The Wikwam Public School in New York City

• In Event: Roundtable Session 66
  In Roundtable Session: “Schools of Tomorrow,” Schools of Today Revisited: Histories of Five Contemporary Progressive Schools

Abstract

Wikwam is a small, urban, public elementary school serving students in grades K-5. It was established in 1993, following a planning process in which teachers and members of the community met extensively to articulate a vision for the school, which included a strong relationship between the school and families. At the outset, Wikwam’s educational philosophy conveyed a commitment to a progressive approach to teaching and learning. The school takes a firm stance as being student centered, and positions itself in contrast to the prevailing educational climate, in which the measure of a student’s capacity is determined through high-stakes testing. Over its history, many at Wikwam have maintained a strong commitment to the school’s progressive roots. Additionally local families make a commitment to the school, with many younger students following in the footsteps of their older siblings who graduated from the school. Recent changes in leadership and city-based educational reforms have presented some challenges to the school in maintaining the values of its original mission. During the first fifteen years of the school’s history there were two school leaders. In the last three years there have been three different administrators, and several controversies surrounding the school’s leadership. Additionally, prevailing local and national educational policy, with its emphasis on testing and standardization of curriculum, have presented a challenge to the school’s commitment to student centered teaching and learning. Admission to Wikwam is done by a lottery, by which the school seeks to enroll a student body that reflects a mix comparable to the surrounding area by race and ethnicity.

Perspectives: This paper uses the perspective summarized in the Paedagogica Historica special issue on ISCHE 30, which argues for the use of both historical and sociological analyses to examine education and inequality. The paper provides a sociological analysis of the history of the school through an examination of the evolution of its curriculum and pedagogy, its changes and leadership, its problems with sustainability and its effectiveness in serving a diverse student population.

3. Methods: The paper uses historical methods, including archival research, oral histories with living administrators and teachers, and qualitative sociological methods, including interviews with current teachers and administrators and ethnographic observations of the school.

4. Data sources: The paper analyzes archival documents, including memos, letters, newspapers, and planning documents, as well as interviews with former and current teachers and administrators.

5. Conclusions: The paper argues that the school has undergone a number of changes in its long history as it struggles to adapt to changing market and educational conditions. It explores how changes in leadership have been a key component of stability, change and sustainability. Finally, it argues that the school has been effective in balancing these conditions with admitting and serving a diverse student population.

6. Significance: The paper provides an important contribution to the literature on the history of progressive education through the analysis of a significant urban district school.

Author

• Kirsten Cole, CUNY - Graduate Center