Three books are the subject of this review essay: (1) Avril Keating's (2014) publication, "Education for Citizenship in Europe: European Policies, National Adaptations and Young People's Attitudes"; (2) "The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education", Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy (2015); and (3) "We…

Books reviewed: "Teaching Toward Freedom: Moral Commitment and Ethical Action in the Classroom" by William Ayers and "Pedagogy of Indignation" by Paulo Freire.

Kanpol's book "Towards a Theory and Practice of Teacher Cultural Politics: Continuing the Postmodern Debate" (Ablex, 1992) examines postmodernist thought in education. Redefining critical social theory and the notion of resistance in postmodernist terms, the author shows these ideas' relevance to common democratic struggles and resistance to the…

"Teaching for Social Justice," by Ayers, Hunt, and Quinn, advocates inclusion of social-justice concerns as part of schools' official curriculum. Although the authors do not move some issues far enough, the book can serve as a primer for teachers concerned about social justice and democratic values. (MLH)

Reviews a book that documents the rise of the English-only movement in the 1980s and examines historical and sociocultural factors shaping the movement, potential effects of an official language on constitutional rights of language minorities, anti-immigrant sentiments and America's obstinate monolingualism, and the ongoing battle for equal rights…

Reviews Robert Westbrook's book, "John Dewey and American Democracy," which analyzes intellectual debates in which Dewey was involved. The book provides a critical account of Dewey's role as an agent of political change and a promoter of participatory democracy and participative decision making. (SM)

Reviews "Education and Democratic Theory: Finding a Place for Community Participation in Public School Reform" (A. Belden Fields and Walter Feinberg) and "The Color of School Reform: Race, Politics, and the Challenge of Urban Education" (J. Henig, R. Hula, M. Orr, and D. Pedescleaux). Both books examine the political aspects of…

Discusses three concerns about inequities in public education: the national movement to write off poor urban students (and growing pressure to privatize public schooling), the sense of hopelessness in the literature on public education, and the lack of action in creating educational change and improvement. (SM)

Explains fundamental shifts dominating education's transition at technical, managerial, and institutional levels. Since the first edition of the "Handbook of Research on Educational Administration," school administration has been reconfigured and recultured. Social justice, democratic community, and school improvement comprise major…

Discusses "Strengthening Collegiate Education in Community Colleges" (J. S. Eaton) and "The Contradictory College" (K. J. Dougherty), two conflicting perspectives on community colleges' roles. Argues that both fail to consider the changing needs of today's diverse students. Multiculturalism and commitment to education as…

Reviews "The Quality School Teacher," by William Glasser, which addresses how teachers can implement control theory in the classroom to help students meet their basic needs and choose to do quality school work. Notes similarities and differences between Glasser's approach and both the Foxfire approach and democratic practice in the…

Three books represent the recent work of leading U.S. proponents of critical approaches to pedagogy: "Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the Foundations of Education," by Peter McLaren; "Freire for the Classroom: A Sourcebook for Liberatory Teaching," edited by Ira Shor; and "Teachers as…

Reviews six films about issues related to multicultural and social justice education in the United States: "It's Elementary: Talking about Gay Issues in School"; "Starting Small: Teaching Children Tolerance"; "In Whole Honor?"; "Children Talk about AIDS"; "Fear and Learning at Hoover Elementary";…

Contrasts the social views presented in Arthur M. Schlesinger's "The Disuniting of America" with those of Cornel West's "Race Matters." Discusses issues such as diversity, separatism, and unity within a multicultural democracy. Concludes that educators should be informed about the views of both authors. (CFR)

Reviews a book suggesting that public education built on democratic values guarantees an equal education for students from all social, racial, and cultural groups. The book addresses how issues related to race, politics, and social class have clouded educational improvement efforts in California and describes classroom activities and teaching…