The Global Education Reform Movement and Its Effect on the Local African American Community

ABSTRACT

This conceptual research paper explores educational reformation through the theoretical work of Appadurai (1996) and Castells (2000) in the flows and connectivity of global networks. It discusses the global, national, and local effects of the neoliberal ideological reformations in education and their effects on the African American student population from underserved communities, specifically drawing from the author’s experience as a high school teacher in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Competition between nation-states and the creation of a so-called model minority have led to a rise in accountability measures in education, resulting in a high-stakes testing regime. The unintended negative consequences of these reformations belie the educational preparation for a student in the global sphere, leading to the further marginalization of African American students in underserved communities.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge Dr. Ravinder Sidhu at the University of Queensland, Australia, for her patient, critical tutelage of globalization in education.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kelli A. Rushek

Kelli A. Rushek is an educator and a student of education.