Education for Everyone: Agenda for Education in a Democracy

by John I. Goodlad

The founders of our Republic envisioned education as providing for all citizens the necessary apprenticeship in the understanding and practice of democracy. To make democracy safe we must have universal schooling; to make schooling safe for education we must have democracy. But since the founding of our country the study and practice of democracy in our schools has weakened. We must return to the primary purpose of education and ensure that it is indeed for everyone. The Agenda for Education in a Democracy proposed by the authors is more than an effort to simply revitalize a faltering civics curriculum. It is about restoring a shared humanity to the educational process. It is about the need to make caring, compassion, freedom, dignity, and responsibility central to the mission of schooling. It is about placing power and responsibility―a concept more demanding of the individual than is accountability―in the hands of those who need and deserve it. It is about taking the idea of excellence seriously. It is about taking democracy seriously. It is about having real faith in real people to do what is right, just, and honorable.

Genres: Education, School

Hardcover

First published February 6, 2004

Reviews

[Tina]

Reading this for work and having discussions. It interesting so far.

[Wesley Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book lays out the purpose of education, and it is a great conversation starter. The authors make important points about how free public education is vital to a democracy, and the way we choose to teach is how we form our society. You can't avoid teaching morals or politics, because even the way you structure a class sends a message about values. So we have to be intentional about who, what, and how we teach. Chapter 3 talked about the fragility of democracy and why it cannot function without well-educated citizens, a warning that is much scarier today.

My favorite chapter is #6. I wasn't sure what "simultaneous renewal" was, but now I realize it is one of my main goals for our education system. Reforms are top-down changes that are usually fast and forced. Renewal is the idea that we need to give teachers and researchers time to do their own studying, collaborating, and improving. We miss out on so much potential by not giving teachers the time they need to do their best work.

There was quite a bit in this book about the program they've been running, which isn't that exciting to read. And there are some points I wish had been discussed further, like how education should relate to economic opportunities, and how other institutions like family and religion impact our education. But overall, it's a great message that I want to refer back to throughout my career.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a book that had me so completely riveted, absolutely focused on what was being said at one moment and so unequivocally bored and uninterested in the next. I'm sure this partially has something to do with me and my lack of ability to focus on research heavy, non-fiction style writing, but I still hold the authors accountable for some of the boredom. That being said, I agreed with much of the book and completely and totally agree with two summations: 1. When done right, teaching is absolutely and unarguably a moral endeavor; 2. In order for our democracy to thrive like it is supposed to, we as citizens have to intrinsically care and be active members of the community. Schools are the only places where the playing field can be leveled and true access and democratic responsibility can be taught and effected.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too idealistic for me. I thought the author had interesting points to consider, but it seemed to lack a firm basis in reality to justify the claims he was making about what was necessary in teaching.

[Jennifer Margeson]

Required reading for Democracy in Education course - some chapters were helpful but others almost seemed pretentious.