Can Schools Save Democracy?

Download Can Schools Save Democracy? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 1421447789
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (214 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Can Schools Save Democracy? by : Michael J. Feuer

Download or read book Can Schools Save Democracy? written by Michael J. Feuer and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2023-11-07 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can education protect and strengthen democracy? In an era when democracy is at critical risk, is it reasonable to expect the education system—already buckling under the ordeal of a global pandemic—to solve the converging problems of inequality, climate change, and erosion of trust in government and science? Will more civics instruction help? In Can Schools Save Democracy? Michael J. Feuer offers a new approach to addressing these questions with a strategy for improving the process and substance of civic education. Although schooling alone cannot save democracy, it must play a part. Feuer introduces a framework for educator preparation that emphasizes collective action, experiential learning, and partnerships between schools and their complex constituencies. His proposed reform aims to equip teachers with an appreciation of the paradoxes of pluralism—in particular, the tensions between individual choice and social outcomes. And he offers practical suggestions for how to bring those concepts to life so that students in and out of the classroom acquire the skills, knowledge, and dispositions for enlightened democratic leadership. Adopting a definition of public education that celebrates the engagement between schools and their environments, Feuer argues for reinforced partnerships within the education system and between educators and their diverse constituents. He anticipates new collaborations between education faculty and their colleagues in the behavioral, social, and physical sciences and humanities; stronger links between schools and their complex outside environments; and improved mechanisms for global cooperation. Can Schools Save Democracy? includes lively examples of how theoretical principles can inform familiar problems and offers a hopeful path for progress toward a stronger democracy.

Flip the System US

Download Flip the System US PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 1000213803
Total Pages : 178 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (2 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Flip the System US by : Michael Soskil

Download or read book Flip the System US written by Michael Soskil and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-10-29 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This powerful and honest book uncovers how we can flip the system, building a more democratic, equitable, and cohesive society where teacher expertise drives solutions to education challenges. Editor Michael Soskil brings together a team of diverse voices to highlight solutions, spark positive change, and show us the path forward towards a more civil and more peaceful America. In each chapter, inspiring educators describe how we can create lasting and meaningful change by elevating teacher expertise; educating the whole child; increasing teacher morale; and fighting for all of our children to have equitable opportunity and quality schools.

Will Standards Save Public Education?

Download Will Standards Save Public Education? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Beacon Press
ISBN 13 : 9780807004418
Total Pages : 110 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (44 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Will Standards Save Public Education? by : Deborah Meier

Download or read book Will Standards Save Public Education? written by Deborah Meier and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2000-04-24 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Somewhere. . . there is a place of sanity where education is intense and substantive. . . . It's in that place that Deborah Meier has been working all these years. Her voice conveys a life of struggle in the front lines-victories and losses, hopes and disappointments. . . . It's a voice our nation needs to hear. --Jonathan Kozol, from the Foreword Acclaimed educator Deborah Meier offers a fresh take on standardized tests. While others have criticized standards and what they measure, Meier rejects the very idea of a centralized authority that dictates how and what teachers teach. Standardization, she argues, prevents citizens-including teachers-from emerging as thoughtful, responsible adults, seriously engaged with shaping their own schools, classrooms, and communities. As a result, young people can't learn from them how to be thoughtful, responsible adults and good citizens, the primary goal of public education in a democracy. The New Democracy Forum is a series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. "A civic treasure. . . . A truly good idea, carried out with intelligence and panache." --Robert Pinsky

Education, Justice & Democracy

Download Education, Justice & Democracy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 022601293X
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (26 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Education, Justice & Democracy by : Danielle Allen

Download or read book Education, Justice & Democracy written by Danielle Allen and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2013-03-04 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education is a contested topic, and not just politically. For years scholars have approached it from two different points of view: one empirical, focused on explanations for student and school success and failure, and the other philosophical, focused on education’s value and purpose within the larger society. Rarely have these separate approaches been brought into the same conversation. Education, Justice, and Democracy does just that, offering an intensive discussion by highly respected scholars across empirical and philosophical disciplines. The contributors explore how the institutions and practices of education can support democracy, by creating the conditions for equal citizenship and egalitarian empowerment, and how they can advance justice, by securing social mobility and cultivating the talents and interests of every individual. Then the authors evaluate constraints on achieving the goals of democracy and justice in the educational arena and identify strategies that we can employ to work through or around those constraints. More than a thorough compendium on a timely and contested topic, Education, Justice, and Democracy exhibits an entirely new, more deeply composed way of thinking about education as a whole and its importance to a good society.

Democracy and Education

Download Democracy and Education PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 456 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Democracy and Education by : John Dewey

Download or read book Democracy and Education written by John Dewey and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 1916 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: . Renewal of Life by Transmission. The most notable distinction between living and inanimate things is that the former maintain themselves by renewal. A stone when struck resists. If its resistance is greater than the force of the blow struck, it remains outwardly unchanged. Otherwise, it is shattered into smaller bits. Never does the stone attempt to react in such a way that it may maintain itself against the blow, much less so as to render the blow a contributing factor to its own continued action. While the living thing may easily be crushed by superior force, it none the less tries to turn the energies which act upon it into means of its own further existence. If it cannot do so, it does not just split into smaller pieces (at least in the higher forms of life), but loses its identity as a living thing. As long as it endures, it struggles to use surrounding energies in its own behalf. It uses light, air, moisture, and the material of soil. To say that it uses them is to say that it turns them into means of its own conservation. As long as it is growing, the energy it expends in thus turning the environment to account is more than compensated for by the return it gets: it grows. Understanding the word "control" in this sense, it may be said that a living being is one that subjugates and controls for its own continued activity the energies that would otherwise use it up. Life is a self-renewing process through action upon the environment.

Schoolhouse Burning

Download Schoolhouse Burning PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : PublicAffairs
ISBN 13 : 1541774388
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (417 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Schoolhouse Burning by : Derek W. Black

Download or read book Schoolhouse Burning written by Derek W. Black and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The full-scale assault on public education threatens not just public education but American democracy itself. Public education as we know it is in trouble. Derek W. Black, a legal scholar and tenacious advocate, shows how major democratic and constitutional developments are intimately linked to the expansion of public education throughout American history. Schoolhouse Burningis grounded in pathbreaking, original research into how the nation, in its infancy, built itself around public education and, following the Civil War, enshrined education as a constitutional right that forever changed the trajectory of our democracy. Public education, alongside the right to vote, was the cornerstone of the recovery of the war-torn nation. Today's current schooling trends -- the declining commitment to properly fund public education and the well-financed political agenda to expand vouchers and charter schools -- present a major assault on the democratic norms that public education represents and risk undermining one of the unique accomplishments of American society.

Education and the Making of a Democratic People

Download Education and the Making of a Democratic People PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317260732
Total Pages : 246 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (172 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Education and the Making of a Democratic People by : John I. Goodlad

Download or read book Education and the Making of a Democratic People written by John I. Goodlad and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-11-17 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unfortunately, civic values such as equity and justice that constitute the moral grounding of American democracy are losing their place in public affairs. The promise of this democracy is inclusive: no one is to be left out. Yet many people are. Education and the Making of a Democratic People regards the challenge of inclusiveness as a fundamental and non-negotiable educational agenda. America's public schools are a main public forum in which people can learn to preserve and actively protect our democratic process. The value of our schools as a democratic forum extends beyond the classroom to parents and other members of local communities. By engaging in conversations and actions that support the democratic purpose of schools, local communities can ensure that the United States will become a healthy, robust democracy that represents all of its citizens.

Resolved

Download Resolved PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Brookings Institution Press
ISBN 13 : 0815737882
Total Pages : 221 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (157 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Resolved by : Robert Litan

Download or read book Resolved written by Robert Litan and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adopting a simple education reform to restore civil discourse and transform American society In this era of extreme political polarization, it's tempting to believe nothing can be done to heal a nation that is so obviously divided and led by dysfunctional politicians. But there is a relatively simple and powerful way to begin the healing, and at the same time prepare the next generations of leaders for the rigorous demands of a constantly changing economy and society. The solution offered by this intriguing book is for schools across the country to focus on developing in students the skills of successful debaters. These are the skills—so clearly lacking in contemporary society—of listening and persuading, through civil discourse backed by fact-based evidence and reason. Resolved explains how one simple educational reform can help address the nation's political divide and at the same time help ensure that today's young people will actually enjoy learning, and thus will have the necessary skills to lead productive and economically rewarding lives. The book offers practical ideas about a positive future for parents, educators, state legislators, business leaders—in fact, anyone interested in how debate-centered education can fundamentally change the country for the better.

Democracy, Education, and the Schools

Download Democracy, Education, and the Schools PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Jossey-Bass
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Democracy, Education, and the Schools by : Roger Soder

Download or read book Democracy, Education, and the Schools written by Roger Soder and published by Jossey-Bass. This book was released on 1996 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Democracy, Education, and the Schools argues that the most basic purpose of America's schools is to teach children the moral and intellectual responsibilities of living and working in a democracy. Leading scholars from the fields of education, history, political science, and anthropology explore what democracy is and what it means for preparing teachers and teaching students. They discuss critical questions about the relationship between the American democracy and a free public school system, including:* To what extent should the enculturation of the young into American democracy be a major function of the schools?* How can students best learn to understand and participate in American democracy?* What should the schools teach to convey to the young their rights and responsibilities as citizens?* What must teachers know in order to teach children their rights and responsibilities in an effective way?Roger Soder and his contributors ultimately show that there is a necessary relationship between democracy and the public school system--and privatization of the schools runs the risk of destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the American democracy.

Public Education

Download Public Education PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Teachers College Press
ISBN 13 : 0807766097
Total Pages : 353 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (77 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Public Education by : David C. Berliner

Download or read book Public Education written by David C. Berliner and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2021-11-30 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Twenty-eight eminent essayists remind our nations parents, educators, school board members and politicians that our democracy is in jeopardy and that our nation's system of free universal public education is also under attack. If that attack succeeds, American democracy itself would be further imperiled. That is because American democracy rests on a belief that the power of our government comes from the people, and the diffusion of knowledge and the enlightenment of the people has been a cornerstone of our democracy since the founding of our republic. America's public schools, therefore, have a special mandate"--

Schools of Democracy

Download Schools of Democracy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 1501729918
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (17 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Schools of Democracy by : Clayton Sinyai

Download or read book Schools of Democracy written by Clayton Sinyai and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2018-07-05 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this new political history of the labor movement, Clayton Sinyai examines the relationship between labor activism and the American democratic tradition. Sinyai shows how America's working people and union leaders debated the first questions of democratic theory—and in the process educated themselves about the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship. In tracing the course of the American labor movement from the founding of the Knights of Labor in the 1870s to the 1968 presidential election and its aftermath, Sinyai explores the political dimensions of collective bargaining, the structures of unions and businesses, and labor's relationships with political parties and other social movements. Schools of Democracy analyzes how labor activists wrestled with fundamental aspects of political philosophy and the development of American democracy, including majority rule versus individual liberty, the rule of law, and the qualifications required of citizens of a democracy. Offering a balanced assessment of mainstream leaders of American labor, from Samuel Gompers to George Meany, and their radical critics, including the Socialists and the Industrial Workers of the World, Sinyai provides an unusual and refreshing perspective on American labor history.

The Making of Americans

Download The Making of Americans PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300155859
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (1 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Making of Americans by : E. D. Hirsch

Download or read book The Making of Americans written by E. D. Hirsch and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2009-09-15 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bestselling author of Cultural Literacy, a passionate and cogent argument for reforming the way we teach our children. Why, after decades of commissions, reforms, and efforts at innovation, do our schools continue to disappoint us? In this comprehensive book, educational theorist E. D. Hirsch, Jr. masterfully analyzes how American ideas about education have veered off course, what we must do to right them, and most importantly why. He argues that the core problem with American education is that educational theorists, especially in the early grades, have for the past sixty years rejected academic content in favor of “child-centered” and “how-to” learning theories that are at odds with how children really learn. The result is failing schools and widening inequality, as only children from content-rich (usually better-off) homes can take advantage of the schools’ educational methods. Hirsch unabashedly confronts the education establishment, arguing that a content-based curriculum is essential to addressing social and economic inequality. A nationwide, specific, grade-by-grade curriculum established in the early school grades can help fulfill one of America’s oldest and most compelling dreams: to give all children, regardless of language, religion, or origins, the opportunity to participate as equals and become competent citizens. Hirsch not only reminds us of these inspiring ideals, he offers an ambitious and specific plan for achieving them. “Hirsch’s case is clear and compelling. His book ought to be read by anyone interested in the education and training of the next generation of Americans.”—Glenn C. Altschuler, The Boston Globe “Hirsch once again challenges the prevailing “child-centered” philosophy, championing a return to a “subject-centered” approach to learning.”—Publishers Weekly

Education for Democracy

Download Education for Democracy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : IAP
ISBN 13 : 1648023142
Total Pages : 131 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (48 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Education for Democracy by : Steven P. Camicia

Download or read book Education for Democracy written by Steven P. Camicia and published by IAP. This book was released on 2021-01-01 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a vision of education for democracy built around promoting equity and social justice. In doing so, Camicia and Knowles challenge many of the common perspectives of democratic education, deliberation, and the common good. The authors have published widely on the topic of education for democracy. This book builds upon their work to assist practicing teachers, teacher educators, graduate students, and educational researchers in understanding the background of education for democracy, as well as new directions for the field. While one of the primary goals of public schools is to teach students how to build better communities, this goal is increasingly difficult given the degree of political polarization within societies. Recent events provide no shortage of challenges to democracy in the United States and beyond. Utilizing theory and research, Camicia and Knowles promote instructional methods that are responsive to changing cultural and political contexts. There is an increasing need to rethink democratic principles and how these principles might be supported in classrooms in order to teach for social justice. This requires a move away from often stated idealistic notions of deliberative democracy, toward a perspective of education for democracy that incorporates aspects of identity, interests, and inequitable power relations within society.

Democracy at a Crossroads

Download Democracy at a Crossroads PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : IAP
ISBN 13 : 1641137185
Total Pages : 261 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (411 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Democracy at a Crossroads by : Gregory L. Samuels

Download or read book Democracy at a Crossroads written by Gregory L. Samuels and published by IAP. This book was released on 2019-06-01 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At a time of questionable civility in American politics, democratic education appears to be at a crossroads. As we consider how to best explore democracy and foster a more civically-engaged populace in the current socio-political context, it is critical to examine what frames our educational systems, policies, and practices and shapes our civic identity. While teachers struggle with decreased instructional time for social studies and the demands of standardized tests, the social sciences are often pushed to the margins. Reflecting on how to negotiate local, state, national, and global tensions related to policy and practice, educators work to do what is best to equip students to foster democratic citizenship and ideals. Social sciences educators are uniquely positioned to embrace a journey that upholds democratic ideals of equality, freedom, and justice, while simultaneously critiquing inequity and injustice in schools and our society. The contributors to this volume situate a variety of discussions within the context of the crossroads and explore how to negotiate, translate, and reconceptualize our own beliefs and positionings in ways that positively influence and empower students, teachers, teacher educators, and education policy makers. Studies are presented related to civic education, cross-cultural interpretations, emotional citizenship, international economics, and race-consciousness, as well as those that discuss how to challenge dominant narratives and negotiate educational policies and practices.

Democracy's Schools

Download Democracy's Schools PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 1421423219
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (214 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Democracy's Schools by : Johann N. Neem

Download or read book Democracy's Schools written by Johann N. Neem and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2017-08 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The unknown history of American public education. At a time when Americans are debating the future of public education, Johann N. Neem tells the inspiring story of how and why Americans built a robust public school system in the decades between the Revolution and the Civil War. It’s a story in which ordinary people in towns across the country worked together to form districts and build schoolhouses and reformers sought to expand tax support and give every child a liberal education. By the time of the Civil War, most northern states had made common schools free, and many southern states were heading in the same direction. Americans made schooling a public good. Yet back then, like today, Americans disagreed over the kind of education needed, who should pay for it, and how schools should be governed. Neem explores the history and meaning of these disagreements. As Americans debated, teachers and students went about the daily work of teaching and learning. Neem takes us into the classrooms of yore so that we may experience public schools from the perspective of the people whose daily lives were most affected by them. Ultimately, Neem concludes, public schools encouraged a diverse people to see themselves as one nation. By studying the origins of America’s public schools, Neem urges us to focus on the defining features of democratic education: promoting equality, nurturing human beings, preparing citizens, and fostering civic solidarity.

Democratic Schools

Download Democratic Schools PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Heinemann Educational Books
ISBN 13 : 9780325010755
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (17 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Democratic Schools by : Michael W. Apple

Download or read book Democratic Schools written by Michael W. Apple and published by Heinemann Educational Books. This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every once in a while, with the passage of time, a classic book takes on even greater relevance. The first edition of Democratic Schools was praised by legions of education professionals for showing how to create schools and classrooms with democratic values in mind; it was hailed for its clear-eyed assessment of the important role schools continue to play in promoting democracy, its traditions, and its thinking. Now an expanded and updated edition of Democratic Schools arrives, increasingly relevant in a time of inequitable accountability-based reform, standardized assessments, and cookie-cutter curricula. Michael Apple and James Beane return to challenge reform movements such as No Child Left Behind by asserting that our schools have a vital and historic connection to the continued success of our democratic way of life. Democratic Schools, Second Edition, shows in detail how educators can make a lasting difference by combining authentic, important lessons and a consistent, building- or system-wide focus on a critical and democratic education. Apple and Beane once more convene seven of America's most creative democratic educators for a powerful conversation about how to build an education that is worthy of our highest ideals. The essays that made the first edition so potent are here in their entirety, each followed by brand-new retrospective insight from their writers, educators who have proven that teachers and administrators can bring the nation's most noble values to life every day. Contributors include: Michael W. Apple James A. Beane Bob Peterson Brian D. Schultz Barbara L. Brodhagen Larry Rosenstock Adria Steinberg Deborah Meier Paul Schwarz. Grounded in a robust understanding of democracy, education, and the exigencies of our political and social systems, the second edition of Democratic Schools goes beyond updating and expanding the stories of the schools it originally chronicled. It adds new material - including a brand new chapter from Apple and Beane - that provides crucial lessons for creating and sustaining democratic schools, and that once again inspires teachers, administrators, and educational leaders to adopt ways of framing their mission that can create and sustain our democratic way of life - even in these difficult times.

What Kind of Citizen? Educating Our Children for the Common Good

Download What Kind of Citizen? Educating Our Children for the Common Good PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Teachers College Press
ISBN 13 : 0807773697
Total Pages : 122 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (77 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis What Kind of Citizen? Educating Our Children for the Common Good by : Joel Westheimer

Download or read book What Kind of Citizen? Educating Our Children for the Common Good written by Joel Westheimer and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2014-04-16 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can schools teach the skills required for a strong democracy to flourish? What Kind of Citizen? asks readers to imagine the kind of society they would like to live in—and then shows the ways in which schools can be used to make that vision a reality. Westheimer draws on groundbreaking research on school programs and policies to sharply critique the current direction of school reform. He points to the many varied and powerful ways to teach children and young adults to engage critically, to think about social issues, and to participate in authentic debate that acknowledges that intelligent adults can have different opinions. But today’s teachers are being forced to abandon these practices in favor of test-preparation in only a very narrow set of academic subjects. How did this happen? What can we do to set schools back on the right track? How can we realign school goals with what research shows parents, children, and teachers actually care about? How can we save our schools from today’s myopic interpretation of what constitutes an education? Westheimer answers these questions and makes a powerful call for schools to become more engaging, more democratic, and more educative. “Among the many casualties of a preoccupation with rigor and accountability is the prospect of education for meaningful democratic citizenship. In this refreshingly accessible book, Westheimer not only makes that point but explains the importance of helping students to think critically and question tradition. He issues a welcome invitation to connect our conception of the ideal school to its impact on our broader society.” —Alfie Kohn, bestselling author “What does it mean to be a democratic citizen? And what kind of education produces one? For the past 2 decades, Joel Westheimer has been one of North America's most knowledgeable and able guides to these critical issues. Along the way, he has forced us to reconsider the larger goals and purposes of our public schools. His book will provide an invaluable roadmap for anyone who asks the big questions, no matter what they think of his answers.” —Jonathan Zimmerman, New York University “In this highly readable, persuasive book, Joel Westheimer reminds us that, in our zeal for higher test scores, we seem to have forgotten the highest aim of education—to produce better people, more thoughtful citizens.” —Nel Noddings, Stanford University