Richard Rodriguex and Jean Anyon

It has long been stated that the purpose of school was to teach children about life. However, the theories articulated by Jean Anyon and Richard Rodriguez, which appear in the text, Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, suggest that students are learning about life within the constraints of their own family backgrounds, not about life as it could be with a diverse and nonrestrictive education. Each of these authors raises serious questions about the academic system in America, including are children really getting the best education possible, or are they being limited by external factors, over which they have no control?
In the United States, every child is entitled to receive a free public school education, but schools vary in terms of the types of students they teach, socioeconomically or ethnically speaking, and the types of course curricula and teaching methods they emphasize. In her essay, “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work...