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.
Meira Levinson is a professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and former middle school teacher in the Atlanta and Boston Public Schools. Jacob Fay is doctoral student and member of the Early Career Scholars' Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
"Democratic Discord in Schools provides multiple examples of pedagogical strategies and activities to guide discussions. Levinson and Fay's book is a prime example of working with the public to develop constructive, democratic solutions to such problems and should be of interest to philosophers of education." --Philosophical Inquiry in Education "How can we, as educators, demonstrate our commitment to democratic deliberation and collective decision making? We can start by reading the cases and commentaries in this book and discussing how we might approach the issues presented. As a tool, this book can aid those tasked with making decisions in schools by demonstrating the possibilities of learning from how we deal with democratic discords in schools." --Theory and Research in Social Education "[This book] is worth reading and using as a model for constructive engagement across difference. Its realistic approach offers a refreshing alternative to both idealistic and overly cynical narratives about the prospects for productive pluralism and democratic education." --Philosophical Inquiry in Education "Levinson and Fay have put together an innovative, thoughtful and timely text that speaks both wisely and practically about educating for democracy in these troubled times." --Citizenship Teaching & Learning "Democratic Discord in Schools feels like a book that came along at just the right time." --Kelley Nicholson-Flynn, Klingenstein Center
