The question that ought to be at the heart of the school reform debate is: Why do we have schools? An answer to this question will drive the sorts of "improvements" that schools attempt. This book proposes that schools exist to help young persons create meaning and discover their own being through development of the mind. The mind is the starting point for personal progress, and its development allows for success in all facets of life. Asserting the strong claim of the mind on the rural school curriculum disavows a popular notion about school purpose--that it ought to be economically centered. Focusing on human development also challenges the currently accepted "technocratic" approach to schooling, which relies on ready-made "one best" solutions devised by experts, manipulative methods, and mechanical techniques. In contrast, a "thoughtful" approach to education aims to create meaning by going beyond the transmission of information. Thoughtful learning involves consideration both for ideas and for other people. Students who engage in thoughtful learning acquire a disposition to be mindful--to weigh evidence, make connections among ideas, understand perspective, find alternatives, and judge value. Ultimately, thoughtful learning results from thoughtful settings brought about by thoughtful teachers and administrators. Although the prospects for widespread institutional change are slim, individual teachers and administrators have the potential to commit themselves to meaning and thoughtfulness and to transform their own school settings. An appendix contains an annotated bibliography of 12 resources on predicative teaching and learning. Contains 79 references. (SV)