From Disagreement to Discourse

Education has never been non-partisan. Buffeted by economic, political, and social influences, education, educators, and various stakeholders have taken sides to provide institutionalized instruction to child and adult learners. Instruction that is right or wrong, ethical or unethical, just or unjust, can be just that, depending on where one’s education and schooling takes place in the world. Education alone can be construed as a first step towards indoctrination into a community and nation’s way of life. Despite divergent views, the ultimate goal of serving students has remained paramount. At the same time, the work of educators has placed them at the forefront of numerous debates and controversies that have beset the profession. The process of informing oneself professionally and personally in the midst of such educational deliberations may not be an easy task, but may be a necessary one given the impact of one’s decisions and stances on learners. This book focuses on contemporary and critical topics of debate that educators face in American educational settings. The book’s distinctiveness rests on its Socratic approach to the content. Each chapter begins with the examination of an issue of interest and concludes with a series of related questions. Readers are asked to ponder the materials individually and with others to enable all to draw their own conclusions. This book will interest and benefit educational professionals along all points in their professional careers from new professionals and students-in-training to those with extensive experiences across educational disciplines.