grounds? either successful or unsuccessful? the project Was Assess the evidence provided by the author about Luis and Gabriela’s learn about Luis and Gabriela’s by the author Assess the evidence provided What is Participatory Action Research? How is it different from other kinds of kinds of other from is it different How What is Participatory Action Research? What is sociopolitical development? How is distinct from positive youth devel How is distinct from What is sociopolitical development? ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ YOUTH ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF EDUCATION INEQUALITY YOUTH ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF EDUCATION inside of schools? ➥ for critical Participatory Action Research does this say about the possibilities ➥ their participation in this project? ing. What do you think they learned through ➥ about? out or read you have carried research ➥ that educators need to facilitate author argue opment? On what basis does the youth? sociopolitical development among QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION no/a students, Luis and Gabriela, as they engaged with the project and applied and applied as they engaged with the project no/a students, Luis and Gabriela, The chapter uses quotations and it to other aspects of their lives. insights from youth developed as sociopolitical actors. examples to show how these two at their school. Their research, carried out as part of their coursework, uncovered uncovered out as part of their coursework, carried research, at their school. Their suggestions for how to bridge by White students and led to racist attitudes held The case study focuses on the experience of two Lati at the school. differences agency to change systems. The author supports this argument with a case study with a case study argument systems. The author supports this agency to change bilingual students devel emerging English class where high school of a sheltered racism and xenophobia about to raise awareness project oped an action research youth development to include greater attention to sociopolitical development, development, attention to sociopolitical to include greater youth development political and exercise to think critically about systems to the capacity which refers SUMMARY positive assumptions about we need to expand current that This chapter argues Critique and Collective Agency in Youth Develop in Youth Agency and Collective Critique ment 4 CHAPTER 2 Millenial Youth andthe Fight forOpportunity social justiceactivism? ➥ vice learning”? engagement youmayhaveexperienced,suchas“communityservice”or“ser Jovénes Unidos.Howare theseexamplesdifferent from more othertypesofcivic ➥ members ofthe“millennialgeneration”anddoyoufinditpersuasive? ➥ of apathyorengagementamongtoday’s “youth”? ➥ QUESTIONS FORDISCUSSION exercise politicalpower. future aspirationscanmobilize youngpeoplefrom marginalized backgrounds to cases showhoworganizing inresponse toissuesthataffect everydaylives and to endtheschooljailtrackinColoradoledbyPadres &JóvenesUnidos.Both immigrant rightsandopportunity. Thesecondfocuseson astatewidecampaign ty. ThefirstcasefocusesonDREAMActivism,anintergenerational movementfor and developedsuccessfulcampaignsforhumanrightseducationopportuni youth defiedthesteadyconsolidationofpoliticalpowerinhandsfew on analysisofnewspaperarticlesandothersecondarysources, where millennial young peopleinsocietalchange.Theauthorpresents twocases,basedprimarily This chaptershiftsfrom a focusonindividualpeople’s developmenttothe role of SUMMARY ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ What are thefeatures oforganizations thatengageyoungpeopleofcolorin The authordiscussestwocasesofactivism—DREAMActivismandPadres & What doestheauthorargue aboutthequalityofcivicengagementamong What assumptionsdidyouhave,priortoreading thischapter, aboutthelevel NYU PRESSINSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE - - 5 CHAPTER 3 - - - - What rationale does the author offer for having greater student participation student participation greater for having What rationale does the author offer so that students could partici would you design or facilitate What structures On what grounds did the Jefferson High School students object to the closure object to the closure High School students did the Jefferson On what grounds Think back to when you were a high school student – how might you have student – how might you have a high school Think back to when you were ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ YOUTH ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF EDUCATION INEQUALITY YOUTH ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF EDUCATION pate in meaningful ways in decisions about their school? pate in meaningful ways in decisions ➥ decisions? in school reform ➥ ➥ of the school? reacted if you heard your school was being closed and you needed to transfer to and you needed to transfer to your school was being closed if you heard reacted a rival school in your city or region? QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION ➥ ties for student voice and participation are needed in the struggle for education needed in and participation are ties for student voice al equity. ment. The chapter describes the process of forming the intergenerational and and of forming intergenerational the describes the process ment. The chapter objected to the decision to why students team and chronicles multiracial PAR opportuni stronger an object lesson in why The chapter offers close the school. with African American and Latino/a high school students whose school was whose school was and Latino/a high school students with African American declining enroll and citing low performanceclosed by the district test scores on SUMMARY carried out project (PAR) on a participatory action research Chapter 3 is based “‘Not Down with the Shutdown’: Student Activism Activism Student Shutdown’: the with Down “‘Not School Closure” against 6 CHAPTER 4 Teaching withoutTeaching ance strategieswouldappealmosttoyou?Why? ➥ created foryouth? ➥ participation: facilitation,apprenticeship, andjointwork? ➥ from typicalexperienceswithschoolteaching? ing? Whatdidthatsupportorguidancelooklike?Howwasitsimilardifferent anyone elseproviding guidanceorgivingyoufeedbacktosupportyourlearn of choice,ownership,ordecision-makingpower. Inthatexperience,wasthere ➥ QUESTIONS FORDISCUSSION cal schoolteaching,andcritiquesnaïveconceptionsofyouthvoice. young adultsinyouthorganizing groups, whichdifferent considerablyfrom typi carry outcampaigns?Thechapterdescribesthekindsofguidanceprovided by toBut theauthordidnotseeanyteachingtakingplace.Howyouthlearn novice activists,playedkeyroles implementingcomplexsocialactioncampaigns. was intriguedbyapuzzlingobservation:youthparticipants,mostofwhomwere activism inthree out-of-school youthorganizations. EarlyinhisfieldworkKirshner ogies thatfosterit.Chapter4isbasedonethnographicresearch aboutyouth the impactofyouthparticipationtoward ecol analysisofthekindslearning This chapterbeginsPartIIofthebook,whichtransitionsawayfrom discussing SUMMARY ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ If youwere goingtotakeonapositionaseducator, whichofthethree guid opportunitiesthatthey ofthekindslearning How didthesevaryinterms How doestheauthordefinekeydifferences betweenthree typesofguided experienceyou’vehadwhereThink ofalearning youexperiencedagreat deal NYU PRESSINSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE - - - - 7 CHAPTER 5 - - - If you were a schoolteacher, how might you integrate CCI into your subject might you integrate CCI into your subject how a schoolteacher, If you were How did the teachers’ social identities – as White teachers mostly from middle middle – as White teachers mostly from How did the teachers’ social identities In what ways did teachers view CCI as counter-normative in their schools? in their schools? as counter-normative In what ways did teachers view CCI What is Critical Civic Inquiry (CCI)? How does it relate to educational topics to educational topics How does it relate What is Critical Civic Inquiry (CCI)? ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ YOUTH ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF EDUCATION INEQUALITY YOUTH ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF EDUCATION ➥ of doing this? for you rewards challenges and What might be the greatest area? of race and equity? What strategies helped them to gain greater awareness of of awareness helped them to gain greater of race and equity? What strategies their own positionality? ➥ working on issues – shape their experiences class backgrounds or upper-middle and participatory action research? ➥ ➥ development, educational equity, discussed in this book such as sociopolitical lenges. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION the Critical Civic Inquiry project to highlight the challenges that middle and high that middle and high to highlight the challenges Inquiry project the Critical Civic most cases was counter-norma in their work, which in school teachers identified those chal identifies strategies to address tive in their schools. The conclusion ticipatory action research take root inside school classrooms? This question is This question is school classrooms? inside take root research ticipatory action new formsimportant for developing education in schools and of democratic from draws on research The chapter learningtheorizing sociopolitical processes. on schools and school classrooms as contexts for sociopolitical development. development. as contexts for sociopolitical classrooms on schools and school and par youth organizing learning common in Can the kinds of environments SUMMARY this chapter focuses which looked at community organizations, Unlike Chapter 4, Schools as Sites of Struggle of as Sites Schools 8 CONCLUSION “Activism, Dignity, andHumanDevelopment” to anexampleofcurriculum inyoursubjectarea, or totheCommonCore State ➥ described inthisbook. States—such asChile,South Africa,orEgypt—andcompare themtotheones ➥ ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES ➥ with youngpeople–asamentor, teacher, coach,etc.? ➥ decision-making aboutpoliciesthataffect youthofcolor?Bespecific. as schools,youthorganizations,–intheirapproach andlocalgovernment to ➥ them are “exceptional”or“typical”?Whywhynot? ➥ of color? ➥ OVERALL REFLECTIONANDDISCUSSIONQUESTIONS youth –eitherinoroutofschool? ➥ ➥ to“deficit-based”approaches?alternative typical youthprograms foryouthofcolor?What,inhisview, oughttobethe ➥ QUESTIONS FORDISCUSSION that sense,heargues, activism ishumandevelopment. ity, humandevelopmentdemandscriticalperspective-taking andsocialaction.In concludes byarguingstructuralracismandinequal that inasocietygoverned to democraticeducationandhumandevelopment.Justasimportant,theauthor nership approach, recognizing thedignityofyouthcolor, whichcontributes specific examplesofhowcommunityprograms andschoolscandevelopapart for thefieldsofyouthdevelopmentandeducation Theauthorarticulatesreform. The conclusionsummarizesmainarguments ofthebookanddrawsimplications SUMMARY ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ ➥ Compare andcontrasttheguidingcurricularprinciples inCriticalCivicInquiry Do independentresearch aboutyouthmovementsoutsideoftheUnited What isoneclaiminthisbookthatyoumostdisagree with?Why? Name onelessonorinsightyouwouldtakefrom thisbookintofuture work What are thetopchangesthatyouwouldrecommend forinstitutions–such Do youthink,inreading thesevariouscase studies,thattheyouthactivistsin How dothesecasestudieschallengedeficit-basedperspectivesaboutyouth What lessonsdoyoudrawfrom thisbookforthepracticeofworkingwith Do youagree, “Activismishumandevelopment?”Whyorwhynot? “deficit-based”inhiscritiqueofWhat doestheauthormeanbyterm, NYU PRESSINSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE - - Standards. What is similar and what is different?

➥➥Find a current example of youth activism or youth organizing in your town or city. What is its agenda? What are the issues youth care about? Do these support or call into question the author’s claims about the conditions that fuel activism (inequality, racism, and age-segregation)?

➥➥Go to a local high school and ask what opportunities students have for decision-making at the school. Ask a range of stakeholders: students, teachers, par- ents, and administrators. Compare their responses to each other and see where there are differences. Compare those opportunities to the kinds called for in this book.

➥➥Do an “audit” of discourses about youth in the culture at large. Take one week and find three examples—either from movies, news, radio, or peer con- versation—where “youth” “teen” or “adolescent” is mentioned. What was the context and what was the message about this social category? Compare notes in class to unearth and identify the broader discourses revealed by the statements.

YOUTH ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF EDUCATION INEQUALITY 9