Public Education for Our Nation's Democracy: Commentaries on Schooling in America - Paperback

by David C. Berliner (Author), P. David Pearson (Foreword by)

David Berliner, one of America's foremost educational researchers, issues an urgent message for all those who care about preserving the future of public education, and the future of democracy.

Throughout his extraordinary career, educational psychologist David Berliner visited hundreds of classrooms in multiple countries. After many such visits, he wrote short notes about what he saw, felt, and imagined as he observed teachers, students, and administrators attempting to make education happen.

Intended to provoke readers to think and discuss key ideas in K-12 education, Public Education for Our Nation's Democracy brings together 18 essays on the issues that define the United States public school system, including teacher professionalism and autonomy; teacher-student relationships; charter, religious, and private schools; curricular choice; high-stakes testing and equity; COVID-19 learning loss; multicultural education; and parent-teacher relationships. A common theme that runs throughout these essays is appreciation and advocacy for the U.S. public school system--warts and all!
Book Features:

• Commentaries, insights, and recommendations for improving teaching and learning, written by one of the keenest observers of America's schools.
• Coverage of important topics in education written in a conversational voice to be accessible to a wide audience.
• Inspiring and thought-provoking essays about one of America's greatest inventions--its huge system of public education.

Author Biography

David C. Berliner (1938-2025) was Regents' Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University. He has been a visiting scholar at universities throughout the world and is the winner of numerous awards, most notably the E. L. Thorndike award in educational psychology, the distinguished contributions award of the AERA, the Friend of Education award of the NEA, and the Brock International Prize for distinguished contributions to education. His books include Public Education: Defending a Cornerstone of American Democracy and 50 Myths and Lies That Threaten America's Public Schools.