This chapter explores the contentious issue of wokeness in public schools, highlighting differing perspectives on its effectiveness in fostering critical thinking versus potentially undermining student agency. The discussion includes the practice of privilege walks and their implications on understanding systemic racism and privilege within educational contexts. Through personal anecdotes and data analysis, the speakers navigate the complexities of privilege and the impact of educational policies on student experiences.
Public schools have in recent years begun incorporating topics around race, sex, and gender into K-12 classrooms. Are public schools moving in the right direction to address students’ needs? Those who say students benefit argue that learning them helps create socially aware, empathetic, and responsible citizens. Those who argue they harm students say children may be learning what should be left to parents to discuss. Now we debate: Wokeness in Public Schools: Helping or Hurting Students?
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