American Education Mythologies

This book focuses on myth, which, as a language, tells the stories of human experience, regardless of accuracy or impact, and to claim that myth is innocent, or worse yet, give no explicit attention to myth, is a dangerous proposition. However, just as myths can be used to confuse and convince, if remythified they also can be used to clarify and conjure up new understandings and new language around American education. Within this book, the myths about guns in schools, banned books, Native American school mascots, immigrant and transnational youth, who teachers are, Critical Race Theory, standard English, bilingualism and disability, chosen names and preferred pronouns, and vouchers for private school education are all critiqued, exposed for their mythical language, but also remythified, re-contextualizing the language and the discourse towards the means of supporting the most vulnerable of youth in U.S. schools. The first and foremost function of language is thought. Learning how to play within the power game of myth production and remythification is important for reorienting ideologies around American education mythologies.