"Hidden Curriculum"

     The relationship between the meaning of hidden curriculum and the role of schools in cultural hegemony are the same in my opinion. Neither topic viewed students with low income working parents to have equal education in public schools. Students with high income working parents or in an elite group were given priority. The hidden curriculum concerning literacy in the schools for Goodlad et al. was the great educational darkness that was concealed for depth and pervasiveness far too long for political hypocrisy in the common schools of the country (Tozer et al., 2009). Further the practices in the school without any one knowing what was going on was a lack of citizenship and self-government (Tozer et al., 2009). In other words teachers were not teaching their students to think critically during any discussions in the classroom. The students only answers to a question were yes or no, right or wrong. Goodlad et al., also talked about teachers having some control to even determine who would succeed or fail and teachers felt they did not have the power to question the authority of their superiors. I also agree with Goodlad et al., teachers are not trained to teach students to think critically in the early years and today. Students are expected to conform to the rules of their institution and classroom. Linda Darling-Hammond of the Rand Cooperation wrote an essay "The Great School Debate" (Tozer et al., 2009) made some important points about the schools testing and the format of taking teachers away from teaching students how to write, problem solve and read real books. Furthermore the hidden curriculum has overcrowded classrooms and students are still grouped for slow students.
     The role of schools in cultural hegemony was just about the same or worst in my opinion. Equality was not prevalent in early years and today. Quality and equal school education is a continued battle for all races of students and especially those with low income. There has been too much politics when it comes to educating our students. The role in schools by Jean Anyon (Tozer et al., 2009) involve compliance, unequal hierarchical of power, the assigned student work, student grouping for skill level, IQ scores, age, classroom behavior, different income groups, different races and the content of school curriculum material.  Furthermore free market does not exist in the United States, because of slavery and the abuse of immigrants, women and children that existed in the early years (Tozer et al., 2009).
     Cultural hegemony can affect what happens in public school classroom, when negative decisions are based on income and race of a student. Racism has been around for many years and even though many may not want to admit it, it still exist to some degree or more in our schools today. When students are grouped and placed in tutoring classes, the majority of students are the minority. When behavorial students are disciplined, it is the minority. When scores are given, from a test the failure is with the minority, assessments are given for the minority. Students are still grouped in the classroom for slow students. Students with the most money for supplies and resources are still given priority in the school.
     Understanding the concepts of cultural pluralism and assimilation and how it can impact education and marginalized groups in a contemporary society is awful and degrading for different cultures in our society. Pluralism was in fact the good side of culture. Pluralism did believe in valuing and maintaining cultural and linguistic differences within a society, but assimilation was the opposite, it believed that diverse cultures of immigrant, racial, ethnic, and linquistic minorities should alter their customs, habits, and languages to be completely controlled by a dominant culture. I can not understand how one culture can take control of another culture as dominance, for example, of the Native Americans. They were not only forced to take the roles of a dominant culture, but was also forced from their lands and beliefs in their world as Native Americans.
     It still exist in my opinion, a force that still shakes its ugly head to dominant the different races and culture even in a contemporary society. Women have also been pushed to believe they are less than equal and dominated in a contemporary society.  Some of the ways I see disagreement being played out in society in today's educational environment are some schools are built better and look better than schools in low income community, most minorities are grouped in low income schools with little resources for all students, the funding for schools with the most money are schools with high income working parents. Some schools pay teachers more money at one school than another school. There are more extracurricular activities at a high functioning school than a low functioning school. Students are still being grouped for testing and tutoring. Classrooms are still overcrowded in low income schools and the moral of students are not built up enough for high self esteem to achieve at their best potential. The problem of not letting our students be critical thinkers in school, believing they can achieve the impossible and allowing teachers to make critical decisions about student failure instead of student success will lead toward more and more school dropouts and less achieving students in our school system. Of course the blame is not entirely the fault of teachers but the politics of the school board and  administrators in the school district need to make a change about their view points for teaching students.