UEP 214 The State of Public Education: The Politics of Access and Equity in Los Angeles

The struggle for control of our public education system in Los Angeles has become one of the most high profile conflicts facing the city and its residents.  The stakes couldn’t be higher. The lives of children and the hopes and dreams their parents literally hang in the balance. In UEPI 214, Professor Steve Zimmer, a long-time teacher and the former President of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, will guide students through a journey in understanding the role of public education in our society and tensions over different visions and goals for public schools, including its mission to promote equality, equity, and mobility.  The course will also explore how public policy can help or hinder public school’s equity mission. The class will examine the effects of expanding racial and economic segregation, increased standardized testing, and toxic stress have on students trying to pursue their dreams and the teachers trying to make those dreams come true. The class will also assess the impact of teacher tenure reform, the expansion of charter schools, the community schools movement and other policy based debates that could influence the future of teaching and learning. Through guest lectures, panels, films, and readings, students will understand the role that policy and collective action can play in pursuing a collaborative agenda. The final project will involve actually writing policies to be presented to the Board of Education and/or other policy makers.