When They Tried To Steal Our Classrooms Analysis

The magazine article “When They Tried to Steal Our Classrooms” written by Amy Lindahl details the struggle between innovation and effectiveness. In a Portland school, conditions showed mushrooms growing from the ceiling, the heating/cooling system was inefficient as it created unbearable and uncontrollable conditions, and the ceiling leaked water that moistened the hallways. As this attracted the attention of the community, Portland enacted a bond that would rebuild schools to a more inhabitable environment. This evoked celebration, but that shortly turned into a fight between the teachers and the district about which values were most important. According to Lindahl (2016), the district opted for a 100% utilization model that deemphasized the classroom’s ability to be more than a place to state facts laid out by the curriculum. The …show more content…
In the book, “Rethinking Multicultural Education” edited by Wayne Au, a composition of interviews, anecdotes and perspectives provide a look into the lives and minds of those teaching or living through a multicultural lens and the resistance faced. Chapter 12 and 13 of “Rethinking Multicultural Education” detail the deliberate dismantle of a program that the district felt was a threat to the Western structure of education. The Mexican American Studies program educated students about the heritage of a marginalized group. Multicultural education is not holistically fused with the standards, common teaching practices, or ideologies. Thus, the Tucson Unified School District passed the HB 2281 which allowed the district to cease funding the program under the idea that teaching about Mexican heritage also facilitated a divided and resentment. Both in New Mexico and in Arizona, the teachers and students fought for change and the opportunity to be understood. Although the situations differ, the rise to action is present and provoked. Teachers and students in both instances fought for their