FALL 2020
EAD 949 Section 002
State and Local Education Policy During Crisis: The Cases of New Orleans, Detroit, and the COVID Epidemic
Thursdays 4:10-7 pm
Location/Format: ONLINE
In this seminar, we will explore three cases of crisis that fundamentally changed public education at either or both the local and state levels. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, and with it a long-standing system of public schools. In its wake, the state and city together rebuilt New Orleans schools into a patchwork of largely charter and private providers. During the 2008 Great Recession and its aftermath, public schools in Detroit, which had already for decades been affected by economic and population losses, suffered further and eventually declined into bankruptcy and reorganization. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic that continues its global threat to public health substantially and perhaps permanently altered the delivery of public education in the United States. In all three cases, communities of color and historically underserved populations were and continue to be disproportionately and adversely affected.
The seminar will focus on policy responses to these crises, with a particular concern for issues of equity and access across the three cases. Because the course centers on policymaking but is at the same time a graduate-level academic seminar, the content will include a mix of both research on these topics and consideration of sources ranging from journalism, statute, and administrative regulations. Correspondingly, course meetings will be a mix of lecture and class discussions, as well as guest speakers and panels from state government officials, local school representatives, stakeholder communities, and professional media.
Because the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the course will be held fully online through ZOOM or a similar format (with ADA-related options available) and convene through a range of both live online meetings at the given course days and time (Thursdays, 4:10-7pm) as well as virtual smaller-group collaboration.
A syllabus is under construction, please contact Prof. Josh Cowen (jcowen@msu.edu) for additional questions.