Democratic Education in Practice: Inside the Mission Hill School

By Matthew Knoester

The Mission Hill School, founded by MacArthur Award winner Deborah Meier and colleagues in 1997, is a small public school that has rethought almost everything about the process of teaching and learning. Beyond richly describing and evaluating this high-achieving school, the author argues that democratic education is increasingly difficult in this era of testing and standardization and that a school such as Mission Hill must be continually thoughtful, innovative, and courageous in counteracting systemic inequality. This in-depth examination is essential reading for anyone interested in how to better understand seemingly intractable problems related to urban public education in the United States.

Book Features:

An exemplary model of democratic education that shows the inner workings of a largely teacher-governed school. A rare example of an urban school implementing Dewey-influenced progressive pedagogy. In-depth descriptions of an anti-racist and culturally relevant pedagogy and curriculum. A close examination of successful practices, including shared decision making, intensive problem solving, and looking at student work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807753807
• ISBN13: 9780807753804
• Release Date: December 2012
• Publisher: Teachers College Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 8.9"