Meira Levinson - Böcker

What should the aims of education be in a liberal society and who should exercise control over education? How can children be taught to become good citizens of a pluralistic state? The Demands of Liberal Education seeks to answer these questions by drawing upon political theory, philosophy of education, and empirical research to develop a liberal theory of children's education that is provocative and new. The book argues that contrary to the assumptions of many philosophers, educators, parents and politicians, the liberal state is obligated as a matter of justice to help all children develop the capacity for autonomy. Levinson argues that liberal governments should exercise much greater control over schools than they now do.

What should the aims of education be in a liberal society and who should exercise control over education? How can children be taught to become good citizens of a pluralistic state? The Demands of Liberal Education seeks to answer these questions by drawing upon political theory, philosophy of education, and empirical research to develop a liberal theory of children's education that is provocative and new. The book argues that contrary to the assumptions of many philosophers, educators, parents and politicians, the liberal state is obligated as a matter of justice to help all children develop the capacity for autonomy. Levinson argues that liberal governments should exercise much greater control over schools than they now do.

While teaching at an all-Black middle school in Atlanta, Meira Levinson realized that students’ individual self-improvement would not necessarily enable them to overcome their profound marginalization within American society. This is because of a civic empowerment gap that is as shameful and antidemocratic as the academic achievement gap targeted by No Child Left Behind. No Citizen Left Behind argues that students must be taught how to upend and reshape power relationships directly, through political and civic action. Drawing on political theory, empirical research, and her own on-the-ground experience, Levinson shows how de facto segregated urban schools can and must be at the center of this struggle.Recovering the civic purposes of public schools will take more than tweaking the curriculum. Levinson calls on schools to remake civic education. Schools should teach collective action, openly discuss the racialized dimensions of citizenship, and provoke students by engaging their passions against contemporary injustices. Students must also have frequent opportunities to take civic and political action, including within the school itself. To build a truly egalitarian society, we must reject myths of civic sameness and empower all young people to raise their diverse voices. Levinson’s account challenges not just educators but all who care about justice, diversity, or democracy.

Civic Contestation in Global Education takes readers into classrooms and schools on the front lines of civic education in pluralistic and divided democracies. The book offers eight case studies of educators and policy makers wrestling with schools’ civic and ethical responsibilities around the globe. Examples of the case studies include teaching critical consciousness in an Anti-CRT state, religiously sensitive satirical cartoons and radical extremism, and accommodating religion in schools. Each case is followed by a model conversation among diverse participants based in Australia, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the USA. The participants include scholars, activists, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders from across the political spectrum. Each chapter includes discussion questions and suggestions for further reading. Taken together, these cases and conversations provide readers critical resources both for deliberating about the ethical challenges facing schools in a time of civic disruption, and for charting a path toward a more just and democratic future worldwide. In a German classroom, a student eagerly shares Querdenker conspiracy theories (analogous to QAnon) during a class discussion, doubling down on the importance of “critical thinking” and “looking at all the evidence” when challenged by teachers and classmates. How should his teacher respond? In Madrid, two 12 year-olds spend the weekend convincing a peer to text them a topless photo that they then circulate to their classmates. What responsibility does their school have, if any, to address this out-of-school violation of trust and digital citizenship norms? In Iowa, parents and legislators raise concerns about “critical race theory” being taught in K-12 schools, while in Toronto, a school faces public backlash over constitutionally-permitted accommodations it has made for Muslim students to pray after lunch on Fridays in the school cafeteria. What steps might school leaders take next to respond to public concerns while also supporting the students in their buildings? More case studies and resources can be found at justiceinschools.org.

Civic Contestation in Global Education takes readers into classrooms and schools on the front lines of civic education in pluralistic and divided democracies. The book offers eight case studies of educators and policy makers wrestling with schools’ civic and ethical responsibilities around the globe. Examples of the case studies include teaching critical consciousness in an Anti-CRT state, religiously sensitive satirical cartoons and radical extremism, and accommodating religion in schools. Each case is followed by a model conversation among diverse participants based in Australia, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the USA. The participants include scholars, activists, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders from across the political spectrum. Each chapter includes discussion questions and suggestions for further reading. Taken together, these cases and conversations provide readers critical resources both for deliberating about the ethical challenges facing schools in a time of civic disruption, and for charting a path toward a more just and democratic future worldwide. In a German classroom, a student eagerly shares Querdenker conspiracy theories (analogous to QAnon) during a class discussion, doubling down on the importance of “critical thinking” and “looking at all the evidence” when challenged by teachers and classmates. How should his teacher respond? In Madrid, two 12 year-olds spend the weekend convincing a peer to text them a topless photo that they then circulate to their classmates. What responsibility does their school have, if any, to address this out-of-school violation of trust and digital citizenship norms? In Iowa, parents and legislators raise concerns about “critical race theory” being taught in K-12 schools, while in Toronto, a school faces public backlash over constitutionally-permitted accommodations it has made for Muslim students to pray after lunch on Fridays in the school cafeteria. What steps might school leaders take next to respond to public concerns while also supporting the students in their buildings? More case studies and resources can be found at justiceinschools.org.

How do we reconcile individual student needs with the demands of school, district, and national education programs? What are school-based professionals to do in situations where it is impossible to prioritize all students equally? A pair of new parents in Hong Kong deliberate which schooling model best fulfils the hopes and dreams they have for their children. An administrator in Germany deliberates whether to accept funding for a hybrid learning program as her staff and students share their conflicting experiences of online learning. From national policy to personal choices, each of these ethical dilemmas engages questions of educational equity.Educational Equity in a Global Context presents eight case studies designed to guide readers through complex and nuanced conversations about dilemmas of educational equity and ethics around the world. The case studies include conversations on student grading in the Covid-19 pandemic, the risks and rewards of online learning, equitable homework policies and refugee education. Each case is followed by a model conversation among diverse participants based in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Mexico, the UK, and the USA. The participants include scholars, activists, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders from across the political spectrum. Each chapter includes discussion questions and suggestions for further reading. Readers will come away from this collection with the resources and capacities to deliberate about dilemmas of educational ethics in their own contexts and work towards a more equitable future for students around the globe. More case studies and resources can be found at justiceinschools.org.

How do we reconcile individual student needs with the demands of school, district, and national education programs? What are school-based professionals to do in situations where it is impossible to prioritize all students equally? A pair of new parents in Hong Kong deliberate which schooling model best fulfils the hopes and dreams they have for their children. An administrator in Germany deliberates whether to accept funding for a hybrid learning program as her staff and students share their conflicting experiences of online learning. From national policy to personal choices, each of these ethical dilemmas engages questions of educational equity.Educational Equity in a Global Context presents eight case studies designed to guide readers through complex and nuanced conversations about dilemmas of educational equity and ethics around the world. The case studies include conversations on student grading in the Covid-19 pandemic, the risks and rewards of online learning, equitable homework policies and refugee education. Each case is followed by a model conversation among diverse participants based in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Mexico, the UK, and the USA. The participants include scholars, activists, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders from across the political spectrum. Each chapter includes discussion questions and suggestions for further reading. Readers will come away from this collection with the resources and capacities to deliberate about dilemmas of educational ethics in their own contexts and work towards a more equitable future for students around the globe. More case studies and resources can be found at justiceinschools.org.

“By nearly every measure, Americans are less engaged in their communities and political activity than generations past.” So write the editors of this volume, who survey the current practices and history of citizenship education in the United States.They argue that the current period of “creative destruction”—when schools are closing and opening in response to reform mandates—is an ideal time to take an in-depth look at how successful strategies and programs promote civic education and good citizenship. Making Civics Count offers research-based insights into what diverse students and teachers know and do as civic actors, and proposes a blueprint for civic education for a new generation that is both practical and visionary.

Educators and policy makers confront challenging questions of ethics, justice, and equity on a regular basis. Should teachers retain a struggling student if it means she will most certainly drop out? Should an assignment plan favor middle-class families if it means strengthening the school system for all? These everyday dilemmas are both utterly ordinary and immensely challenging, yet there are few opportunities and resources to help educators think through the ethical issues at stake.Drawing on research and methods developed in the Justice in Schools project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Dilemmas of Educational Ethics introduces a new interdisciplinary approach to achieving practical wisdom in education, one that honors the complexities inherent in educational decision making and encourages open discussion of the values and principles we should collectively be trying to realize in educational policy and practice.At the heart of the book are six richly described, realistic accounts of ethical dilemmas that have arisen in education in recent years, paired with responses written by noted philosophers, empirical researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, including Pedro Noguera, Howard Gardner, Mary Pattillo, Andres A. Alonso, Jamie Ahlberg, Toby N. Romer, and Michael J. Petrilli.The editors illustrate how readers can use and adapt these cases and commentaries in schools and other settings in order to reach a difficult decision, deepen their own understanding, or to build teams around shared values.

Teaching in a democracy is challenging and filled with dilemmas that have no easy answers. For example, how do educators meet their responsibilities of teaching civic norms and dispositions while remaining nonpartisan? Democratic Discord in Schools features eight normative cases of complex dilemmas drawn from real events designed to help educators practice the type of collaborative problem solving and civil discourse needed to meet these challenges of democratic education. Each of the cases also features a set of six commentaries written by a diverse array of scholars, educators, policy makers, students, and activists with a range of political views to spark reflection and conversation.  Drawing on research and methods developed in the Justice in Schools project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Democratic Discord in Schools provides the tools that allow educators and others to practice the deliberative skills they need in order to find reasonable solutions to common ethical dilemmas in politically fraught times.