To prosper and thrive in an increasingly unpredictable national and global environment, U.S. higher education will need to adapt, innovate, and evolve once again, as it has during every major societal change over the past four centuries. The purpose of this new edition, published a turbulent decade after the first, is to provide institutional…

Learn how to enact justice-oriented pedagogy and foster students' critical engagement in today's history classroom. Over the past 2 decades, various scholars have rightfully argued that we need to teach students to "think like a historian" or "think like a democratic citizen." In this book, the authors advocate for cultivating…

After her school wins the coveted United States National Secondary Education Award, a school principal embarks upon an educational odyssey. The principal discovers that the reasons for winning the award are a sham! As her school falls apart, she begins to reflect on the stagnant school organization and the ineffective prescriptions for…

Project WILD's new high school curriculum, "Science and Civics: Sustaining Wildlife", is designed to serve as a guide for involving students in environmental action projects aimed at benefitting the local wildlife found in a community. It involves young people in decisions affecting people, wildlife, and their shared habitat in the community. The…

If you're serious about providing a level playing field for all, it is time to do more than identify and lament the reasons for educational disparities and why they persist. John Robert Browne II shows how Culturally Courageous Leadership by all school community stakeholders can help you achieve equitable learning opportunities and outcomes for…

Representative democracy relies on the informed trust of the citizens. School board members serve their communities at a crucial place, governing large sums of money and the future of the community's children. Without the informed trust of the citizens, this enterprise will fail. Trust may be lost directly, or through inattention to detail. One of…

Citizenship is an important part of the development of young people. By enabling them to learn about their rights and responsibilities, to understand how society works, and develop knowledge and understanding of social and political issues, citizenship prepares them for dealing with the challenges they face in life. Through citizenship, young…

Urges teachers to use E. D. Hirsch's "Cultural Literacy" and Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind" as tools to explore what to teach and why to teach it. Concludes that in this way, teachers will be socially and morally responsible promoters of democratic literacy. (MM)

Explores the concept of democracy and considers how different "democracies" demand different actions from educators in relation to schooling and society at large. Offers modest starting points for participating in democratic action. (RS)

This book helps teachers decode issues of character and discipline by offering practical ideas and research-driven theories that not only promote democratic values in teaching but also explain how to use those values when classroom management skills are being tested. The book provides examples of how practicing teachers evaluate and remedy…

Giving young people a voice builds their confidence, self-esteem and motivation and encourages them to develop an interest in current events. It helps them to develop and express their own opinions while listening to others, and to appreciate the importance of researching topics unfamiliar to them. It is an important way of developing their…

Reviews findings on early political learning in U.S. elementary and secondary schools. Identifies counterproductive practices and presents alternatives which might better prepare students for responsible and competent participation in democratic society. (JDH)

Comments about the results of recent surveys that show that public school prestige is declining and recommends that schools reach out and get support from nonparents. A tribute to Horace Mann concludes the article. (MLF)

Offers an overview of what it means to educate for a democratic life in the elementary school. Discusses three guiding questions: How can educators work together so that everyone benefits?; What is already known about the democratic process and what else should educators find out?; and Is everyone included in trying to solve this problem? (SR)

The American Philosopher Henry David Thoreau provides modern students an important perspective on the state and operation of democratic institutions and society. Many critics of his philosophy cite the author's inability to live up to his articulated tenets as grounds to dismiss the exhortative writings as idealistic and implausible. This essay…