Reclaiming Public Education by Reclaiming Our Democracy

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Reclaiming Public Education by Reclaiming Our Democracy is about what citizens and educators alike want from public education and how they might come closer to getting it. It is also about the obstacles that block them, beginning with significant differences in the ways that citizens see problems in the schools and the ways that professional educators and policymakers talk about them. Discussions of accountability, the achievement gap, vouchers, and the like don't always resonate with people's real concerns. As a result, a deep chasm has developed between citizens and the schools that serve them. Citizens say they are frustrated by their inability to make a difference in improving the public schools. But educators say they can't get the public support they need. Citizens think local school boards determine what happens in schools. But board members complain that their hands are tied by external restrictions and conflicting demands. Citizens want schools that instill self-discipline and promote social responsibility. But schools are overwhelmed by the need to meet legislatively mandated standards and raise test scores. Can this divide be bridged? This book describes how people's sense of responsibility for the schools withers as the chasm grows. It also offers ideas about the work citizens can do to reverse this trend and improve education. David Mathews, secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the Ford administration and a former president of The University of Alabama, is president of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. About the Kettering Foundation The Kettering Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of cooperative research. Kettering's primary research question is: What does it take to make democracy work as it should? Kettering's research is distinctive because it is conducted from the perspective of citizens and focuses on what people can do collectively to address problems affecting their lives, their communities, and their nation. For more information about Kettering research and publications, see the Kettering Foundation's website at www.kettering.org.