sscenewsletterfor recognizing inequality but, more importantly, the possibility for reinventing...

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Education for Whom?

Inês Sacchetti caught between demonstrators and police during a worker’s demonstration in Buenos Aires. Inês was conducting fieldwork in Argentina in 2011.

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From the EditorFrom the SSCE Division Head

An Interview with the SSCE AdministrationStudent Activism in Education

Voices from the MAAlumni Profile

NewsworthySSCE Contacts

2 Stephanie Kim3 Dr. Carlos Torres5 Stephanie Kim11 Ryan Donaghy14 Tiera Tanksley19 Dr. Reiko Yamada21 Aki Yamada22

SOCIAL SCIENCE AND COMPARATIVE EDUCATION DIVISIONGRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND INFORMATION STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES

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How do we characterize the contemporary state of the American education system? What happens to the quality

of education when public universities become more privatized? What is the role of activism in education? For whom should education be serving? I asked these questions to my fellow colleagues of the SSCE Division.

The current issue of the SSCE Newsletter examines inequality in the American education system. With unprecedented tuition increases and budget struggles occurring across the UC system and many other American campuses, this is an issue that is more pressing than ever. However, this issue is not confined to a domestic setting only. I am continually inspired by the worldliness of members of the SSCE Division as they grapple with these difficult questions in a time when domestic issues inform and are informed by the larger global community.

Let me first introduce two invaluable members of the SSCE Division, Harmeet Singh and Estela Diaz. Harmeet joined the SSCE Division as the Graduate Advisor in 2006. Estela joined the SSCE Division as the Administrative Assistant in 2011. In an interview with Harmeet and Estela, I asked them about changes happening in the SSCE Division and across UCLA as a result of the UC system budget crisis. Their insights are shared here.

SSCE students also provided their provocative accounts on the role of activism in education. Additionally, in the form of a brilliant article, one of our M.A. students has provided a historical and political analysis of the marginalization of urban schools.

Let us remember that systemic inequality can happen not only in our education system but across all social institutions and across national boundaries. However, we find that education in particular offers not only the tools for recognizing inequality but, more importantly, the possibility for reinventing oppressive systems. And this is why we struggle to make our voices heard in the field of education. My fellow colleagues of the SSCE Division have certainly shown me so. With much pride, I share their passion in this current issue.

Stephanie K. KimPh.D. Candidate of the SSCE DivisionSSCE Newsletter Editor

From the EditorSS

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In my fieldwork in South Korea, I partook in demonstrations to fight back against the U.S. military occupation in Jeju Island. Taken during the March 2012 demonstrations. By Stephanie Kim.

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victim.” (Foucault, 2000, p. 474)

Foucault invites us to think about the role of critical intellectuals in education. Answering this question from the perspective of critical social theory, I would argue that a true intellectual ought to be the critic of the established system. But not a critic who is necessarily intransigent or intolerant by definition, but one who is able to offer to society, like a mirror, the critical aspects that need to be considered in dealing with mechanisms of sociability, production, and political exchanges.

Another element is that critical social theory assumes that a central role of the intellectual is to create a social imaginary. The creation of social imaginary implies, for critical intellectuals, a moral responsibility and a political commitment. A moral responsibility to imagine social scenarios where people can deliberate and construct mechanisms of participation that may expand the workings of democracy. Or, in another fashion, a moral responsibility to extensively document through description, research, and analysis how people build alternative methods and mechanisms of participation and/or resistance. A political commitment to create a sphere of public debate, as suggested by Habermas, an autonomous sphere of public deliberation that is controlled by neither the market nor the state.

Antonio Gramsci proposed a forceful hypothesis when he argued that everybody has the capacity to do intellectual work, but only few recognize it. Two key elements emerge from Gramsci’s suggestion. First, that intellectual work is not only a trade, a set of techniques, or a profession but also the capacity to realize refined analysis that leads to praxis and social transformation. Second, a critical intellectual is one who is not only able to teach but also to learn from the people. Hence, a critical intellectual is one who is also able to capture the collective imagination of the people, in all its disorganized richness and insightfulness, and is able to return this knowledge back to the people in a more systematic and

From the SSCE Division HeadI would like to congratulate the Editor

of the SSCE Newsletter, Stephanie Kim, for having organized an issue focusing on the role of activism in education. Important insights emerge from SSCE graduate students and alumni who have contributed to this issue of the Newsletter. It is also important to note the role of Ms. Estela Diaz and Ms. Harmeet Singh in the administrative work of SSCE. Without their contributions, our Division may not be able to operate efficiently.

In thinking about the role of activism in education, I am reminded of Michele Foucault when he said:

“There exists an international citizenship that has its rights and its duties, and that obliges one to speak out against every abuse of power, whoever the author, whoever the

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organized fashion. At the same time, the very same producers of the knowledge are able to appraise, reinterpret, and rethink their own knowledge and insights, both conceptually and practically.

This conclusion invites a sense of humility in our intellectual work. Intellectuals always work with knowledge produced by someone else, and not only individuals but also collectivities. Critical intellectuals see their work as always provisory and limited. Critical social theory has employed from its inception a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective, which is now being ‘discovered’ by disciplinary university departments and rewarded appropriately in the evaluation of a professoriate’s career.

Universities, as places inhabited by intellectuals and not only by technocrats, have a role to play in developing critical modes of thinking and ways to intervene in society, as discussed in this issue by our graduate students and alumni. This role implies a critique of the commodification of human relations, and in the context of universities themselves, a critique of the corporatization of academic institutions.

Carlos Alberto TorresProfessor and SSCE Division HeadDirector, Paulo Freire Institute

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I had the opportunity to sit down with a couple

familiar faces of the SSCE Division, Harmeet Singh and Estela Diaz. Their perspectives as university administrators certainly offer insights to the Division and its evolution in recent years.

Harmeet joined the SSCE Division as the Graduate Advisor in 2006. However, she has been part of the UCLA community for much longer than that. She graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Business Economics in 2002, and then worked for two years as the Administrative Assistant of the PSE Division in the Education Department. From 2004 to 2005, she completed her master’s in Counseling and Student Affairs also in the Education Department. After working for one year in an Admissions position in the Engineering Department, she joined the SSCE Division.

Harmeet is certainly an invested part of the UCLA community. She shares with me the motivation to work in the Education Department and her transition from an Admissions to a Counseling position.

Harmeet: “I’m a True Bruin. I don’t want to leave UCLA! (laughs)

So with SSCE, I have been in this position since November of 2006. Before this, I was working over in the Engineering Department. I worked there for about a year in an Admissions position. The position was great and I learned a lot, but my work was very restricted to admissions only. I had worked in the Office of Student Services as an intern while completing my master’s program here [in Education]. I really enjoyed the office, the people, and the work that I did. There was a lot more scope to do other activities besides admissions, like counseling and workshops, and the work was very diverse. When the position opened here in 2006, I applied and got the position.

Since then, my role with SSCE has been with academic counseling. I provide online counseling to assist students. SSCE is one part of my position. I work with Urban Schooling and the Teacher Education Program with credentialing. I also process credentials for the Social Welfare Department in regards to their

An Interview with the SSCE AdministrationMeet Harmeet Singh and Estela DiazBy Stephanie Kim

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Harmeet Singh (left) is the Graduate Advisor of the SSCE Division. Estela Diaz (right) is the Administrative Assistant of the SSCE Division.

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Pupil Personnel Services credential work. At SSCE, though, it’s mainly academic counseling and facilitating with recruitment, graduation, and commencement. Basically, I serve as a liaison between the students and faculty. I attend faculty meetings, and Estela and I work together to facilitate the admissions process. That’s a big part of our positions.”

Estela, in fact, joined the SSCE Division as the Administrative Assistant in 2011. She graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a B.A. in Management and Human Resources in 2008. Since that time, she worked in a variety of positions primarily doing administrative work until she joined the SSCE Division.

Estela shares with me the responsibilities of her position in the SSCE Division.

Estela: “I’ve been here since December of 2011, so just over a year now. I collaborate with the Division Head, the faculty, and Harmeet. Anything from coordinating events to admissions, I do the administrative part for the Division. It could be smaller things like course requests or making copies, or bigger things like event planning. I also work with financial reimbursements. Although I work a lot more with the faculty, the students can come and ask me for help anytime, and then I refer them to wherever needed.”

Harmeet and Estela discuss some of the changes they have seen happening in the SSCE Division and throughout UCLA in recent years.

Harmeet: “I’ve observed changes in terms of the demographics of students. More international students have expressed interest in our programs. It’s not just SSCE. Within the Asian realm, there is a lot more activity in terms of expanding education and collaboration with our Asian counterparts. Certain programs have also come up with China. Chinese officials have visited UCLA. There was recently a new Chinese fellowship being offered. We are also

expanding with counterparts in India and South Korea.

In terms of the budget situation, there have also been changes. When I joined [the SSCE Division] in November of 2006, I saw more programs, more TA positions, more opportunities on campus. But since the budget cuts—especially since 2009 when the major budget cut happened—I’ve seen these positions decrease while a lot more students are finding jobs off-campus. We’ve seen the impact of it within our own department. At Center X, programs had to close down. Budget changes have created these issues. With classes, although SSCE specifically has not been impacted, overall I see other programs closing and class sizes becoming larger throughout UCLA.

As a department, we’ve realized that not many people are being hired. If there’s a loss of faculty, then [the position] is not immediately replaced because the funds for full-time equivalent positions are not readily available anymore to replace people as soon as they leave. There’s definitely a slowdown in that area. However, our faculty at SSCE have been able to manage well. Even though Val Rust and John Hawkins have retired, they’ve been actively participating in student [affairs] and still advising students. Even Don Nakanishi has been very supportive and advises his students who were under his umbrella [when he retired]. I think we are fortunate that they’re still putting in a lot of effort to sustain our Division. But there are not immediate hires as soon as a person retires or leaves, and that’s generally across campus.

Our previous dean, Dr. Aimee Dorr, was instrumental in trying to balance the budget so that our positions specifically or the Office of Student Services would not be impacted greatly. I think we’re fortunate that our department has managed it well in terms of the budgetary crisis.”

Estela:“I have not been here long enough to see those changes, but we are fortunate to have faculty who are very collaborative. Val Rust took the role of Division Head last year [while

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Carlos Torres was on sabbatical]. He’s retired but still took on that role. It’s good.”

As a student of the SSCE Division, my immediate concern is, of course, the tuition hikes. I ask how the recent tuition hikes have affected the administration of the Division.

Harmeet: “Tuition over the last couple of years has definitely gone up from about 14 thousand to now more than 16 thousand. Students are asking more about funding opportunities. How can they locate funding opportunities through SSCE and through our department? Because we have limited TA and GSR positions, I try to direct them to other departments or to look at Graduate Division funding opportunities. Tuition has definitely [made it harder] because many students have families, and even if they do not have families they still have to manage their living expenses. I’m sure you know about it.”

Indeed, I know about it all too well. On top of writing my dissertation and managing personal obligations, I am scrambling to find a TA or GSR position every single quarter. I mention this to Harmeet.

Harmeet: “Every single quarter! Yeah, you have to work for it. From what I have observed in the past, people used to have yearlong TA positions guaranteed for sometimes up to two years. But now those classes are not offered for the whole year—they’re only offered for a quarter or two—so those positions are not guaranteed anymore. [Graduate students] still have to find funding, and they have to scramble for funding resources because less are available now.

One good thing that I’ve seen in our department is that our endowed fellowships have been consistent over the last two or three years. They are competitive, no doubt, because more students are applying for them, but we’ve been able to offer initial funding for about a thousand dollars or more. Dr. Amy Gershon

has been instrumental in finding money for students in dire need. We try our best to see wherever we can get funds from and put it out there for students to apply for. We’ve been able to offer travel grants [for students presenting at professional conferences]. I won’t say it’s a huge amount, but it has helped people.”

Harmeet elaborates on how the recent tuition hikes have affected international students in particular.

Harmeet: “One major area where I’ve seen an impact is with nonresident and international student tuition. That’s about 15 thousand dollars higher than California residency tuition. In the past, some of our international students have had to decline admission because of that specifically. There is really no additional funding for international students unless they’re coming with funding themselves. But I have seen some come here and locate funding resources. They’ve worked in a TA or GSR position. Like you, they’ve also worked very hard to find positions every quarter and every year to sustain themselves. At times when they’re not able to do so, some people have taken leaves of absence.

Now the leaves are only available for one year and only for very specific reasons, so I’ve seen people take the in absentia option. If they’ve advanced to candidacy and want to do research outside of California, which a lot of international students would do as they tend to

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“Graduate students have to scramble for funding resources because less are available now.”Harmeet Singh

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go back to their home countries to do research over there, they take the in absentia option. You have to pay 15 percent of tuition and full health insurance and other costs, but it’s definitely much lower than the regulation tuition. That will hopefully help them get through the dissertation process.”

I ask about the admissions process, and whether the budget cuts have affected admissions at all.

Harmeet: “In terms of numbers, we’ve had very high demand for SSCE [despite the budget cuts]. The applications have consistently been in the range of about 50 to 60 for both Ph.D. and M.A. student applications. Whenever we admit people, they have a lot of expectations that they will be provided funding, especially international students. A lot of other schools, especially private schools, have been able to offer them attractive financial packages. Because of our budget cuts, we haven’t provided those attractive financial packages. Still, our cohort size has stayed roughly the same, between 10 to 15 students over the last three or four years. So that’s a good thing.

I’ve also seen that there could have been more people who would have joined SSCE if they were provided funding. Some of the admits have actually [joined us] the following year. If [someone] was offered admission one year, the person deferred admission to the next year. By defer I mean that we don’t have a formal deferment process, but the person may reapply for next year. When someone is in a better financial situation, then the person comes back and starts the Ph.D. program here, which speaks within itself that people are very interested to work with our faculty. People really want to come to UCLA, and I think funding is definitely playing a part in whether people are able to come, but they really do want to come.”

Estela: “In the admissions meetings, the faculty are very aware of the financial situation. They try to give each student who comes [some funding] in the form of a TA or GSR position. They’re aware that we’re competing with other

schools that might be able to offer them a better financial package.”

Our conversation moves on to discuss the students of the SSCE Division. As a former SSCE Representative to the Graduate Student Association in Education, I am curious about the student culture of the Division. I ask how the student culture of the Division has evolved in recent years.

Harmeet: “Over the past few years, I’ve seen our students become more active in terms of building a cohort relationship, emphasizing student organizing, and holding more social events. They’ve always been supportive of each other. In terms of student activism, we’ve had a lot of representation in the Graduate Student Association in Education. Recently, Nancy Acevedo-Gil, Michaela Mares López, and Ed Curammeng have served as Co-Chairs. SSCE students have also participated in the Faculty Executive Committee and the Committee on Degrees and Academic Standards meetings, as well as served as members of the larger Graduate Student Association. We have a lot of good representation.

Culturally, this is a very cohort-oriented group where everyone is so close together. I know because if I say something to one student, it gets passed on to everyone else! (laughs) That shows that students are tightly knit and supportive of each other. Not all the students come to see me, but the ones that do pass on information to others. So that I’m happy about.”

Along with the UC budget crisis and increased student activism in the SSCE Division, major changes are happening with the administrative leadership of the department. As of 2012, Dr. Marcelo Suárez-Orozco took over as Dean of GSEIS from Dr. Aimee Dorr. I ask

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“Culturally, this is a very cohort-oriented group.”

Harmeet Singh

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how the arrival of the new Dean might bring about changes to the SSCE Division.

Harmeet: “What I anticipate is that there will be more courses on immigration reform. UCLA is so much a part of that community. [More courses on] immigration reform would do well here and also help the community. We’ve had AB 540 students (undocumented students) within SSCE. I would like to see immigration reforms come about [and for the new Dean] to push for courses such as those.

From what I’ve gathered so far, he is trying to work with our faculty [to come up with] innovative ways to deal with these and other issues. That will be a positive impact for SSCE in general. He’s actually a part of our Division as Professor of the SSCE Division.”

Finally, I ask how the philosophy of SSCE resonates with Harmeet and Estela.

Harmeet: “We’ve always had a culturally diverse group. I identify a lot with SSCE because my family and I immigrated from India to the United States, and that hasn’t been that long ago. It was in 1997. I identify with a lot of issues that our students have had to deal with. Many SSCE students are first-generation college students who’ve had to struggle with a lot of things: educationally, financially, identity status, assimilating within the culture, all of that. I am also a first-generation college student. My parents were not educated [in the United States]. I’ve also had challenges beginning as a community college student [before coming to UCLA]. One of the things that I encountered is that we all had to work towards our education with financial constraints. We had to manage financial responsibilities while working together as a family to adjust to the cultural changes

here. There’s a lot of pressure dealing with all these things.

I see that happening with a lot of SSCE students, especially international students but also students who are so ethnically diverse. People from so many different countries who are trying to make it work here. I identify with all of that, so I feel close to SSCE because a lot of people have my type of background and struggles.

My personal philosophy is that… I don’t have a formal statement, but I feel that it is being perseverant and giving value to education while maintaining your family responsibilities. Also, you have to have a supportive environment in which you can thrive in order to push yourself forward. That I identify with at SSCE. Our faculty are all very supportive. In fact, the Education faculty are all very supportive, positive, and flexible. Education is so much a part of their lives. The collaborative nature of the department helps us move forward with our challenges.”

Estela: “I definitely relate with the same struggles. My parents came here as immigrants. Education meant learning English. I used to think that education might not be the way for everyone, and I know people are not going to agree with that, but being here changes you. Since I

[began working in the SSCE Division], I’ve been learning. Being here [puts into perspective] when I thought like that.

When I first came here, I thought this [was just] a job, but there’s a reason why I’m here. There’s a reason why I’m back [in an educational environment]. I may need to go back to school and try to change where I came from. Because education can bring positive changes. When students ask me to print things for them and I read their stuff, I think, that’s

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“I used to think that education might not be the way for everyone, but being here changes you.”

Estela Diaz

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really good. It’s awesome, and encourages me to bring positive changes. I’m glad I’m here.”

Harmeet: “Yes, and the newsletter, too. It’s such a nice addition to SSCE because every time I read about people’s work, what the alumni and current students are doing—people have worked for the Peace Corps, travelled around the world, worked in so many different countries—just reading about their experiences makes me realize there’s so much to do out there. And I feel happy. These are people who have come through SSCE, and we’re making a difference by educating them. It’s just so dynamic.

I think that if I were in any other place, I would probably be bored. (laughs) Here, everyday, something new is happening, in SSCE and in UCLA. That’s why I’m still here.” w

Interview conducted by Stephanie Kim. Stephanie is a Ph.D. Candidate of the SSCE Division. Her specialization is Comparative and International Education.

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Weiling DengM.A. Student“Education plays an essential role in the socialization process of an individual by internalizing outside data, information, and values. This direct impact on learners is made possible by educational activists in all aspects, including classroom interaction, policymaking, administrative strategies, campaigns and demonstrations, etc.

As activism is broadly defined, I would certainly love to count myself as a member of educational activists who work to make a difference to the existing school system and school-society relationship. If the one-year master’s program of the SSCE Division is too short for any substantive action, such as teaching, interviewing, publishing, and negotiating, it is long enough to determine my lifelong trajectory in this profession by providing opportunities in reading, reflecting, discussing, researching, and writing that are invaluable to establishing the framework of my knowledge claim.

In preparing myself as a researcher-to-be, I see activism as the belief in my academic value and capability, the love for school and students, the hope for equality and quality education, and the transformative and positive energy of the teaching career.”

David CraigPh.D. Student, 2nd year“As a Senior Lecturer in Communications, activism is central to my pedagogical philosophy. While I teach in a professional program preparing students for careers in media and entertainment, my courses are designed to develop both applied, practical skills and consciousness about critical media pedagogy. In various assignments, my students conduct critical textual analysis and media effects research, and turn a reflexive lens on their personal set of media ethical boundaries. These assignments highlight the vital role of media professions in generating representations of media power. In addition, as a media producer, I have

engaged in what I call ‘critical storytelling’ in an effort to speak (or rather, produce) truth to power. Furthermore, to borrow from Dewey’s concept of ‘informal education’ and, more recently, Giroux’s notion of ‘public pedagogy’, I believe we have the opportunity to learn and educate outside formal educational institutions. As a result, we are afforded opportunities to engage in acts of ‘micro-activism’ throughout our personal and professional lives. These opportunities may exist even in the most unexpected places (e.g. virtual spaces like Facebook and Twitter).”

Aki YamadaPh.D. Student, 2nd year“From my own understanding on the role of activism in education, I believe engagement possesses an important element. I have always had a strong ambition to work in the education field with an emphasis on internationalization and bridging cultures. Studying abroad here at UCLA has afforded me remarkable

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3 Student Activism in EducationSSCE Student ConversationsBy Ryan Donaghy

Within the Social Science and Comparative Education Division exists a myriad of research interests, regional

specialties, and methodological approaches to understanding and examining educational practices. Perhaps one of the most salient beliefs that bring such a diverse array of academic interests together is a commitment to serving as activists by demanding higher standards and better pedagogical practices in domestic and international education systems. In my own research, I am guided by the belief that great potential for women’s empowerment in national development projects can be realized through the development of women’s studies programs, but only when local context is recognized and valued in the establishment of those programs. Through conversations with my colleagues, I am inspired by their support of my research and impressed by how they have incorporated activism into theirs. Consequently, in answering the question, “What is the role of activism in education?” it seems not only natural but also necessary to incorporate the ways SSCE students are impassioned to become activists through education research and teaching. The following conversations provide just a few of the powerful ways that SSCE students are dedicating their studies to making education more inclusive and impactful.


learning experiences and new perspectives. In particular, I have an aspiration to obtain a strong international perspective and to contribute to the internationalization of Japanese higher education.

For the past few years, I have been working in the Japanese Graduate Student Association, a student-run organization that facilitates Japanese graduate students in studying abroad. Recently, the number of Japanese students who go abroad has decreased drastically in comparison with the increasing numbers of Chinese, Korean, and Indian students who go abroad. We have been working with the American Embassy in Tokyo in order to increase the number of Japanese students studying abroad at the graduate level. Every summer and winter, we organize ten different seminars, one each in seven national universities and three private universities in Japan. The seminars are sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Funai Technology Foundation. We have presentations, panel discussions, and dialogue in order to promote and share information about studying abroad.

Also, I have been working on the Japanese Graduate Student Association newsletter board to help publish a bi-monthly newsletter providing study abroad information and voices of Japanese graduate students currently abroad. Through

organizing the seminars and working on the newsletter, I have contributed to my own meaning and value of being a Japanese who is studying abroad. In my work, I try to engage with other students to help them look beyond Japan and broaden their perspective in a competitive atmosphere.

At UCLA, I would like to continue this work while also creating opportunities for American students to learn about the Japanese

perspective. As one of the Administrative Directors of the Center for International and Development Education, I am currently working to coordinate a joint conference with Doshisha

University in Kyoto, Japan in order to discuss what international education means from both Japanese and American university students’ perspectives. I am strongly committed to promoting an international perspective and understanding among students.

What can I contribute by demanding that Japanese higher education be more globally engaged? This is my strong activism and faith as a student researcher in the education field. Through my work at the Japanese Graduate Student Association and at UCLA, I am committed to connecting students between Japan and the United States.”

Melissa GoodnightPh.D. Student, 2nd year“I think it is the transformational aspect of education that led me to the field and, hopefully, what keeps me in it. To me, there is nothing passive or neutral about an educational process—it is imbued with values, meaning, struggle, and growth. I guess I have a rather utopian hope that people everywhere can experience education that is an extension of their individual and collective passion and aspirations. Education is a right that is at the very center of being human; this is evidenced to me in how meaningful educational opportunities (whether schooling or otherwise) can be a sustained source of dignity and empowerment for people. When I am learning something, when I am dialoguing with others about big ideas, I wager that is when I am personally most joyous. I approach educational activism from that reality. I think my educational work arises rather simply from the desire to help others struggle for the joy and opportunity of learning. At its best, education really is a continuous process of liberation and redefinition of one’s self and one’s world. The space and power to undergo that process is educational justice in my eyes. That is what I am interested in, and what I try to keep in focus.”

Jamie Josephson GravellM.A. Student“I had never wanted to be a Research I Professor, in fact, I didn't really want to be a Professor at all until my first quarter here at UCLA when Dr. Solórzano asked me in a meeting, “So, what's the end goal?” I realized that I want to do research centering on the experiences of students and


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“What can I contribute by demanding that Japanese higher education be more globally engaged?”

Aki Yamada


teachers in urban classrooms, and integrate those findings with critical pedagogy and critical race theory in education, especially as they relate to undergraduate and certificate programs in the California State University system. For me, this is a form of activism. I want to focus on teaching and learning in order to make the critical lens we bring to bear at UCLA available to students outside the UC system.

Before I came to Los Angeles and before I knew that I wanted to go to graduate school, my main form of activism was as an organizer and participant in professional development for teachers via Twitter. As part of the #sschat and Edcamp Social Studies team, I helped teachers find progressive, student-centered resources and support via social networking. When our team realized virtual support wasn’t enough, we planned and organized a national Edcamp, a free unconference for Social Studies teachers in Philadelphia where 200 people from over 20 states came to share and learn.”

Sarah LilloPh.D. Student, 1st year“I see schools as forums for informed discussions related to social change. Students should come to see themselves as dynamic agents within their communities (local and global). If they are encouraged to think critically and situate their learning in a real-world context, I believe that students are more likely to be active and reflective global citizens. My personal academic interest in service-learning pedagogy is deeply rooted in my belief that schools should foster civic engagement and global mindedness in their students.”

Rolf StraubhaarPh.D. Student, 2nd year“During my time as a classroom educator in New York and on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, as well as my time as an adult educator in Brazil and Mozambique, there were many times when I saw close up how schooling can be socially reproductive and oppressive. The most heartbreaking moments were when I recognized that, in my role as a teacher, I was the source of that oppression. After incidents like this, I would study whatever materials I could find to see what I could be doing differently. While I found techniques in pedagogical manuals that seemed like they could improve my practice, there was a complete

dearth of information on why teachers like myself (white male teachers who work primarily in communities of color) find themselves reinforcing rather than challenging systems of oppression in the classroom. During my time in Brazil, a few fellow teachers exposed me to Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which became a touchstone for me during my remaining time in the classroom both domestically and abroad. I knew that there must be more out there in terms of scholarship, and that eventually drew me to graduate school.

At this point, after a couple years of coursework through my master’s program and now the Ph.D. program

at SSCE, I feel to an extent like I’ve gone to the other extreme: spending my days immersing myself in literature and conducting research while not always having much time to explore practical applications for either. I know this is a tricky balance for academics, and I don’t have any simple answers for how to make sure my work is consistently focused on helping real teachers mentor real students in real classrooms, in part because I don't think there are any simple answers. But through my education and career path, I plan to keep working towards finding that balance, taking time to examine my daily reality and see how I might best challenge that through reflection and action—through praxis.” w

Students interviews conducted by Ryan Donaghy. Ryan is a Ph.D. Student of the SSCE Division and Administrative Co-Director of the Center for International and Development Education. Her specialization is Comparative and International Education.


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“The most heartbreaking moments were when I recognized that, in my role as a teacher, I was the source of that oppression.”

Rolf Straubhaar


I stand at attention, hand holding heart, listening to the

melodious voices of twenty-four beautiful brown-eyed children chant the hallowed phrases of our nation’s oath. My eyes are downcast and my mind racing. Not once do I dare take in the image set before me: my students, young and innocent, with hopeful hearts grasping desperately at the empty promise that is the American dream.

After years of working as a teacher, assistant, and volunteer in inner city school systems in Southern California and Central New York, I now find it difficult to regurgitate the beautifully sadistic words of the American pledge. As the late James Baldwin once said, “It comes as a great shock … to discover that the flag to which you have pledged your allegiance, along with everybody else, has not pledged its allegiance to you.” With the completion of the final, haunting line—“with liberty and justice for all”—we turn to take our seats. I can’t help but feel like an accessory to some sort of heinous and unspeakable crime.

Screams erupt throughout the cafeteria as one of my fifth grade students lunges towards the bellowing staff member, knocking her clear off her feet. “Fight! Fight! Fight!” chants the crowd of K-5 students. In seconds, I am out of my chair, running towards the tussle. “Stop!” I scream over the shrieking students, but my pleas fall on deaf ears. For what seems like an eternity, I watch in

horror as an adult woman wrestles a ten-year-old girl across the lunchroom floor. I pull at the woman’s arms, allowing my student a chance to break free of her grasp. Shoving me aside, the woman chases the girl into the hallway. Only after the damage has been done do the five other staff members engage in the incident. “Okay, everybody calm down!” one of them yells to the jeering crowd. Another breaks up a side fight between two riled-up onlookers. Eventually, the vice principal comes in, briefly surveys the ensuing chaos, and pulls me aside. “I’m going to need you to write a legal statement,” he tells me, seemingly unfazed by the episode. I nod, unable to do much else, and follow him into his office. Something tells me that at Rosa Parks Elementary School* this isn’t a rare occurrence.

Almost every fifth grade thumb is in the air, confirming my fears. My heart sinks. “But, you guys are Black!” I exclaim in frustration. “Does that mean you think you’re dumb?” Silence. Shrugs. Shuffling feet. “Well?” I demand, trying to hold back my tears. “Do you?”

A young girl with skillfully woven braids speaks up from across the table. “I guess not every Black person is dumb,” she replies timidly, “but most of ‘em is.” I look to the rest of the students for an answer. Their eyes are downcast. “Is that what you all think? That because you’re Black, you’re stupid?” No one responds. Their silence says it all.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America...”

Voice from the MABreaking the Chains: Liberating Historically Marginalized Groups in Urban SchoolsBy Tiera Tanksley

This article attempts to utilize a historical and political lens through which to analyze the contemporary state of the American school system. Through personal, real-life examples of my experiences working in a highly impoverished, low-achieving, racially segregated school in Syracuse, New York, I attempt to capture, relay, and analyze the unfortunate realities of many urban academic institutions. Ultimately, I write to inspire, to educate, and to enlighten educators, policymakers, and social justice activists that will work to nullify institutionalized oppression and to empower the next generation.

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“I’m not gonna tell you again! Sit down right now and shut your mouth!”“F--- you!”“Yeah, well f--- you, too, you little punk!”

“True or false: Black people are dumb.”

* Rose Parks Elementary School is a pseudonym.

“He’s hopeless. He’s gonna keep up this little gangster-thug nasty attitude of his, and he’s going to get shot and killed. You wait.”


Again, my blood is hot, and I turn to look at the student to whom my host teacher, Karen, is referring. Jayden, known around school for his violent temper and uncontrollable outbursts, is sneering at one of his classmates and throwing little pieces of paper into her hair. His desk is located in the farthest back corner of the classroom as far away from the rest of the students as possible. Worksheet after worksheet is placed on Jayden’s desk, and each one is shred to pieces, crumpled, and thrown at another student, or folded into an elaborate origami creation. Karen lets out an exasperated sigh. “See what I mean? How am I supposed to teach him when he doesn’t want to learn?” She continues on with her daily lessons as if he isn’t there.

How did we get here? How did we create and sustain such an oppressive and hostile institution of learning? No, Rosa Parks Elementary School as a single entity does not represent the entirety of urban schools in America, but it does, however, force us to closely examine the current structure and design of our urban school system.

Throughout our nation’s history, education has served as the gateway to social, political, and economic prosperity. The legendary maxim “knowledge is power” rings throughout the halls of our academic institutions nationwide. But if education enables us to obtain affluence, stature, and liberty within a society where “all men are created equal,” why is it that there is such a ghastly disparity between the academic achievement of students enrolled in impoverished, urbanized school districts and those enrolled in affluent, suburban ones?

The majority of students who attend these low-achieving, high-poverty institutions are members of

historically marginalized groups, such as those living in poverty, students with disabilities, and various racial minorities. According to a study conducted by researchers at Columbia University Teachers College, children of professional parents have vocabularies that are nearly fifty-percent greater than working class children, and almost twice as large as those of children on welfare by age three. Furthermore, by the end of fourth grade, African-American and poor students of all races are a full two years behind their wealthier, predominately white peers in both reading and math. By twelfth grade, this achievement gap steepens as students living on the margins fall four years behind their white counterparts. How could such an openly progressive and egalitarian society simultaneously produce such educational, racial, and economic inequality? What is going on in our urban schools that is causing such drastic disparity in performance amongst members of different racial, class, and socioeconomic backgrounds?

In order to truly answer any question regarding the achievement gap or the nature and purpose of our public schools, it is essential that we trace our historical steps back to a point in our nation’s past: the emergence of the common schools. The genesis of our contemporary public school system began in the 1830s with the common school movement that was an attempt by elite white businessman to establish free and universal primary schooling for American citizens. Although the democratic ideals of equity and access are insinuated in the phrase “free and universal,” Horace Mann and members of the Whig party who initiated the movement were firm believers in schooling as a means of social and economic control rather than a gateway to social justice. Scriber, Aleman, and Maxcy take on the provocative assertion that “schools served an instrumental function, preparing and allocating individuals for certain occupations” and that common schools aimed to achieve a “more coherent and less culturally pluralistic society” through “Americanized” and “democratic” education. Judging from the massive inequalities I have seen in my teaching experiences, I’m inclined to agree.

The American South has played a major role in the exclusion of racial minorities—primarily African-Americans—in the common school movement. Historian of education James D. Anderson shows in his book The

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“I see America through the eyes of the victim. I don’t see any American dream—I see an American nightmare.” - Malcolm X

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Education for whom?


Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935 that the historically racist Southern government began developing and expanding public high schools for white children while simultaneously denying African-Americans access to such academic facilities. Despite these oppressive attempts to withhold education from the Black community, African-Americans worked collectively to establish and maintain their own secondary academies. Consequently, in order to extinguish the threat of economic and social upheaval, a coalition of Southern white school reformers and Northern industrial philanthropists came together to create and sustain academic institutions that were “designed to train Black children as a docile, industrial caste of unskilled and semiskilled urban workers.” As a result of these attempts, vocational trade schools were constructed throughout the nation so as to ensure the prolonged exploitation and commodification of disenfranchised groups within an oppressive and capitalistic economy.

Interestingly enough, the floor plan of twentieth century vocational schools from Anderson’s book bears resemblance to educational institutions in today’s urban school system. Specifically, the classrooms within the Southern vocational schools were categorized by profession, such as Auto Mechanics, Nursing and Hygiene, Hair Dressing, and Janitoring, designed to relegate students into vocational career tracks. Similarly, Dorsey High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District has individualized buildings called learning communities that resemble those offered in the industrial South, including Auto Engineering, Recreational

Education, Careers in Health, and Technical Arts. From a historical perspective, contemporary urban schools have

yet to break completely free of this archaic model of schooling that pushes historically marginalized students into vocational career tracks. Even if programs are offered in traditional academic disciplines like the sciences and humanities, many of our nation’s public schools still supply minority students with a subsidiary education, often relegating them to professions that aren’t highly sought after. Ultimately, the chronicled foundation upon which our public school system was built upon was that of systemized oppression and intentional stratification. If the fundamental ideology of

our scholastic institutions is that the purpose of schooling is to ensure perpetual power for the dominant class and continuous marginalization for the disenfranchised classes, then it follows that there will be a persistent achievement gap between racial groups and socioeconomic classes in this country.

So declares President Obama in his 2010 Race to the Top charter that was meant to overhaul the No Child Left Behind program. Unfortunately, studies show that although student ability and competency are not products of one’s race or financial standing, the degree to which they are accurately assessed and measured are highly dependent upon teachers’ perceptions and biases toward

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“The most important factor in [student] success is not the color of their skin or the income of their parents—it is the teacher standing in front of the classroom.”

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race and financial standing. Therefore, in order to meet President Obama’s promise of quality education for all, we must ensure that our nation’s schools are fully equipped with unbiased, racially conscious, and transformative teachers. One means of achieving this goal is by improving and reforming our teacher education programs so as to include training on critical pedagogy, history of oppression, discussion of privilege, diversity in linguistics, community asset mapping, and more.

Historically, creating sufficient teacher education programs has been a long-standing challenge. The first institutionalized form of teacher training, the normal school, was established in 1839 and provided instructors with an education that was only slightly above the elementary level. The teaching areas addressed in these schools were primarily basic literacy and arithmetic skills, as well as behavior and classroom management. When Reagan’s 1983 report “A Nation At Risk” portrayed teachers as undertrained and unqualified and drove the idea that American schools are failing, thus began the push for teacher certification and professional standards. Although the content and requirements of teacher education programs have changed significantly since the creation of the normal school, it can be reasonably argued that the ideological focus of the teacher education field has not. From the normal school to current degree programs, prospective teachers usually take courses that emphasize subject matter expertise, instructional technologies, and classroom management while focusing only superficially on diverse and historically marginalized populations.

As a result, many future educators are unqualified and unprepared to confront and understand the central role that race, class, and oppression play in American education. Unfortunately, failure to recognize, teach, and intervene in issues of institutionalized oppression in schooling amounts to what Stromquist calls “a significant political act in favor of the current order.” If we do not educate teachers on the realities of racism, classism, and systemized oppression while simultaneously preparing them to teach and empower students living within its vise-like grip, we will continue to experience drastic inequalities and racialized divergences in school achievement.

In order to create and maintain an academic community that ensures scholastic excellence for members of historically oppressed groups, we must first

understand that race matters. As Smith-Maddox and Solórzano purport, we must collectively recognize that race is central to people’s lives and that being “colorblind” means systematically ignoring and negating an important aspect of student identity while implicitly reinforcing their state of oppression. Teachers must also recognize and celebrate a student’s race and know that it affects teaching and learning in many important ways: the way that students respond to the curriculum, the way that teachers view their students and their capacity to learn, and the way that teachers view themselves as political agents through their ability to maintain or resist the status quo.

We must also understand the implications of racism. As defined by Pine and Hilliard, “Racism describes the combination of individual prejudice and individual discrimination, on the one hand, and institutional policies and practices, on the other, that result in the unjustified negative treatment and subordination of members of a racial or ethnic group.” In other words, racism is not merely individualized discrimination against a group of people, but is also a system of exclusion and degradation enforced and maintained by institutional and legally supported practices. Following the Civil Rights movement, racism in America slowly transformed from overt and explicit to disguised and concealed. This normalization of racism has resulted in many “unintentional” perpetuations on an individual level. All of us could be participating in the demoralization and debasement of a group of people without intending to do so. Many of us have been conditioned to internalize and perpetuate negative and degrading beliefs about African-Americans. These beliefs have been normalized and labeled as fact, making it difficult for the untrained heart and mind to discern truth from bigotry. However, this does not in any way absolve us of our crimes. It is


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“I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.”

Muhammad Ali


absolutely essential that we, as social justice advocates—no, as human beings—work tirelessly to reflect upon and critique our own actions and their effects on our students, and to always educate ourselves on issues of oppression. Ignorance is never an excuse.

Knowing this, it becomes essential that we look beyond the standard curriculum, goals, and objectives of schooling to address issues of marginalization that are ever-present among a group of historically disenfranchised students. By choosing to ignore or overlook matters of oppression, we act as willing participants in our students’ ultimate debasement. We must also equip ourselves and our colleagues with an arsenal of culturally empowering and transformative knowledge and skills. By doing so, we reinforce the idea that knowledge is power and that true change starts with the individual. We can actively utilize and combine revolutionary bodies of literature such as critical race theory, Freirean problem posing methods, culturally relevant teaching, and bold conversations about race to enhance our teaching, and much more.

We are all aware that the mammoth issue of “fixing public schools” is immensely complex and daunting. No one solution is going to immediately resolve our historically flawed education system. However, there are some fundamental changes that we can make to begin the healing process for our urban schools. That starts with changing ourselves. w

Tiera Tanksley is an M.A. Student of the SSCE Division. Her specialization is Cultural Studies in Education.

Works Cited

Anderson, J. (1988). The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.Pine, G. J. & Hilliard, A. G., III. (1990). Rx for Racism: Imperatives for America’s Schools. Phi Delta Kappan 71(8), 593-600.Scribner, J., Aleman, E., & Maxcy, B. (2003). Emergence of the Politics of Education Field: Making Sense of the Messy Center. Educational Administration Quarterly 39(1), 10-40.Smith-Maddox, R. & Solórzano, D. G. (2002). Using Critical Race Theory, Paulo Freire's Problem Posing Method, and Case Study Research to Confront Race and Racism in Education. Qualitative Inquiry 8(1), 66-84.Stromquist, N. (1995). Romancing the State: Gender and Power in Education. Comparative Education Review 39(4), 423-454.


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Alumni ProfileDr. Reiko Yamada

When did you graduate from UCLA?

I submitted my dissertation and graduated with a Ph.D. in Education in 1993.

Who was your advisor?

Dr. John Hawkins was my advisor.

What was your research focus at SSCE?

While in the master’s program, I mainly focused on the comparative study of higher education between Japan and the United States. In those days, Japanese continuing higher education programs were quite undeveloped. I focused on the development process of American graduate schools that accepted many adults and working professionals as a comparative tool for Japanese higher education.

In the Ph.D. program, my research interest shifted to the gender roles of Japanese women who live in the United States, and in particular the Japanese women who are wives of Japanese executives working for the Japanese companies in the United States. Why do they still perform traditional gender roles established in Japan within American society?

I conducted surveys with Japanese mothers of students attending Japanese supplemental schools in Los Angeles. Also, I myself was the wife of a Japanese junior executive working for a Japanese company in the United States, which made it easier to form relationships with other Japanese wives for in-depth oral interviews.

How has your research evolved?

After coming back to Japan, I published two books based on my master’s and doctoral theses. One is titled The Professional School: Analysis of Professional Training System in the United States (Tamagawa University Press, 1998). The other is titled Gender Roles of Japanese Women Living in the United States: Sociological Study between 1990s and 2000s (Toshindo Publishers, 2004).

I have also developed research interests in the empirical study of student engagement through college life, and in the comparative study of higher education policies between Japan and OECD countries in the framework of globalization and accountability.

What is your current position? Where?

I am a tenured professor in the Department of Education and Culture at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. I am also the Director

of the Center for Higher Education and Student Research where I direct large-scale student survey research among Japanese students across the country. I also serve as an Assistant Academic Provost at Doshisha University.

What courses do you currently teach?

I teach courses in Comparative Higher Education and Gender and Education. I also direct undergraduate research projects and master’s and doctoral theses.

What other projects are you involved with?

I am involved in four large-scale research initiatives: (1) large-scale survey research on continuing students, (2) a comparative college impact study between South Korea and Japan, (3) theory and practice of institutional research in Japanese universities, and (4) measurement of student learning outcomes.

“Why do Japanese women in the United States still perform traditional gender roles established in Japan within American society?”

Reiko Yamada is an M.A. and Ph.D. Alumnus of the SSCE Division.

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I am also involved in the Japanese government policymaking process for higher education as a member of the Council for Central Education in the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.

What lessons did you learn while at UCLA?

I developed a solid foundation as an active researcher and learned to articulate between theory and practice, and research and policymaking.

In my higher education policymaking activities today, research-based evidence is indispensable; I am always using skills that I learned while at UCLA.

What advice do you have for current students?

The SSCE program is an excellent opportunity to develop your research skills while also finding your own style and pace of research. I know that students can be very frustrated when their research is not smoothly going. But during your days as a graduate student, you have a lot of opportunities to build your foundation as a future researcher, so utilize all your given opportunities. Also, every course you take is important in gaining the knowledge necessary for a life in academia. Although you may find that certain courses are not immediately relevant to your research, knowledge obtained from those courses is still very valuable for your future as a scholar and educator. w

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Several SSCE members

presented at the Comparative and International Education Society Western Regional Conference at Arizona State University from October 25-27, 2012. Professor Val Rust and students Ryan Donaghy, Meredith Wegener, and Aki Yamada presented their papers on philosophy of education, migration and education, and international education. In addition to SSCE members, visiting scholars of the Center for International and Development Education also presented their papers. Haijun Zhang and Weiya Zhang from Ningbo Xiaoshi High School in Zheijang, China presented their papers on English education and physics education in Chinese secondary schools. For the SSCE students, it was a great opportunity to meet researchers in similar fields of study while sharing their work with the larger scholarly community. w

Aki Yamada is a Ph.D. Student of the SSCE Division and Administrative Co-Director of the Center for International and Development Education. Her specialization is Comparative and International Education.

NewsworthyCIES Western Regional ConferenceBy Aki Yamada

SSCE members at the Comparative and International Education Society 2012 Western Regional Conference. By Aki Yamada.

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013 SSCE Contacts

SSCE Division Head

Dr. Carlos [email protected]

SSCE Graduate Advisor

Harmeet [email protected]

SSCE Administrative Assistant

Estela [email protected]

Paulo Freire Institute

Jason Dorio, Program [email protected]

Center for International and Development Education

Ryan Donaghy, Co-Administrative Director Aki Yamada, Co-Administrative [email protected] [email protected]

SSCE Representatives to the Graduate Students Association in Education

Nora Cisneros Alma [email protected] [email protected]

SSCE Newsletter Editor

Stephanie [email protected]

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