Mina Shaughnessy: Hero or Historical Figure

Historical BackgroundAcademic hierarchy promotes inequality 

UniversityState CollegeCommunity College 1960's Civil rights era leads to open admissions.

Two Educators DebateWho should go to college, and who is in college

Patricia Cross"Sound analysis" of New Students ● Most New Students are not

minorities (36).● Students are unprepared for

college because of lack of effort and motivation.

● Schools should "develop individual talents" (vo-tech) rather than provide remedial classes(36).

● Some students are not suited for traditional education.

Mina Shaughnessy"Numbers distort the truth" 

● CCNY is more diverse and representative of urban populations.

● Blames race and class prejudice for poor preparation.

● Teachers must remediate themselves and learn to teach Basic Writers.

Other Experts Chime In Possibilities why poor and minority students do poorly in college: ● Poor elementary and secondary schools.● Learning disabilities.● Lack of interest and motivation.

  Open enrollment is "a silent contract of fraud" equivalent to the promise of catching the unreachable "brass ring" (37).

Cross's Thesis

1. Stop "guarding the tower" (status quo).2. Convert the Native (see students as

empty vessels).3. Observe students and themselves as

writers.4. Dive in (make the decision to remediate

themselves).

Shaughnessy's 4 Steps to Teacher Remediation

McAlexander, Patricia J. "Mina Shoughnessy and K. Patricia Cross: the forgotten debate over postsecondary remediation." Rhetoric Review 19.1-2 (2000): 28-41. Online.

Source