Democratic Schools.

This book illustrates how educators in four U.S. communities committed themselves to preparing students for the democratic way of life. In four narratives, educators directly involved in four different school-reform efforts describe how they initiated demographic practices in their educational settings. The four schools serve as reminders that public schools play an important role in laying a firm foundation for the future of American democratic society. Acting as models of democratic principles in action, the schools help students understand the nature of citizenship and teach them the knowledge and skills necessary to maintaining a democracy. The book is based on Dewey's belief that schools should offer students the very qualities that characterize education in a democratic society--shared interests, freedom in interaction, participation, and social relationships. Chapter 1 offers a rationale for democratic schools and describes their characteristics. Chapters 2 through 5 present the stories of the following schools: Central Park East Secondary School (in New York City); the Rindge School of Technical Arts (in the Boston area); La Escuela Fratney (in Milwaukee, Wisconsin); and Marquette Middle Schools (in Madison, Wisconsin). The educators are not unrealistic optimists; they recognize the challenges of financial cuts, pressure from powerful interest groups, bureaucracy, and politically based attacks on programs. (ERIC:LMI)