Avoiding the Demise of Democracy A Cautionary Tale for Teachers and Principals [Paperback]

Sharron Goldman Walker is an educational prophet, one who listens and then speaks. Her approach is as radical as our nation, rooted in democracy that is learned by practice in the schools. If democracy is to survive, children must learn how to live it, through reasoned discourse and thoughtful reflection on divergent views. Todays politics have descended into shouting matches, name-calling, hate and fear. Verbal violence leaks into our schools and morphs into physical harm. Her prescription for problem solving in education is understandable, her style engaging, and her vision possible. The quest for self-governance gave our ancestors the will to fight and die; the same quest might give children the will to live and learn. All educators can find in this book a source of exploration, examination, and excitement.In this second volume on democracy in education, Sharron Goldman Walker challenges readers once again to respond to the question why we send our children to school. As our society continues to measure success by test results alone, we are losing sight of the underlying tenants that frame our democratic way of life. Schooling and freedom alone will not preserve education and democracy. This volume challenges each of us to make a commitment to preserve American democracy by rethinking and redesigning an authentic curriculum for the future leaders of our country.The same voices that cry for liberty and venerate our Founding Fathers have saddled Americas children with an educational system that stifles thinking, free expression and inquiry. Walkers second volume on democracy in education explains the role of public schools in fostering the skills of critical thinking, inquiry and reasoned discourse that are necessary for a democratic society to function. The American system of governance is broken, and she lays out a powerful case for a fundamental transformation of educational philosophy to allow schools to promote and nurture democracy. As educators, we must gli