In the inaugural Tommy G. Thompson Education Reform Lecture on Monday night, Boston College Professor Marilyn Cochran-Smith discussed education reform and the importance of working "simultaneously against and within the system."

Cochran-Smith presented her hourlong lecture, "Teaching for Social Justice," in front of about 75 people at the Alumni Memorial Union.

Cochran-Smith, who is also the outgoing editor of the Journal of Teacher Education, was chosen to lead off the lecture series because of her reputation, experience and emphasis on teacher education and educational reform, according to School of Education Dean William Henk.

The lecture was co-sponsored by the School of Education and Marquette's Tommy G. Thompson Center. The lecture series was created as a reflection of former Wisconsin Governor Thompson's work in education as governor of Wisconsin.

Cochran-Smith shared experiences of "teaching from the inside" with excerpts from a former student's teaching journal that chronicled teaching first grade in Philadelphia, then discussed "teaching from the outside" by offering a look at public education's current challenges.

Cochran-Smith also highlighted the differences between the fortunate and less fortunate across the country.

"The nation's cities hold two worlds," Cochran-Smith said, referring to the "increasing disparity between the poor and the comfortable."

"There has been a veil over the other America," she said in reference to those living in poverty. Hurricane Katrina obliterated this veil, she pointed out.

Finally, Cochran-Smith shared her ideas on the concept of teaching for social justice. She first expressed concern for those who view education's challenges as "a training/testing problem" or, in other words, a matter of simply improving teachers and test scores.

"Surely the major purpose of education… is not to raise test scores," she said.

Instead, according to Cochran-Smith, educational reform is about creating a force of teachers who are "educators and advocates." She sees it as "a learning problem" or a matter of challenging teachers to hold high expectations and standards, teach basic and complex skills, build on cultural and linguistic resources and create caring and just classrooms.

Jennifer Lorentz, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, thought Cochran-Smith's message was "well-taken."

"I thought it was very well-articulated and supported," she said.

Jeremy Rubin, a first-year graduate student in the School of Education, also gave Cochran-Smith a positive review.

"I was very impressed," Rubin said. He specifically enjoyed the "down-to-earth" and overall optimistic nature of the message.

Ben Weiland, a College of Arts & Sciences sophomore, especially enjoyed her descriptions of teaching from the inside and outside, as well as the teaching journal excerpts and anecdotes.

Weiland also pointed out that the concept of social justice is "certainly a necessary calling for teachers," but he added that "certain people take that in different ways."

After Cochran-Smith concluded her speech, Henk said that of all presentations he had heard of this kind, this one topped them all.

"I've never heard one as eloquent, poignant and moving as this one," Henk said.