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Alternatives to Public Education: A Disruptive Force Reshaping the Learning Landscape
By Dr. Eleanor Vance, PhD in Educational Psychology & former Dean of Curriculum Development at the University of California, Berkeley
Published by EduTech Insights, a leading publisher of research and analysis on educational technology and innovation.
Edited by Mark Johnson, MA in Education Policy & experienced editor with over 15 years of experience in educational publishing.
Summary: This article explores the burgeoning field of alternatives to public education, examining various models, their implications for the education industry, and the potential benefits and drawbacks for students and society. We delve into the driving forces behind this trend and analyze its potential impact on the future of learning.
1. The Rise of Alternatives to Public Education:
The traditional public school system, while a cornerstone of many societies, faces increasing scrutiny. Rising costs, standardized testing pressures, and a perceived lack of personalization are fueling a significant movement towards alternatives to public education. Parents are increasingly seeking educational options that better align with their children's individual needs, learning styles, and values. This demand has led to a diverse landscape of alternatives, each with its own unique philosophy and approach.
2. Exploring the Diverse Spectrum of Alternatives:
Alternatives to public education encompass a broad range of models, including:
Homeschooling: This option provides parents with complete control over their children's education, allowing for customized curricula and a flexible learning environment. However, it requires significant parental commitment and resources.
Unschooling: A more radical approach, unschooling emphasizes learning through experience and child-led exploration, rather than structured curricula. It prioritizes self-directed learning and fostering a love of learning.
Microschools: These smaller, independent schools offer a more personalized learning environment with lower student-to-teacher ratios. They often cater to specific educational philosophies or learning styles.
Charter Schools: Publicly funded but independently operated, charter schools offer a greater degree of autonomy in curriculum development and teaching methods. However, their effectiveness varies significantly.
Private Schools: These schools, funded by tuition fees, offer a range of educational approaches and often boast smaller class sizes and enhanced facilities. However, they are typically more expensive and may not be accessible to all families.
Online Schools: These virtual schools provide flexible learning options, often catering to students with unique needs or geographical limitations. However, concerns remain regarding social interaction and engagement.
Montessori Schools: Based on the Montessori method, these schools emphasize self-directed activity, hands-on learning, and collaborative play. They focus on developing independence and a love of learning.
Waldorf Schools: Inspired by Rudolf Steiner's philosophy, Waldorf schools emphasize holistic development, artistic expression, and a nurturing learning environment. They prioritize imaginative play and experiential learning.
Democratic Schools: These schools empower students to participate in decision-making processes, fostering self-governance and collaborative learning.
3. Implications for the Education Industry:
The rise of alternatives to public education presents significant implications for the education industry. Traditional public schools are facing declining enrollment and increased competition. This necessitates a reevaluation of teaching methods, curriculum development, and resource allocation. The industry must adapt to meet the changing demands of parents and students, potentially through increased personalization, flexible learning options, and innovative pedagogical approaches. Furthermore, the growth of alternative education models creates new market opportunities for educational technology companies, curriculum developers, and private education providers.
4. Benefits and Drawbacks of Alternatives:
Alternatives to public education offer several potential benefits, including increased personalization, flexibility, and a greater emphasis on individual learning styles. However, drawbacks include potential inconsistencies in quality, limited access for some families due to cost or location, and the need for greater parental involvement in some models. Careful consideration of these factors is crucial when choosing an alternative education path.
5. The Future of Alternatives to Public Education:
The trend towards alternatives to public education is likely to continue. Technological advancements, increased parental awareness, and a growing desire for personalized learning will further fuel this movement. The future of education may involve a more blended approach, integrating elements of traditional schooling with innovative alternative models.
6. The Role of Technology in Shaping Alternatives:
Technology plays a crucial role in many alternatives to public education. Online learning platforms, educational apps, and personalized learning software are transforming the learning experience, offering increased flexibility and accessibility. This technological integration, however, also raises concerns about screen time, digital literacy, and equity of access.
7. Addressing the Equity Concerns:
The increased popularity of alternatives to public education raises important equity concerns. The cost of private schools, microschools, and even some homeschooling resources can create significant barriers for low-income families. Ensuring equitable access to quality education, regardless of socioeconomic status, remains a crucial challenge.
8. The Need for Regulation and Oversight:
The diverse landscape of alternatives to public education necessitates a system of regulation and oversight to ensure quality and accountability. This is particularly crucial for homeschooling and microschools, where less formal oversight may exist. Establishing clear standards and guidelines while maintaining flexibility is a key challenge for policymakers.
9. Conclusion:
The rise of alternatives to public education signifies a fundamental shift in the landscape of learning. While challenges remain in terms of equity, quality control, and industry adaptation, the increasing demand for personalized and flexible educational options is undeniable. By embracing innovation, addressing equity concerns, and fostering collaboration between traditional and alternative models, we can create a more robust and responsive education system that empowers all learners to thrive.
FAQs:
1. What are the biggest challenges facing alternatives to public education? Challenges include ensuring quality, affordability, access for all, and appropriate regulation.
2. Is homeschooling right for every family? No, homeschooling requires significant commitment and resources. It’s vital to assess your family's capabilities and the child's learning style.
3. How do I choose the right alternative for my child? Consider your child's learning style, your family's values, and the available resources. Research different options and visit schools if possible.
4. Are alternatives to public education accredited? Accreditation varies widely depending on the model. Some are accredited by state or regional agencies, while others may not be formally accredited.
5. What is the role of government in regulating alternatives? Government involvement varies widely by location but often includes some level of oversight to ensure minimum standards are met.
6. How much do alternatives to public education cost? Costs vary widely depending on the model. Homeschooling can be relatively inexpensive, while private schools can be very expensive.
7. What are the social implications of choosing alternatives? Socialization opportunities may differ from traditional schools, requiring proactive engagement by parents or the school itself.
8. Are there successful examples of alternative education models? Yes, many successful schools and homeschooling families demonstrate the effectiveness of alternative approaches.
9. How can I find out more about alternatives in my area? Online searches, local education fairs, and networking with other parents are excellent resources.
Related Articles:
1. Homeschooling: A Comprehensive Guide: This article provides a detailed overview of homeschooling, including curriculum options, legal requirements, and support resources.
2. The Unschooling Approach: Letting Children Lead Their Learning: This article explores the philosophy and practice of unschooling, highlighting its benefits and challenges.
3. Microschools: A Personalized Learning Revolution: This article examines the growing popularity of microschools and their potential to transform education.
4. Charter Schools: A Critical Analysis: This article offers a balanced perspective on charter schools, examining their successes, failures, and ongoing debates.
5. The Montessori Method: Fostering Independence and a Love of Learning: This article explains the Montessori philosophy and its impact on child development.
6. Waldorf Education: A Holistic Approach to Learning: This article explores the principles and practices of Waldorf education.
7. Democratic Schools: Empowering Students through Participation: This article delves into the philosophy and practice of democratic schools and their unique approach to learning.
8. The Impact of Technology on Alternative Education Models: This article examines how technology is transforming alternative education and its implications.
9. Choosing the Right Alternative Education Path: A Parent's Guide: This article provides practical advice and resources for parents considering alternative education options for their children.
| alternatives to public education: Helping Students Graduate Franklin Schargel, Jay Smink, 2013-10-31 This book describes the fifteen strategies identified through research reviewed by The National Dropout Prevention Center and Network at Clemson University. Each chapter in this book was written by a nationally recognized authority in that field. Research has shown that these 15 strategies have been successfully implemented in all school levels from K - 12 in rural, suburban, and urban centers; as stand-alone programs or as part of systemic school improvement plans. Helping Students Graduate: A Strategic Approach to Dropout Prevention also covers No Child Left Behind and its effects on dropout rates; Dealing with Hispanic dropouts; Differences and similarities between rural and urban dropouts. These fifteen strategies have been adopted by the U.S. Department of Education. They are applicable to all students, including students with disabilities. |
| alternatives to public education: Alternatives in Education Vernon H. Smith, Robert D. Barr, Daniel J. Burke, 1976 |
| alternatives to public education: Changing Our Minds Dr. Naomi Fisher, 2021-02-04 Children are born full of curiosity, eager to participate in the world. They learn as they live, with enthusiasm and joy. Then we send them to school. We stop them from playing and actively exploring their interests, telling them it's more important to sit still and listen. The result is that for many children, their motivation to learn drops dramatically. The joy of the early years is replaced with apathy and anxiety. This is not inevitable. We are socialised to believe that schooling is synonymous with education, but it's only one approach. Self-directed education puts the child back in control of their learning. This enables children, including those diagnosed with special educational needs, to flourish in their own time and on their own terms. It enables us to put wellbeing at the centre of education. Changing Our Minds brings together research, theory and practice on learning. It includes interviews with influential thinkers in the field of self-directed education and examples from families alongside practical advice. This essential guide will give you an understanding of why self-directed education makes sense, how it works, and what to do to put it into action yourself. |
| alternatives to public education: America's Public Schools William J. Reese, 2011-04-01 In this update to his landmark publication, William J. Reese offers a comprehensive examination of the trends, theories, and practices that have shaped America’s public schools over the last two centuries. Reese approaches this subject along two main lines of inquiry—education as a means for reforming society and ongoing reform within the schools themselves. He explores the roots of contemporary educational policies and places modern battles over curriculum, pedagogy, race relations, and academic standards in historical perspective. A thoroughly revised epilogue outlines the significant challenges to public school education within the last five years. Reese analyzes the shortcomings of “No Child Left Behind” and the continued disjuncture between actual school performance and the expectations of government officials. He discusses the intrusive role of corporations, economic models for enticing better teacher performance, the continued impact of conservatism, and the growth of home schooling and charter schools. Informed by a breadth of historical scholarship and based squarely on primary sources, this volume remains the standard text for future teachers and scholars of education. |
| alternatives to public education: Innovating to Learn, Learning to Innovate OECD, 2008-11-03 This book summarises and discusses key findings from the learning sciences, shedding light on the cognitive and social processes that can be used to redesign classrooms to make them highly effective learning environments. |
| alternatives to public education: Public Alternative Education Timothy Wallace Young, 1990-01-01 |
| alternatives to public education: Schools for Growth Lois Holzman, 2016-05-06 A passionate deconstruction and reconstruction of learning, development, and schooling that urges teachers to explore and create new educational opportunities for themselves and their students, Schools for Growth: Radical Alternatives to Current Educational Models asks the following questions: Can we create ways for people to learn the kinds of things that are necessary for functional adaptation without stifling their capacity to continuously create their growth? Can schools become environments that support children to perform not only as learners but as developers of their lives? This book challenges educators to look at the deeply-rooted assumptions about schooling, learning, and development and urges that the way psychology and education have constructed our conceptions of what it means to teach, to learn, and to grow may be the most serious impediment to the learning and developing of children. Beyond the criticism, the author presents an original methodological reformation of what learning and development are as relational activities and then takes readers on a visit to three radical independent school settings. Arguing that current educational models have been misguided by scientific psychology, the author states that the dominant model of human development actually hinders development. Moreover, as learning theory has become infused with developmental theory over the past 30 years, the overly cognitive manner in which psychologists have come to think about thinking, learning, and development has become further insinuated into education. Both theories--learning and developmental--fail o recognize the human capacity for relational-revolutionary activity and for performance. The prevalent mode of education--acquisitional learning--is grounded in a world view that gives primacy to knowledge and knowing which Holzman believes is inconsistent with ongoing developmental activity. The author focuses on developmental learning--a social constructionist, activity-theoretic conception of development which includes a transformation and synthesis of Vygotsky and philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. She also discusses educational projects that are self-conscious attempts to break with key elements of modern epistemology and the dominant psychological paradigm as they are perpetrated in contemporary educational theory and practice. Their specific philosophies and practices highlight important methodological issues raised in the attempt to create postmodern schools--schools more concerned with growing than knowing. |
| alternatives to public education: Alternatives to Exclusion from School Pamela Munn, Mairi Ann Cullen, Gwynedd Lloyd, 2000-04-28 Exclusion from school is a major concern for teachers, parents and children, and features in government initiatives to tackle social exclusion. This book takes a broad look at exclusion, mapping the extent of exclusions and showing what factors can lead to children being excluded, whether permanently or informally, from school. The authors focus on various kinds of in-school alternatives to exclusion. They show how schools and teachers can make a difference to young people’s emotional and social development, as well as to their cognitive-intellectual development. For many children with difficulties in their families or communities, school can be a safe and supportive refuge. School is also much more than just the subjects |
| alternatives to public education: How Children Fail John Holt, 1995-09-04 First published in the mid 1960s, How Children Fail began an education reform movement that continues today. In his 1982 edition, John Holt added new insights into how children investigate the world, into the perennial problems of classroom learning, grading, testing, and into the role of the trust and authority in every learning situation. His understanding of children, the clarity of his thought, and his deep affection for children have made both How Children Fail and its companion volume, How Children Learn, enduring classics. |
| alternatives to public education: School is Dead Everett Reimer, 1973 |
| alternatives to public education: Public Schools, Public Menace Joel Turtel, 2005-03 The book explains why public schools are a menace to our children and waste their precious time. The book also shows why public schools are beyond repair, and simply cannot give children the education they need and deserve The author reveals how public schools cripple children's ability to read and indoctrinate innocent children with anti-parent, anti-American, and anti-Judeo-Christian values. The books also explores why public-school authorities now pressure millions of parents to give their children mind-altering drugs like Ritalin. The good news is that parents don't have to put up with a third-rate, mind-numbing public-school education for their kids any longer. The author gives parents a wealth of practical advice, strategies, and resources about quality, low-cost education alternatives parents can use to give their kids a great education, if they decide to take their kids out of public school. He gives detailed lists of quality, low-cost Internet schools, teaching books, and home-schooling resources parents can use to give their kids a great education. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, syndicated radio talk-show host said about Public Schools, Public Menace that , This book is a must read for every parent . . . |
| alternatives to public education: The Teenage Liberation Handbook Grace Llewellyn, 1998 An estimated 700,000 American children are now taught at home. This book tells teens how to take control of their lives and get a real life. Young people can reclaim their natural ability to teach themselves and design a personalized education program. Grace Llewellyn explains the entire process, from making the decision to quit school, to discovering the learning opportunities available. |
| alternatives to public education: The War Against America's Public Schools Gerald Watkins Bracey, 2002 Bracey, a research psychologist and author, summarizes the various types of experiments being done today in the United States to try to reform public education, including charter schools, privately run schools, the voucher system, and commercializing schools with corporate contracts, He also examines certain myths about public education such as the correlation between money and outcomes, and the idea that more hours in school will result in higher test scores. c. Book News Inc. |
| alternatives to public education: Public Vs. Private Robert N. Gross, 2018 Americans choose from a dizzying array of schools, loosely categorized as public and private. How did these distinctions emerge, and what do they tell us about the relationship in the United States between public authority and private enterprise? Challenged by the rise of Catholic and other parochial schools in the nineteenth century, states sought to protect the public school monopoly through regulation. Ultimately, however, Robert N. Gross shows how the public policies that resulted produced a stable educational marketplace, where choice flourished. |
| alternatives to public education: The Public School Advantage Christopher A. Lubienski, Sarah Theule Lubienski, 2013-11-07 Nearly the whole of America’s partisan politics centers on a single question: Can markets solve our social problems? And for years this question has played out ferociously in the debates about how we should educate our children. From the growth of vouchers and charter schools to the implementation of No Child Left Behind, policy makers have increasingly turned to market-based models to help improve our schools, believing that private institutions—because they are competitively driven—are better than public ones. With The Public School Advantage, Christopher A. and Sarah Theule Lubienski offer powerful evidence to undercut this belief, showing that public schools in fact outperform private ones. For decades research showing that students at private schools perform better than students at public ones has been used to promote the benefits of the private sector in education, including vouchers and charter schools—but much of these data are now nearly half a century old. Drawing on two recent, large-scale, and nationally representative databases, the Lubienskis show that any benefit seen in private school performance now is more than explained by demographics. Private schools have higher scores not because they are better institutions but because their students largely come from more privileged backgrounds that offer greater educational support. After correcting for demographics, the Lubienskis go on to show that gains in student achievement at public schools are at least as great and often greater than those at private ones. Even more surprising, they show that the very mechanism that market-based reformers champion—autonomy—may be the crucial factor that prevents private schools from performing better. Alternatively, those practices that these reformers castigate, such as teacher certification and professional reforms of curriculum and instruction, turn out to have a significant effect on school improvement. Despite our politics, we all agree on the fundamental fact: education deserves our utmost care. The Public School Advantage offers exactly that. By examining schools within the diversity of populations in which they actually operate, it provides not ideologies but facts. And the facts say it clearly: education is better off when provided for the public by the public. |
| alternatives to public education: Reinventing Public Education Paul Hill, Lawrence C. Pierce, James W. Guthrie, 2009-02-15 A heated debate is raging over our nation’s public schools and how they should be reformed, with proposals ranging from imposing national standards to replacing public education altogether with a voucher system for private schools. Combining decades of experience in education, the authors propose an innovative approach to solving the problems of our school system and find a middle ground between these extremes. Reinventing Public Education shows how contracting would radically change the way we operate our schools, while keeping them public and accessible to all, and making them better able to meet standards of achievement and equity. Using public funds, local school boards would select private providers to operate individual schools under formal contracts specifying the type and quality of instruction. In a hands-on, concrete fashion, the authors provide a thorough explanation of the pros and cons of school contracting and how it would work in practice. They show how contracting would free local school boards from operating schools so they can focus on improving educational policy; how it would allow parents to choose the best school for their children; and, finally, how it would ensure that schools are held accountable and academic standards are met. While retaining a strong public role in education, contracting enables schools to be more imaginative, adaptable, and suited to the needs of children and families. In presenting an alternative vision for America’s schools, Reinventing Public Education is too important to be ignored. |
| alternatives to public education: The School Choice Roadmap Andrew Campanella, 2020-01-21 WINNER OF THE 2020 FOREWORD INDIES GOLD AWARD IN EDUCATION WINNER OF THE SILVER IPPY AWARD FOR BEST EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES You want your children to benefit from a great education. But every student is unique. One type of school might be a great fit for your neighbor's child, but it might not work for your son or daughter. Across the country, many parents today have more choices for their children's education than ever before. If you are starting the process of finding your child's first school—or if you want to choose a new learning environment—The School Choice Roadmap is for you. This first-of-its-kind book offers a practical, jargon-free overview of school choice policies, from public school open enrollment to private school scholarships and more. It breaks down the similarities and differences between traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online public schools, private schools, and homeschooling. Most importantly, The School Choice Roadmap offers a seven-step process that will help you harness the power of your own intuition—and your own expertise about your child's uniqueness—to help you find a school that reflects your family's goals, values, and priorities. Filled with sage advice from dozens of other parents who have pursued the school search process, and interviews with school leaders and teachers, The School Choice Roadmap is an optimistic, empowering book that cuts through the confusion in K-12 education—so that you can give your children every opportunity to succeed in school and in life. |
| alternatives to public education: Safe Work in the 21st Century Institute of Medicine, Board on Health Sciences Policy, Committee to Assess Training Needs for Occupational Safety and Health Personnel in the United States, 2000-09-01 Despite many advances, 20 American workers die each day as a result of occupational injuries. And occupational safety and health (OSH) is becoming even more complex as workers move away from the long-term, fixed-site, employer relationship. This book looks at worker safety in the changing workplace and the challenge of ensuring a supply of top-notch OSH professionals. Recommendations are addressed to federal and state agencies, OSH organizations, educational institutions, employers, unions, and other stakeholders. The committee reviews trends in workforce demographics, the nature of work in the information age, globalization of work, and the revolution in health care deliveryâ€exploring the implications for OSH education and training in the decade ahead. The core professions of OSH (occupational safety, industrial hygiene, and occupational medicine and nursing) and key related roles (employee assistance professional, ergonomist, and occupational health psychologist) are profiled-how many people are in the field, where they work, and what they do. The book reviews in detail the education, training, and education grants available to OSH professionals from public and private sources. |
| alternatives to public education: Free Schools, Free People Ron Miller, 2002-07-18 The first historical account of the free school movement of the 1960s. |
| alternatives to public education: Alternatives to Privatizing Public Education and Curriculum Daniel Ness, Stephen J. Farenga, 2017-03-16 Through conversations in honor of Dale D. Johnson, this book takes a critical view of the monoculture in curriculum and policy that has developed in education with the increase of federal funding and privatization of services for public education, and examines the shift from public interest and control to private and corporate shareholder hegemony. Most states’ educational responsibilities—assessment of constituents, curriculum development, and instructional protocols—are increasingly being outsourced to private enterprises in an effort to reduce state budgets. These enterprises have been given wide access to state resources such as public data from state-sanctioned testing results, field-testing rights to public schools, and financial assistance. Chapter authors challenge this paradigm as well as the model that has set growing premiums on accountability and performance measures. Connecting common impact between the standards movement and the privatization of education, this book lays bare the repercussions of high-stakes accountability coupled with increasing privatization. Winner of The Society of Professors of Education Book Award (2018) |
| alternatives to public education: The Parents' Guide to Alternatives in Education Ronald E. Koetzsch, 1997-06-02 An in-dept guide to the full range of choices in alternative schooling, with all the information a parent needs to decide what kind of education is right for your child. |
| alternatives to public education: Public Education Myron Lieberman, 1993 In this blistering critique of our failing public schools, Lieberman explains why public education is in irreversible and terminal decline and tells what we must do to get American schooling back on track. A refreshingly clear analysis of our educational crisis and a rallying cry for market-system approaches to school reform. |
| alternatives to public education: Alternative Education V.k.rao, 2008 |
| alternatives to public education: Alternative Schools Terrence E. Deal, Robert R. Nolan, 1978 |
| alternatives to public education: Diverse Families, Desirable Schools Mira Debs, 2021-03-09 In Diverse Families, Desirable Schools, Mira Debs offers a richly detailed study of public Montessori schools, which make up the largest group of progressive schools in the public sector. As public Montessori schools expand rapidly as alternatives to traditional public schools, the story of these schools, Debs points out, is a microcosm of the broader conflicts around public school choice. Drawing on historical research, interviews with public Montessori educators, and ethnographic case studies, Debs explores the forces that pull intentionally diverse, progressive schools toward elitism. At the heart of Debs’s book is a thoughtful analysis of the notion of “fit” between parents and schools—an idea that is central to school choice, which is often marketed as an opportunity for parents to find the perfect fit for their kids. By exploring parents’ varied motivations in choosing these schools and observing how families experience—or fail to experience—a “good fit” after having chosen a particular school, Debs makes an original contribution to the literature on school choice and sheds light on the dilemmas entailed in maintaining diversity in progressive charter and magnet schools. |
| alternatives to public education: The Self-organizing Revolution Ron Miller, 2014-08-01 Ron Miller has been involved with diverse educational alternatives for more than 25 years, as a teacher, researcher, activist, editor and author. In The Self-Organizing Revolution, he reflects deeply on his experiences and observations. He identifies five core principles that are shared by various groups of educational dissidents, and explains how a grassroots movement for educational transformation, grounded in these principles, is spontaneously emerging. The Self-Organizing Revolution explores the transition from the modern institution of mass schooling to a postmodern network of diverse learning options available to all young people. Miller wrestles with the philosophical, moral, and political questions that arise with the radical proposition that public schooling as we know it has become obsolete. He cautions against simplistic models of privatization and lays out an egalitarian, democratic, socially responsible program of decentralized education. This book is a manifesto for the educational alternatives movement. Transcending the specific methodologies used by different educational approaches, and bridging the divide between conventional liberal and conservative educational policies, Miller offers a unique, powerful vision of educational transformation. |
| alternatives to public education: Education without Schools Lees, Helen E., 2013-11-08 At a time when education and school choices are under increasing scrutiny, this topical book considers education more broadly than ever before. The author, an experienced teacher and researcher, highlights what happens when parents discover that an alternative to school education exists and is legal. This under-researched topic highlights the lack of governmental interest in alternative education and also considers the human rights issues, conflation with safeguarding, the relationship of the state to education and parental education choice. Focusing on the discovery of elective home education (EHE) in England as a case study for new and necessary arguments, the ideas discussed are also relevant internationally. The book considers the global fact of education as not just mainstream schooling, but how the dominance of schooling has affected our ability to conceive of education as diverse and different. This thought-provoking book will appeal to academic, teaching and policy-making audiences. |
| alternatives to public education: Radical Education and the Common School Michael Fielding, Peter Moss, 2010-12-16 What is education, what is it for and what are its fundamental values? How do we understand knowledge and learning? What is our image of the child and the school? How does the ever more pressing need to develop a more just, creative and sustainable democratic society affect our responses to these questions? Addressing these fundamental issues, Fielding and Moss contest the current mainstream dominated by markets and competition, instrumentality and standardisation, managerialism and technical practice. They argue instead for a radical education with democracy as a fundamental value, care as a central ethic, a person-centred education that is education in the broadest sense, and an image of a child rich in potential. Radical education, they say, should be practiced in the ‘common school’, a school for all children in its local catchment area, age-integrated, human scale, focused on depth of learning and based on team working. A school understood as a public space for all citizens, a collective workshop of many purposes and possibilities, and a person-centred learning community, working closely with other schools and with local authorities. The book concludes by examining how we might bring such transformation about. Written by two of the leading experts in the fields of early childhood and secondary education, the book covers a wide vista of education for children and young people. Vivid examples from different stages of education are used to explore the full meaning of radical democratic education and the common school and how they can work in practice. It connects rich thinking and experiences from the past and present to offer direction and hope for the future. It will be of interest and inspiration to all who care about education - teachers and students, academics and policy makers, parents and politicians. |
| alternatives to public education: The Wiley Handbook of School Choice Robert A. Fox, Nina K. Buchanan, 2017-05-01 The Wiley Handbook of School Choice presents a comprehensive collection of original essays addressing the wide range of alternatives to traditional public schools available in contemporary US society. A comprehensive collection of the latest research findings on school choices in the US, including charter schools, magnet schools, school vouchers, home schooling, private schools, and virtual schools Viewpoints of both advocates and opponents of each school choice provide balanced examinations and opinions Perspectives drawn from both established researchers and practicing professionals in the U.S. and abroad and from across the educational spectrum gives a holistic outlook Includes thorough coverage of the history of traditional education in the US, its current state, and predictions for the future of each alternative school choice |
| alternatives to public education: The Transformation of Title IX R. Shep Melnick, 2018-03-06 One civil rights-era law has reshaped American society—and contributed to the country's ongoing culture wars Few laws have had such far-reaching impact as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Intended to give girls and women greater access to sports programs and other courses of study in schools and colleges, the law has since been used by judges and agencies to expand a wide range of antidiscrimination policies—most recently the Obama administration’s 2016 mandates on sexual harassment and transgender rights. In this comprehensive review of how Title IX has been implemented, Boston College political science professor R. Shep Melnick analyzes how interpretations of equal educational opportunity have changed over the years. In terms accessible to non-lawyers, Melnick examines how Title IX has become a central part of legal and political campaigns to correct gender stereotypes, not only in academic settings but in society at large. Title IX thus has become a major factor in America's culture wars—and almost certainly will remain so for years to come. |
| alternatives to public education: Drawdown Paul Hawken, 2017-04-18 • New York Times bestseller • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the Drawdown book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts, Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world. |
| alternatives to public education: Raising Free People Akilah S. Richards, 2020-11-01 No one is immune to the byproducts of compulsory schooling and standardized testing. And while reform may be a worthy cause for some, it is not enough for countless others still trying to navigate the tyranny of what schooling has always been. Raising Free People argues that we need to build and work within systems truly designed for any human to learn, grow, socialize, and thrive, regardless of age, ability, background, or access to money. Families and conscious organizations across the world are healing generations of school wounds by pivoting into self-directed, intentional community-building, and Raising Free People shows you exactly how unschooling can help facilitate this process. Individual experiences influence our approach to parenting and education, so we need more than the rules, tools, and “bad adult” guilt trips found in so many parenting and education books. We need to reach behind our behaviors to seek and find our triggers; to examine and interrupt the ways that social issues such as colonization still wreak havoc on our ability to trust ourselves, let alone children. Raising Free People explores examples of the transition from school or homeschooling to unschooling, how single parents and people facing financial challenges unschool successfully, and the ways unschooling allows us to address generational trauma and unlearn the habits we mindlessly pass on to children. In these detailed and unabashed stories and insights, Richards examines the ways that her relationships to blackness, decolonization, and healing work all combine to form relationships and enable community-healing strategies rooted in an unschooling practice. This is how millions of families center human connection, practice clear and honest communication, and raise children who do not grow up to feel that they narrowly survived their childhoods. |
| alternatives to public education: Drive Daniel H. Pink, 2011-04-05 The New York Times bestseller that gives readers a paradigm-shattering new way to think about motivation from the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live. |
| alternatives to public education: School's Over Jerry Mintz, 2017-07-24 In School's Over: How to Have Freedom & Democracy in Education, Jerry Mintz outlines the components of successful democratic schools and how these schools change the lives of those involved. He shares memories from his journeys around the globe and conversations with many well-known leaders. Foreword by NY Times bestselling author Sir Ken Robinson |
| alternatives to public education: Alternative Schools Brenda Edgerton Conley, 2002-11-22 An examination of the growth and development of alternative schools in American society and their role in the public school environment. In Alternative Schools: A Reference Handbook, educator Brenda Edgerton Conley surveys the emerging alternatives to our conventional educational system—a system that is not only costly, but ineffective for many children. In a resource aimed at a broad audience—school administrators, politicians, and, most important, parents—Conley offers both a historical and a present-day perspective on alternative educational programs. What sets the alternative education movement apart, she argues, is its acknowledgment that we all learn differently. That knowledge has given rise to an explosion of exciting alternatives—from open schools to home schooling, from charter schools to church schools. These alternative schools are smaller and less bureaucratic, more responsive to the community, and more receptive to change. |
| alternatives to public education: Home Education Guide Donna R. Fisher, 1995 |
| alternatives to public education: Getting Smart Tom Vander Ark, 2011-09-20 A comprehensive look at the promise and potential of online learning In our digital age, students have dramatically new learning needs and must be prepared for the idea economy of the future. In Getting Smart, well-known global education expert Tom Vander Ark examines the facets of educational innovation in the United States and abroad. Vander Ark makes a convincing case for a blend of online and onsite learning, shares inspiring stories of schools and programs that effectively offer personal digital learning opportunities, and discusses what we need to do to remake our schools into smart schools. Examines the innovation-driven world, discusses how to combine online and onsite learning, and reviews smart tools for learning Investigates the lives of learning professionals, outlines the new employment bargain, examines online universities and smart schools Makes the case for smart capital, advocates for policies that create better learning, studies smart cultures |
| alternatives to public education: Alternative Schooling and School Choice Allan G. Osborne, Jr., Gerald M. Cattaro, Charles J. Russo, 2012-09-06 Written and signed by experts in the field, this volume in the point/counterpoint Debating Issues in American Education reference series tackles the topic of alternative schooling and school choice, offering an illustrated overview of the topic as well as providing resources for further study. |
| alternatives to public education: Alternative Universities David J. Staley, 2019-03-26 Imagining the universities of the future. How can we re-envision the university? Too many examples of what passes for educational innovation today—MOOCs especially—focus on transactions, on questions of delivery. In Alternative Universities, David J. Staley argues that modern universities suffer from a poverty of imagination about how to reinvent themselves. Anyone seeking innovation in higher education today should concentrate instead, he says, on the kind of transformational experience universities enact. In this exercise in speculative design, Staley proposes ten models of innovation in higher education that expand our ideas of the structure and scope of the university, suggesting possibilities for what its future might look like. What if the university were designed around a curriculum of seven broad cognitive skills or as a series of global gap year experiences? What if, as a condition of matriculation, students had to major in three disparate subjects? What if the university placed the pursuit of play well above the acquisition and production of knowledge? By asking bold What if? questions, Staley assumes that the university is always in a state of becoming and that there is not one idea of the university to which all institutions must aspire. This book specifically addresses those engaged in university strategy—university presidents, faculty, policy experts, legislators, foundations, and entrepreneurs—those involved in what Simon Marginson calls university making. Pairing a critique tempered to our current moment with an explanation of how change and disruption might contribute to a new golden age for higher education, Alternative Universities is an audacious and essential read. |
| alternatives to public education: All of Us with Wings Michelle Ruiz Keil, 2019-06-18 This young adult fantasy debut about love, found family, and healing is “a fantastical ode to the Golden City’s postpunk era,” told through the eyes of a Mexican-American girl (Entertainment Weekly). “Complex and beautiful, blending folklore, San Franciscan history, the music scene, vampires, magic . . . hard to put down.” —School Library Journal Seventeen-year-old Xochi is alone in San Francisco, running from her painful past: the mother who abandoned her, the man who betrayed her. Then one day, she meets Pallas, a precocious twelve-year-old who lives with her rockstar family in one of the city’s storybook Victorians. Xochi accepts a position as Pallas’s live-in governess and quickly finds her place in the girl’s tight-knit household, which operates on a free-love philosophy and easy warmth despite the band’s growing fame. But on the night of the Vernal Equinox, as a concert afterparty rages in the house below, Xochi and Pallas perform a riot-grrrl ritual in good fun, accidentally summoning a pair of ancient beings bound to avenge the wrongs of Xochi’s past. She would do anything to preserve her new life, but with the creatures determined to exact vengeance on those who’ve hurt her, no one is safe—not the family Xochi’s chosen, nor the one she left behind. |
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