Equity and Democracy: A Push Towards Social Justice in the ELA Classroom

Abstract

Despite the fact that schools demand character education, very little in terms of resources is devoted to infusing social justice into the ELA curriculum. Since our ELA instruction has stagnated, our national discourse has become more divided than ever, and many of our core ethical values once thought to be the bedrock of America are now in dispute. It is essential that we re-imagine the ELA curriculum to contain a focus on social justice education in order to instill the values of empathy and equity in our students. If ELA classrooms incorporated the four components of social justice education, schools would begin providing students with many more opportunities to have more meaningful and complex discussions about democracy, culture and fairness, which are fundamental concerns for any person interested in civic responsibility. With this increased focus on social justice, we can actually improve the civic awareness and engagement of our students so that they become more thoughtful participants in society.