Brief Introduction
Explore the pluses and minuses of new approaches to saving schoolsCourse Summary
Explore the history, politics, and policy of education in the United States with this comprehensive course. Learn about the challenges facing the American education system and how to address them.Key Learning Points
- Understand the history of education in the United States
- Examine the politics of education and its impact on policy
- Learn about the challenges facing the American education system
Related Topics for further study
- Education Policy
- American Education System
- Challenges in Education
- History of Education
- Education Politics
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the history and politics of education in the United States
- Identify the challenges facing the American education system
- Develop strategies to address these challenges
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- Basic understanding of American history and politics
- Interest in education policy and reform
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online
- Self-paced
- Video lectures
Similar Courses
- The Politics of Education
- Education Reform: An Overview
- Education Policy in Developing Countries
Related Education Paths
Notable People in This Field
- Diane Ravitch
- Linda Darling-Hammond
Related Books
Description
Course description
The first part of this course seeks to explore how a school system, once the envy of the world, stumbled so that, in 2012, the performance in math, science, and reading of US students at age 15 fell below that of students in a majority of the world's industrialized nations. Examining the history and politics of US education, we identify the personalities and historical forces—progressivism, racial desegregation, legalization, and collective bargaining—that shaped and re-shaped US school politics and policy. Subsequent sections of the course seek answers to a second question: What are the best ways of lifting the performance of American schools to a higher level? To explore these questions, we look at ideas and proposals of those who want to save our schools—either by reforming the teaching profession, holding schools accountable, or giving families more school choices. By speaking with reform proponents and independent experts, we capture the intensity of the current debate. In the end, we do not find any silver bullets that can magically lift schools to a new level of performance, but we do pinpoint the pluses and minuses of many new approaches to saving schools under consideration today.
