There is a lack of consensus in our society about the educational mission of our schools because society itself is in a period of transition about its own values, and this uncertainty translates to what it wants its schools to do. Also researchers in education have avoided topics that might help to inform public debate on educational matters,…

The relationship between the values of society as reflected by the education system is considered with particular emphasis upon the difficulty faced by educators when social values are confused and ambiguous. It is pointed out that the primary task for schools is to produce literate citizens, able to read, write, manipulate symbols, and develop…

Three principal concerns underlie the Harvard Graduate School of Education philosophy: participation in debate about what the role of education in society ought to be, engagement in research to inform and improve educational practices, and increased efforts to understand and improve schools. These approaches resolve current reactionary trends in…

Educational purpose, policy, and practice in America have changed in important ways since World War II. For example, there have been three time periods with different educational purposes during the last forty years. For each of these periods, there were implicit assumptions made about why we educate, how we educate and where we educate. The first…

Analyses expectations for U.S. public schools since the turn of the century. Considers families, ethnicity and race, poverty, child care, health, television, and employment. Describes experiences and problems of children and families; offers reasons why public education has problems; and discusses a current philosophy of attendance, access, and…