Controversies in Educational Inequality

Educational inequality has become an increasingly common topic of public, academic, and journalistic debate. This course introduces students to ongoing social scientific debates about the sources and consequences of educational inequality such as: Do charter school provide educational access and opportunities or do they divert resources away from public schools? Does Teach for America improve student outcomes or does it exacerbate problems? Are schools the great equalizer do they amplify larger social inequalities? Each unit and class will involve significant student participation though spirited class discussion and debate.