Systematic Inequality in Education - Advocating Change through Music | Peter Douskalis | TEDxHerndon

Is public education funding fair? Does gentrification influence curriculum design and how does that affect schools? In this talk, Peter Douskalis philosophizes about the meaning of what makes a ‘good’ or ‘great’ school/district and how curriculum design and public school funding intertwine in the continued perpetuation of systematic ignorance through education. A monologue of observations and questioning influenced by the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, John Dewey, Howard Gardner, and David J. Elliott, and set to a visual presentation in collaboration with Spy Kontarinis; Peter Douskalis advocates that multicultural education, especially through music and arts, can lead the path to peace and cultural awareness, and should be treated as equal parts of a core and holistic education. Peter Douskalis is the Director of Guitar Studies and AP Music Theory studies at the Music Institute of Edward R Murrow High School. He has presented his philosophies of teaching music at conferences and has published an article about multicultural music education curriculum in the journal of the International Society for Music Education 30th World Conference Proceedings. He is a member of the nonprofit humanitarian organization Olympism For Humanity, Alliance as a music representative, program manager, camera man, video editor, translator and interpreter. He is cofounder of the program Accessible Cypriot Education whose goal is to improve rural schools in Cyprus by providing additional academic resources to underprivileged children and under resourced schools. He is also the President of the New York City Chapter of Guitars Not Guns. GNG is a philanthropic nonprofit music program that offers free guitars and guitar lessons to underprivileged and 'at-risk' children. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx