Schools Under Surveillance ─ Cultures of Control in Public Education

The majority of public middle and high schools in the US now have armed, uniformed police officers on campus at least part-time. In this book, academics in education, political science, sociology, and criminal justice studies examine surveillance and discipline in contemporary public schools and critique the use of surveillance to target students according to race, class, and gender. While emphasis is on the US, there are also examples from Canada and the UK. An introduction provides a political and economic context for school surveillance. Essays looks at topics such as security companies' penetration the public school market, surveillance of students in online environments, and military recruitment practices on campus. High-stakes tests, standards, and audits are also considered as a type of surveillance. Student and teacher resistance is described, in the forms of artistic performances, acts of sabotage, and selective enforcement of rules. Monahan teaches at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development. Torres teaches political economy and urban studies at the University of California-Irvine. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)