Dissertation Tuesday

Struggling with pulling the threads into a cohesive argument. So, I decided to write out a basic flow of the overarching ideas.

Voila. Proposal in a nutshell.


ERASING EXCLUSIONARY LINES OF COMMUNITY: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Some schools/students face disadvantage because of current policies, however remnant of the past, which segregate them. Moreover, there is a “missions” mentality coupled with a deficit model of thinking when it comes to improving educational opportunities. Also, there is an apathetic or blaming the victim mindset rampant in educational reform.

Partnerships have been heralded as a way of reform for schools today. But, are they really offering authentic reform? Popkewitz explains that there are themes of salvation for democracy, global peace, and economic burden-sharing which dominate partnerships. Others say partnerships are empty signifiers, which means there is no one real meaning for a partnership. Still, some examples illustrate that partnering with the local community holds much promise for reform (e.g. social justice and democracy). These examples of partnerships are often coupled with dynamic leaders/ transformational leaders/leaders for social justice.

Thus, are principals now the gatekeepers of partnerships? Which partnerships will be brought in and how and why and to what extent—these are questions for school leaders which need to be examined. Moreover, are there any disciplining or reigning discourses surrounding “community” which affect how the principals engage? So, just what is it our principals are thinking?

I think I will try to find out by interviewing them. :)
Limitations: Federal, state, and local politics and school governance often override principals' preferences and efforts.