Envisioning the Arc of Social Justice in Middle Schools

Janet E. McDaniel, Francisco A. Ríos, Juan Necochea, Laura P. Stowell, & Charlotte Frambaugh Kritzer

"The arc of a moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."
—Martin Luther King Jr.

Education for social justice is both a goal and a process. To realize the ideals of a just middle school that creates ethical, caring, involved citizens, we need to think of our work as if we were architects, masons, engineers, and carpenters. As school professionals, we are building something not necessarily achievable in our lifetime, and we are also building a process—a process directed towards social justice. Social justice includes a vision of society in which the distribution of life chances is genuinely equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure—a society in which individuals are both self-determining (able to develop their full capacities) and interdependent (committed to interacting democratically with others). Social justice involves actors who have a sense of their own agency as well as their responsibility toward others and society as a whole (Adams, Bell & Griffin, 1997).

In his book The Cathedral Within, Shore (1999) notes that cathedral builders had a vision of what could be rather than what is—a vision many thought impossible. Cathedral builders work back from a vision, from their inner desire to be part of something larger than themselves and to make a difference in this world. They are devoted to a task that spans an entire career and still might well not be completed. They toil for something not bound by time, propelled by the collaborative energies of a multitude of participants. Diverse resources, materials, and talents are needed.

Like building cathedrals, creating visionary and socially conscious middle schools requires the work of many—among them, students, teachers, parents, social workers, policy makers, business owners, community leaders, textbook publishers, education advocates, and other professionals. These builders will be intrinsically driven by their vision for the possible: a just and caring educational system for diverse students. In essence, everyone with the vision for social justice can contribute to the building of socially responsive middle schools, just as everyone can participate in the building of a morally just society for all our children.

Like cathedrals, no two middle schools are identical. There is no single blueprint for success in achieving social justice and equity. But there are important lessons to be learned, stories to be shared, and essential principles to help guide us if we listen to those who have made significant progress on their journey towards a just and caring middle school. What are these lessons? We learn that one should not be afraid to risk failure; this task is a lifetime commitment; and many must work as one. "The most successful efforts to create social change are more rather than less inclusive, drawing on the shared strength of not just the experts, but the entire community" (Shore, 1999, p. 265). Working toward social justice is not a task for loners or the faint-hearted.

Working toward social justice must also be guided by the best of what we know and the best of what we hope.

Collins and Porras (1994) introduced the concept of "big hairy audacious goals" (BHAGs) that guide the work of visionary companies. Visionary middle level educators know what works for our students. Reform reports of the 1980s and 1990s laid out deceptively simple BHAGs for young adolescents: create sustained, caring relationships with adults; receive guidance in facing serious challenges; participate as valued members of a constructive peer group; and gain a sense of worth as a person.

This article describes the "big hairy audacious goals" that we believe will support the arc that bends toward justice in middle level schools. We set the stage by examining the developmental readiness of young adolescents to engage in the hard work of seeking social justice. We continue with a rendering of the key elements of what we believe to be a morally directed middle school movement: democracy, diversity, and equity. We conclude with a program of professional development that would support the quest for social justice in the schooling of young adolescents.

Early Adolescence: The Developmentally Opportune Moment
Given the opportunity and support, young adolescents are developmentally capable of engaging in complex issues associated with social justice. While early adolescence is a time of great change overall, educators' reactions to those changes shape the ways in which those changes influence middle level students (Berk, 1996).

Piaget noted that young adolescents move from concrete operations—that is, "reasoning about and understanding" the concrete world—to formal operations—that is, "reasoning about and understanding" the world of abstract ideas, principles, and laws. Young adolescents become more aware of their own thinking (meta-cognitive); they also begin to see knowledge not as absolute but rather as constructed by people and thus relative (Perry, 1970). In short, young adolescents are cognitively capable of reasoning about the reality and ideal of social justice, of thinking about why/how they come to that reasoning, and of judging whether that reasoning is helpful/accurate for a specific situation.

One aspect of development, identity, is of particular salience to young adolescents as they come to understand themselves as members of an ethnic group. This has two dimensions. The first is how students think about themselves in relation to ethnicity. For Euro-American middle level students, this means coming to recognize that their "Whiteness" is associated with certain privileges. It also means dealing with guilt associated with historical and contemporary instances of discriminatory behavior by Whites against members of ethnic minority communities (Tatum, 1992). Fortunately, middle level students want to work to overcome racism once they recognize that it exists (Quintana, 1998) and that it conflicts with the ideals of our nation's democratic heritage.

For ethnic minority young adolescents, experiences (both overt and subtle) of prejudice make them painfully aware of their differences from the mainstream (Quintana, 1998). They must grapple with decisions about whether they wish to assimilate to the White mainstream; separate themselves from the mainstream and associate only with others from their ethnic group; become "raceless" by distancing themselves from both groups (Fordham, 1991); or integrate by identifying with both groups (Phinney, Chavira, & Williamson, 1992). These choices are made more problematic for middle level students when academic achievement is associated with "acting White."

A second aspect of identity is how middle level students come to think about others based on ethnicity. Quintana (1998) points out that young adolescents operate on a level where they develop a social perspective of ethnicity. For middle level students this means an understanding of subtle aspects of ethnicity—beyond "food, fashion, and folklore" to deeper aspects of differences in values, world-view, and especially socio-economic connections to ethnicity. More importantly, it means an awareness that ethnicity is a key factor in social relations (e.g., ethnic differences in friendship patterns, especially having friends of one's own ethnic group) and an awareness of ethnic-based discrimination and prejudice.

In addition to greater awareness of the self is greater awareness of the social world. According to Selman (1980), young adolescents are equally aware of their own perspective about phenomena and the perspectives of others (and that these might differ). This social perspective-taking is critical to the development of empathy, care, respect, and kindness for others (central to the tenets of social justice) in middle level youth (MacQuiddy, Maise, & Hamilton, 1987). With respect to moral development, young adolescents are idealistic; are developing a strong sense of "fairness"; and are interested in finding just, positive alternatives to prejudice and discrimination—especially when they have the opportunity to develop close friendships with those who differ from themselves (McEady-Gilliad, 1994).

Collectively, young adolescents seem ripe for school contexts that support a communal vision as well as instructional and curricular experiences directed at social justice. They are cognitively capable of (a) thinking about the ideals of social justice; (b) recognizing that identity and ethnicity impact one's life chances; (c) taking the perspective of others to see whether the ideal of social justice is true for all; and, (d) morally concentrating on issues of "fairness" central to social justice.

Democracy, Diversity, and Equity in Middle Schooling
Although young adolescents are developmentally well-situated for schooling aimed at social justice, few experience it. To the contrary, the inequitable impact of middle schooling on students from diverse backgrounds—poor, minority, English language learners—has been considered a "normal" phenomenon of schooling. These students are often viewed as unprepared to deal with the rigorous academic requirements of middle level education. To justify this school failure, educators tend to "blame the victims" for their inability to succeed in schools that are essentially "rigged" against poor and minority students.

As a rule, students from the privileged group (Euro-American, middle class, English-speaking) do well in middle schools, while others tend to experience school failure consistent with their degree of differentiation. Poor, minority, English language learners must fight multiple uphill battles, allowing only those with extreme self-determination and resiliency the chance to get out of the social pyramid's lower levels.

In our view, equity must be viewed as an essential outcome of schooling, a mission to give diverse students their due, and a powerful calling for middle school educators to create learning communities that follow basic principles of justice and fairness in an increasingly diverse society. Although there has been sporadic progress towards educational equity, our democratic goal of "equity for all" in middle level education is still a distant and elusive dream that is often compromised by the pendulum-swing of school reforms. The current "back to basics" movement—including phonics instruction, traditional transmission pedagogy, rigorous academic standards, high stakes testing, and teacher accountability—is of particular concern for those in search of just, caring, and humane learning environments for diverse middle level students. These back to basic reforms lead to a predictable end: Invariably those who find themselves on the short end of the stick of school change will be poor, minority, and English language learners.

In our view, middle schools in a multicultural society should guarantee four basic individual rights for students from diverse backgrounds: the right to learn, the right to hope, the right to dream, and the right to self-determine (Necochea & Cline, 1999). If middle school pedagogy were designed with these rights at the center of reform, then a very different paradigm than "back to basics" would be at the forefront of the change process. A middle school curriculum that is "rights driven" would place the students, their culture, and their language at the forefront of the change process, with the explicit intent to address the linguistic, social, and academic needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Unhampered by the current structures and systems that favor the dominant group, students from diverse backgrounds would be able to chart their own journey as they fulfill their destiny as productive members of society.

Democratic classroom practices would be a central feature of a rights-driven middle school curriculum. Wade (1995) defined a democratic classroom as one in which students make choices and decisions that affect their daily lives in school. Wade made the Deweyian argument that students do not need civic lessons; they need opportunities to practice civic behavior. There must be a platform in the classroom for this to occur. For example, class meetings help create community in the classroom by reinforcing social and academic skills such as listening, taking turns, hearing different points of view, negotiating meaning, and taking responsibility for one's own behavior (Bien & Stern, 1994). Other classroom practices that contribute to a democratic curriculum are service learning in which young adolescents connect their academic learning to important community needs (Fertman, White, & White, 1996) and reading workshop (Atwell, 1998).

Professional Development Toward a More Just Middle School
As we have suggested, individual activities and small groups of committed, socially responsible educators will never create the change we know to be powerful for the widest circle of learners. Indeed, the creation of just and humane middle schools that address the social and academic needs of diverse students necessitates the design of new professional development paradigms that are all encompassing. The arc will bend towards social justice only when professional development activities have as their essential purpose the transformation of middle schools. We need to consider the whole system of schooling (Keefe & Howard, 1997; Tyack & Cuban, 1995; Wheatley, 1994). Oftentimes staff developers look to one aspect of the whole school, such as professional growth activities, while neglecting to see how this will impact or be interconnected to other parts of the system, such as principal support for the innovations sought (Keefe & Howard, 1997). Without consideration for other essential components of schooling, institutionalization of reform is unlikely because other key system parts will not support the fundamental changes needed.

Here we will present the essential "interweaving of processes" that are needed for an effective professional development program towards a socially just middle school. Although these components are presented individually, their separation is rather artificial because of the difficulties of isolating complex conceptual categories when applying system theory to social phenomenon. What follows is a brief discussion of the critical components of middle school staff development aimed toward achieving social justice.

All-inclusive. The professional development program is designed to be all-inclusive so that all members of the school participate. It is critical that all members' voices and perspectives are heard, especially those who traditionally have been disenfranchised or excluded (e.g., secretaries, custodians, paraprofessionals). The goal is an alliance of individuals committed to a cohesive middle level program.

Preservice professional preparation. Clearly, there is a need to start the professional development of middle school teachers in a more rational manner than "sink or swim" or "on-the-job training." A comprehensive program of middle school teacher education can make a difference in the preparation of teachers to work toward social justice (Ríos, McDaniel, Stowell, & Christopher, 1995). The goal is to create a critical mass of teachers prepared for and committed to middle level education.

Principal leadership. Principals should not require teachers to participate in professional growth activities that they are not willing to engage in themselves. It is critical that principals play an active supportive role, particularly for teachers who are ready to implement the innovations sought. As well, they must defend from organizational sanctions those who take risks, some of whom may fail. The goal is for principals to be aware of and advocate for those middle level teachers who support just and caring classrooms.

Materials and resources. Teachers who attend great staff development programs must be able to obtain the materials and resources needed for implementation of suggested instructional practices. Providing the materials and resources (e.g., time) requested by classroom teachers to design lessons in accordance with the suggested instructional strategies facilitates the fundamental changes required to meet the needs of diverse students. The goal is to provide teachers with the tools to be successful in the reforming middle school.

On-going and long-term. Creating powerful and effective learning environments necessitates on-going, long-term staff development that focuses on what teachers need to do to transform schooling at the middle level. In addition, ongoing, long-term professional development more closely approximates the idea of lifelong learning. The goal is a vision of social justice guiding an ethic of continual professional growth and development.

Celebrating diversity. The staff development program must advance the goal of meeting the academic and social needs of diverse students by working through their strengths and particularities. The difficult task of middle level teachers is to "reveal" the students as they help them become the persons they want to become while also being explicitly and robustly anti-racist. The goal is a middle school that is saturated with the values and voices inherent in the diverse community.

Collegial observation and feedback. Teachers must actively collaborate with others for the purpose of improving instructional practices. Middle level teachers engaged in transforming schooling must have the opportunity to observe other professionals, give and receive feedback, and actively collaborate with others in creating powerful learning environments for diverse students. The goal is to establish a norm of professional collegiality that serves as a model for building the community necessary for the pursuit of social justice.

Support from the greater organization. Large-scale transformations in middle schools must occur with the support from the greater organization. Progressive teachers clash with the traditional or custodial orientation of middle schools. The goal is active support from the greater organization of personnel such as other teachers, administrators, and school board members.

Bottom-up professional development. Driven by the specific social and academic needs of students in particular settings and focused on providing teachers the strategies and skills required to implement powerful learning environments for diverse students, professional development must have a school centered orientation. Resistance—even sabotage—of top-down mandated changes is a "natural" response, particularly when school personnel view the "required" changes as meddlesome, ineffective, or counterproductive. The goal is middle school teachers prepared to be agents of change for social justice. Their voices must be the raison d'etats for the professional development program at the local site.

Conclusion
Learning environments that promote social justice and equity for diverse students will protect young adolescents' natural rights to learn, to hope, to dream, and to self-determine. Middle school educators must reinvent current structures and practices by designing and implementing comprehensive, site-specific professional development programs. They must live the vision of democracy in pedagogy and not just preach its merits. They must respond to the complex developmental needs of young adolescents and construct curricula and experiences compatible with those needs. Those interested in designing successful programs that lead to more just and humane learning environments for all students must understand the interactive nature or "systemic influence" of these key components to create conditions that will change the essence of schooling. Leaving a key component "inactivated" may result in partial implementation or, worse, abandonment of the desired transformations. Equity requires a change in every aspect of the school. We cannot continue to do the same things and expect to get different results. The journey of middle school reform must continue towards the destination of social justice and equity.

We return to our image of cathedral builders and the lessons they provide to middle school educators. Most middle school educators want to build educational cathedrals, and they see the beacon for socially just middle schools at a distance. So, what is getting in the way? They need leadership in discovering their path. They need to reconnect with the teaching souls that compelled them to become middle school educators. They need to become participants in something bigger than themselves. They need to be part of a grandiose plan that catapults them towards the creation of just and caring middle schools for diverse students. They need to see themselves participating in a marathon, not a sprint—as providing light, not lightning—as participants in the struggle for the long haul. They need to see the arc of the moral universe bend towards justice as a result of their collective passion and commitment to make a difference with middle school students. For this, we owe them the tools to make their difficult journey possible.

As visionary Deborah Meier says, "The question is not, Is it possible to educate all children well? but rather, Do we want to do it badly enough?" (Meier, 1995, p. 4). We have the tools to build our arc toward morally just middle schools. We know the tasks as well. The question remains, "Do we have the will?"

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Janet E. McDaniel, Juan Necochea, & Laura P. Stowell are associate professors of education at California State University, San Marcos. E-mail: mcdaniel@csusm.edu

Francisco A. Ríos is an associate professor of education at the University of Wyoming, Laramie.

Charlotte Frambaugh Kritzer is a teacher at Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School in Oceanside, California.

COPYRIGHT 2005 from "The Arc of Equity in Reinvented Middle Schools" by Janet E. McDaniel, Juan Necochea, Francisco A. Ríos, Laura P. Stowell, & Charlotte Frambaugh Kritzer in Reinventing the Middle School. Used by permission of Taylor & Francis, Inc. http://www.routledge-ny.com.