What should be the relationship between schools and society? The author and activist James Baldwin once said, in a talk given to a group of teachers, that “one of the paradoxes of education [is] that precisely at that point when you begin to develop a conscience, you must find yourself at war with your society. It is your responsibility to change society if you think of yourself as an educated person.” Do you agree with Baldwin? Is it the primary responsibility of teachers and schools to transmit cultural values to students or to encourage students to question those values in an effort to improve society? Should teachers be prepared to teach in the schools we have or the schools we wish we had? You may wish to answer this from several perspectives: as a potential teacher, as a future parent, or simply as an informed member of a local community.
