Ken Estling

Ken’s discussion of obedience in schools was both enlightening and controversial. I really appreciated Ken’s point about public school education, especially in high-risk areas being focused more on obedience than true education. There is no doubt that the flaws in the educational system are inextricably linked to the rise of the prison system; and I thought his point about following orders and teaching students to listen to rather than question what is happening around them is very similar to the way prisoners are treated.

However, despite the fact that obedience is often a negative aspect in many schools, Ken also pointed out that it is necessary in order to maintain order in the classroom. I have a trouble reconciling myself with the idea of something that is harmful yet necessary. I understood Ken’s point about needing to have control over the classroom in order to create a safe environment for the students, but in my opinion the classroom should be more than just a safe place, and if someone lacks the ability to think for themselves or question their surroundings, how safe are they? I think that one of the biggest challenges of all school systems is to create a safe environment for students while also allowing students to express themselves and say what’s on their mind. Within failing school systems this is an even larger issue for the simple fact that physical safety for students is often a large concern. When children come from places of extreme poverty and deal with the consequences of poverty in a regular basis at home, schools have to be a place where the students feel comfortable going. However, I don’t think that making them obedient is necessarily making them safer. For a lot of these kids a large issue is the fact that they can’t express their experiences and trauma in a meaningful manner, and further constraining them mentally by telling them to listen and read and not giving them room to question only increases their trauma, and increases the chances that they will never stand up for themselves or feel that they have a place in their own community. I don’t think that Ken would disagree with this point, but I disagreed with him when he said that sometimes obedience is the only way to accomplish anything in a classroom.

In my opinion free-thinking is the only way to accomplish anything in a classroom, whether it is in a prestigious private school in Jackson or a Level 1 public school in the Delta. Clearly, a struggling school will have more difficulty attaining free-thinking in a classroom especially when students are not an a comprehension level which will allow them to ask questions, but in my opinion free-thinking should always be the goal.