Some Tough Questions for Teach for America and the Charters
The dominant woldview of Teach for America, along with the most popular charter school chains - Success Academices, K.I.P.P., Uncommon Schools etc- implies that low income communities are "toxic" and that for young people in them to succeed, they must be insulated from all surrounding cultural influences and choose as role models and institutions to aspire to people and places far away from where they live. That is why such programs actually prefer teachers who have no connection with the communities they live im, teach for a short time, and concentrate on drilling students for tests whose symbols and cultural references have no connection to the neighborhoods students actually live in. It is also why these programs and schools promote draconian behavior codes which lead to the massive expulsion of rebellious or non-conforming students and families.
To challenge these programs and institutions effectively, we must challenge their worldview as well as their pedagogy and educational philosophy
Here are a couple of questions that might guide this
First, are low income families any more "toxic" in terms of values and impact than the hedge fund managers and real estate With A Brooklyn Accent: Some Tough Questions for Teach for America and the Charters: