I have been reading this book called More than a Dream: The Cristo Rey Story, by G.R. Kearney. The book gives a history of the Cristo Rey Catholic schools, including their mission, vision, purpose, and successes. One man, Mike Heidkamp, who was hired at the first Cristo Rey School in Chicago, shares his understanding of education after returning from teaching in Peru, an understanding that links to a lof of what we have been talking about in class. Here is the quote:
"Education doesn't function the same way for all kinds and all communities. I'm not just talking about resource allocation. That's part of it, but there's also the fact that part of education is teaching people to assimilate. Part of education is developing a common culture. But what does it mean if you're starting from the outside and moving in? What do you have to check at the door at various stages along the way? Compare that to the person who's starting at the center, the person who already owns that common culture. That person doesn't have to compromise nearly as much and I believe will have a very different educational experience. For me the question became how can I rethink and rework education in a way that doesn't ask people to deny parts of themselves?"
Thoughts on Heidkamp's questions?
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