Castro
explains that he relied on critical multiculturalism to inform his
interpretation of the studies he reviewed. "Critical multiculturalism strives
to bring about the transformation of society to accomplish the goals of social
justice by confronting and disrupting institutions and the structures of power
that maintain disparities across race, class, and gender ..." (p. 199). (Yes, you
might want to read that sentence again.)
It
is common in an academic article like this to never see essential terms, such
as "social justice," defined. The reader must already be "in the know" or go
and dig into multiple sources to try to arrive at an operational definition. I
could find only an allusion to the meaning of social justice in one place in
the entire article (p. 204). Despite not offering a definition of social
justice, it is obvious this academic has a strong commitment to it, whatever it
is, and wants all classroom teachers to ingest and live out his conception. But
do not let me get you bogged down with definitions, as important as they are.
The
(not so) incredible thing about this professor and his article in a highly
respected academic journal is that he unashamedly promotes the re-education of
young (and older) adults - most about 19 or 20 years of age - when they arrive
at college ready to learn "how to be teachers." One might be thinking the
teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic. But one must think again. It is
clear that Castro is disappointed in these young "preservice" teachers' values,
beliefs, and worldviews and he is eager to change them. He writes the following:
The findings of
this synthesis also pose the problem of the lack of complexity associated with
preservice teachers' views on cultural diversity. The problem of the lack of
complexity stems from the uncritical adoption of cultural assumptions that
limit one's critical consciousness of structural and institutional inequity and
White privilege. (p. 207)
I
am not claiming there is or is not "White privilege" in American society. That
is not important for my purposes in this article. The amazing thing to notice
is that professor Castro, and I am confident thousands of others -- at state universities paid with your and other Americans' tax dollars -- believe it is
their duty, their calling, to change, alter, fix, mold, and form the values and
beliefs of almost every young person who shows up at the university doorstep
dreaming of becoming a teacher. Castro writes the following:
Only when preservice
teachers confront beliefs in individualism and meritocracy can they envision
real social change. (p. 207)
And
he and many more professors are at the university, eagerly ready to shake up
the thinking and indoctrinate "preservice teachers" into the right faith, the
proper religion, the good worldview that they have decided is right for "the
people," the next generation being brought up in the nation's institutional
schools. Do you think I am exaggerating? Read about one of the "three key
areas" research studies must address.
Research should
also focus on the specific teaching practices and curricular components that
foster changes in the beliefs and attitudes of preservice teachers. These
studies will need to account for the influence of incoming beliefs before
tracing the changes and development of the preservice teachers' views. In
addition, such studies should explore ways in which preservice teachers can
gain a sense of critical awareness about issues of inequity.
In
other words, researchers must figure out how university professors can
unabashedly change, form, re-train, re-educate, mold, and put aright the
thinking of the next generation of classroom teachers so they can properly
change, form, re-train, re-educate, mold, and put aright the thinking of the
5-, 12-, and 16-year-olds who they teach in classrooms across the nation.
Vladimir
Lenin said, "Give us the child for 8 years and it will be a Bolshevik forever."
[Note 2] Apparently, the 12 years that the institutional (mostly state/public) schools
already had these preservice teachers was not enough to indoctrinate them into
the worldview that professor Castrol holds and wants to instill in future
teachers.
Is
it any wonder that an increasing number of parents continue to realize that
someone - definitely someone - will teach, train, and indoctrinate their
children for 6 to 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, and so more of them are
opting for home-based education? No, not when one considers that the professors
- those who profess, make open declaration of certain values, beliefs, and
worldview - are eagerly waiting for 18-year-olds who will four years later
start teaching those 5-, 12-, and 16-year-olds.
These
professors, promoting a particular religion, worldview, or sets of values,
beliefs, and constructs are not so subtle any longer. Someone needs to keep a
watch on them and report their activities.
If
you are interested in tangibly supporting our work reporting on professors at
university schools of education, doing research, collecting research,
disseminating research, and helping homeschool families around the world, please
see "Two ways to help" below.
Brian
D. Ray, Ph.D.
National
Home Education Research Institute
P.S.
Please feel free to send us your questions about homeschooling and we will try
to answer them in upcoming messages.
Two
ways to help:
1.
Send a check to: NHERI, PO Box 13939, Salem OR 97309 (using a check puts the
largest percent of your gift to work at NHERI)
2.
Click here http://nheri2010.org/ and then the
"donate" button.
NHERI,
PO Box 13939, Salem OR 97309, USA
Notes:
1.
Castro, Antonio J. (2010, April). Themes in the Research on Preservice
Teachers' Views of Cultural Diversity Implications for Researching Millennial
Preservice Teachers. Educational
Researcher, vol. 39 no. 3, 198-210.
2.
Vladimir Lenin; retrieved December 14, 2010 from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/vladimirle383393.html
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