Diversity to What Ends?

• In Event: 30.080 - Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 30.080-19 - We Are Clearly Not Asking the Right Questions: Rethinking "Knowledge to Action" as Social Justice

Abstract

As the conservatism of a white male profession changes demographically, the question is diversity to what ends, socially, economically and politically in terms of educational opportunities? Do our professional standards and accountability measures bring us closer to a humane educational life and a greater sense of humanity? We advocate for diversity, but toward what processes and outcomes? In the last US presidential election cycle, many of us embraced a post-racial possibility with the election of President Obama without critiquing the absence of his administration’s educational philosophy/platform to transform public education – allowing more neo-liberal policies and practices to dominate the lives of teachers and administrators these past eight years (Dixson, 2015; Wise, 2013). Our journals are filled with criticisms, but very little has changed on-the-ground. Why?

Author

• Terri Nicol Watson, City College of New York - CUNY