Assistant Professor of Policy Studies in the College of Education and the
Department of African Studies, University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC)
Same Dynamics, New Directions: Centering Race, Class and Gender in Transformative Education
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Stern Center, Great Room – 7:00 p.m.
Join us for “Continuing the Conversation”
Friday, October 1, 2008
HUB Side Room 206 – 12:30 p.m.
Why are many teacher training programs still reluctant to forefront the complexities of race, class, and gender in k-12 education? The discussion identifies a process that centers the preparation of teachers in an explicit investigation of race, class and gender in teaching. Within this discussion is a set of processes that colleges and universities can engage to begin an intentional commitment to transformative education.
Topical Background
Critical race theory analyzes the roles of race/racism in daily life. Scholars in the humanities and social sciences have utilized this approach to name, analyze and work against the oppressive power of racism. In education, critical race theory has enabled educators to understand the dynamics of race/racism in the classroom and in the communities that schools serve. Critical race theory is “critical” in that it challenges conventional theories of race while working to create anti-racist practice.
As teachers exist in the contested space of schools, critical race theory operates on several fronts. The first is to allow teachers to develop a clearer picture of the political dimensions of education. Second, the construct allows teachers to rethink their practice from a critical perspective through the development of “critical pedagogies.” Critical pedagogy is a teaching approach that attempts to help students question and challenge controlling cultural assumptions and beliefs. Through this approach, teachers are able to facilitate the process of students becoming conscious of who they are in the world and the work it will take to change it.
About the Speaker
David Stovall received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001. He is an associate professor of educational policy studies and African-American studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research primarily focuses on four areas: critical race theory, concepts of social justice in education, the relationship between housing and education, and the relationship between schools and community stakeholders.
Dr. Stovall has been awarded with several honors including the Silver Circle Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Distinguished Service, Division G, by the American Educational Research Association. He spent the last three years working with community organizations and schools to develop curriculum that addresses issues of social justice. He is also a member of the Greater Lawndale/Little Village School of Social Justice High School design team and is involved with youth-centered community organizations in Chicago, New York and the Bay Area.
Video of the Program