Reclaiming Education For Democracy

Reclaiming Education for Democracy subjects the prophets and doctrines of educational neoliberalism to scrutiny in order to provide a rationale and vision for public education beyond the limits of No Child Left Behind. The authors combine a history of recent education policy with an in- depth analysis of the origins of such policy and its impact on professional educators. The public face of these policies is separated from motives rooted in politics, profit, and ideology. The book also searches for new insights in understanding the neoliberal and managerialist assault on education by examining the psychology of advocates who demonstrate a special animus toward universal public education. The manipulation of public education by No Child Left Behind is a case study in the general approach to public institutions taken by the politicians and theorists in these camps. K-12 education has been subjected to deceptive descriptive analyses, marginalization of its professional leadership, manipulation of its goals, the imposition of illegitimate quality markers, a grab on its resources by corporate profiteers, and a demoralization of its rank and file. This book helps us think beyond this new commonsense of education. Recipient: 2009 AERA Division K Award for Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education

Twenty-five leaders from the higher education and service-learning sectors provide insight into what works in building citizenship through civic engagement on their campuses and communities. From small colleges to large universities, these strong voices demonstrate that American democracy is very much active and prepared for the 21st century.

Cochran-Smith and her research team argue that it is time for teacher educators to reclaim accountability. They critique major accountability initiatives, exposing the lack of evidence behind these policies and the negative impact they have on teacher education. They also offer an achievable alternative based on a commitment to equity and democracy.

What is wrong with education? Why do educational reforms always miss their target? How can we create a better education system? And what can we learn from other countries? Reclaiming Education tackles the challenges facing education that really matter - hte ones that academics often ignore, parents demand solution to and politicians need to confront. Drawing on his global research, James Tooley shows that there is an alternative to poor quality and wasteful inefficiency in education, and that education can be radically transformed to guarantee freedom and higher standards. "Tooley radically challenges any complacency we may have about education in the 21st century." Sir Bob Salisbury "Tooley is an extremist: some of his ideas are outrageous!" Professor Geoffrey Walford, University of Oxford "This is truly a radical book. It should be read by everyone who thinks deeply about education." Sir Christopher Ball

Reclaiming Dissent is a unique collection of essays that focus on the value of dissent for the survival of democracy in the United States and the role that education can play with respect to this virtue. The various contributors to this volume share the conviction that the vitality of a democracy depends on the ability of ordinary citizens to debate and oppose the decisions of their government. Yet recent history in the United States suggests that dissent is discouraged and even suppressed in the political, cultural and educational arenas. Many Americans are not even aware that democracy is not primarily about voting every four years or majority rule, but about actively participating in public debates and civic action. This book makes a strong case for the need to reclaim a tradition in the United States, like the one that existed during the Civil Rights Era, in which dissent, opposition, and conflict were part of the daily fabric of our democracy. Teacher educators, teacher candidates, new teachers, and educators in general can greatly benefit from reading this book.

With a highly accessible and lucid text this book reviews the political shift toward neo-liberal ideology and explores its tremendous impact on education. It maps out in careful detail the theoretical foundations of democratic citizenship by asking the question: What does it mean to learn and live in a democracy and what responsibilities, capacities and knowledge does a citizen need to fulfill these requirements?

A democratic, ethical leader integrates democracy, social justice, and school reform through dialogue and is guided by a sense of responsibility to students, families, and the community. Democratic Ethical Educational Leadership presents a cohesive framework for aspiring and practicing leaders to explore the complex nature of leadership that can support democratic citizenry and social responsibility. Organized around the 5 "New DEEL" visions for leadership, chapters illustrate real people who embody these principles. This compelling vision for educational leadership, combined with diverse and vibrant examples of leadership in action, will serve as a critical guide for the rising generation of democratic ethical educational leaders in the US and abroad. Presenting contextualized, practical instances of this approach to leadership, this book will inspire educational leaders to reflect upon their practice and reach their potential as democratic leaders. Special Features Include: A unique framework to guide responsible, ethical leadership in today’s schools. A series of case studies help readers identify key leadership qualities in context from which to illuminate their own emerging practice. End-of-chapter questions encourage exploration of leaders’ motivations, processes, strategies, and lessons learned.

Since the spring of 2018, hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and their allies have protested at or against their schools. These students and teachers have been protesting on a wide range of issues from gun control and climate change to the underfunding of education and institutional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Reclaiming Democratic Education, Chris Thomas examines how these activities exist at the intersection of two conflicting traditions. The book looks at a history of student and teacher activism that aligns with the democratic purposes of public education. This history is now colliding with current policies that privilege the economic aims of education and restrict civic agency. By situating contemporary activism within these conflicting traditions, Thomas demonstrates how these activities constitute a rejection of the currently dominant policy paradigm in U.S. education. Thomas concludes with a discussion of how activism provides a foundation from which concerned teachers, school leaders, and policymakers can develop a new model for American education, one that reclaims an education for citizenship. Book Features: Traces the interconnected histories of student and teacher activism, from the Revolutionary Period through the Common School Movement and the decade of protests in the 1960s to today.Demonstrates how education policy positions teachers as the passive recipients of policy, who are often expected to sacrifice their own wellbeing for that of their students.Provides a roadmap of policy shifts that would disrupt the currently dominant paradigm in American education and realize an Education for Citizenship paradigm.