“So at the higher education level, in colleges and universities, ethnic studies pedagogy actually doesn't align with K-12 education code,” says Brandy Shufutinsky, the director of education and community engagement at the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values, in this week’s episode of The Syllabus podcast. “At the college level, you're allowed to bring in a certain level of biases, while K-12 education code says a teacher can't.” Brandy initially welcomed the idea of expanding history curricula to include ethnic studies. However, her excitement waned as she discovered the heavy ideological underpinnings within the curriculum, lacking in historical substance. 

Mark Oppenheimer and Brandy Shufutinsky discuss concepts like the “four eyes of oppression,” the clash between college-level ethnic studies pedagogy and K-12 education, the influence of activist groups in shaping the curriculum, and the need for an inclusive, unbiased curriculum that fosters learning over activism. 

Guest Bio: Brandy Shufutinsky is the director of education and community engagement at the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco in international and multicultural education and has her master’s in social work from the University of Southern California.

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