The German tradition of critical theory (often called the Frankfurt School), represented by such authors as Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Oskar Negt, have given crucial contributions to social and cultural theory in investigating and conceptualizing contradictory conditions of modern Western societies. This paper will discuss the ways in…

The intention of government to create a fully academised school system in England, whereby every academy will belong to a large multi-academy Trust (MAT), further erodes community engagement and accountability. This paper illustrates how the policy of academisation has enabled a top-down governance framework to emerge, replacing the power and…

Civics education continues to gain national importance, especially in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election and with recent debates about the teaching of history that addresses the legacy of racism and discrimination in the United States. Despite the increasing interest in strengthening civics education, states continue to differ in…

This article identifies a conceptual paradox between recent educational policy in England and a social-democratic understanding of critical literacy. Recent political events including Brexit, the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, and the Coronavirus Pandemic reiterate the need for pedagogies that equip students to critique information circulated…

This is the summary for the white paper, "Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy." The crisis facing American democracy and the challenges plaguing the U.S. higher education system are two sides of the same coin. Higher education is an engine for economic mobility. Median annual…

Colleges and universities and members of their communities--administrators, faculty, and students--are caught in the crosshairs of sharply divided sociopolitical debates. Issues at home and abroad have polarized campuses, reflective of national division. With activism alive and well on campuses across the nation, and very much the focus of public…

This essay offers a framework for broader community involvement as a means of increasing the relevance and usefulness of evidence developed. This essay begins by defining key concepts related to democratizing the development of evidence. The sections that follow outline a logic model that calls for a bidirectional, iterative set of core activities…

In "Educational Pluralism and Democracy," education policy expert Ashley Rogers Berner envisions a K-12 education system that serves both the individual and the common good. Calling for education reform that will enable US public schools to fulfill the longstanding promise of American education, Berner proposes a radical reimagining of…

Accountability, a cornerstone of contemporary education policy, is increasingly characterized by external monitoring and an emphasis on outcomes or results. Largely absent in discussions of accountability are the voices of stakeholders who work, learn, and teach in schools and other educational institutions. This article highlights the critical…

The administrative systems of universities attest to a shift towards more managerial forms of leadership. This article outlines how strategic management was introduced in Finland in the 2000s and how this led to a significant de-democratisation of the university organisations, despite academic communities' resistance and explicit preference for…

While the teaching of controversial issues has generally been supported by schools and education scholars, new laws and public outcry have impacted whether and how controversial issues are taught. Calls to ban or limit teaching of controversial issues have largely been spurred by conservative parents, policymakers, and political groups. Some…

In this essay, Sarah Stitzlein describes the democratic potential of parents choosing to opt out of school testing, explaining how they ought to engage in political dissent to best fulfill their responsibilities as citizens and to practice democracy on behalf of children and schools. Parents' decisions to opt out are often based on rights claims…

In recent times, education policy and reform discourses have become increasingly politicised by neo-liberalism, with critical policy methodologies struggling to catch up. Critical policy sociologists have noted that critical commentaries rarely succeed in changing or impacting dominant education policy pathways. This article presents a framework…

NAME declared, "… we must all rise up against the current tide of white supremacy to defend multicultural education." Yet, fearful educators omit curriculum and conversations deemed 'divisive.' In response to these challenges posed by white supremacy and the consequential pressure on educators to avoid "divisive" topics, this…

Academic freedom and institutional autonomy are among the fundamental values of higher education. In Europe, they underpin the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which was established in 1999, a decade after the launch of the profound changes in central and eastern Europe and slightly over two decades after the adoption of the Magna Charta…