Educational Pluralism and Democracy

“Berner’s must-read book demands America have a new conversation on public education. Do we have the courage to abandon the dominant, single system of government schools and move toward a publicly funded, yet more diverse universe of public, private, and parochial schools that are held accountable to common assessments and a body of knowledge necessary to preserve a healthy democracy? For the sake of our nation’s social cohesion, I hope we heed her counsel to broaden educational delivery while mandating the curricular objectives all children must learn." - Ian Rowe, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute, and founder and CEO, Vertex Partnership Academies“In Educational Pluralism and Democracy, Berner grapples with fundamental questions about the roles of families and the state in shaping US schools. Regardless of where readers stand on these questions, they will appreciate her thoughtfulness and eloquence in exploring what is ‘public’ about public education.” - Jon Valant, director, Brown Center on Education Policy, Brookings Institution"[Berner] has become the most persuasive ally of educational pluralism in America. We would all be wise to listen to her, whether we agree with her or not." - Jonathan Zimmerman (Education Next)