One of my frustrations right now is what I feel is a thin and destructive dialogue about public education in our country. Much of the dialogue is from a deficit model — "How do we fix broken schools?" — without ever recognizing the incredible work that happens in schools all over the country every day. Worse, the "fix" that is being advocated is often more reductive than what we currently offer – a focus on tested subjects, a focus on "work-ready" skills that ignores the civic needs of a nation. We look to the edu-capitalists to solve our problem at a time when, dare we suggest, the morality of the market should not be the model for school.

It is in that context that I read Why School by Mike Rose. There are moments in reading when I engage in what I call "Cheer Reading." Rose speaks the words of the rich power of schooling while recognizing how far we have to go to reach the potential of education in this country. More than that, he dares us to imagine a vision of school that enriches students and teachers alike… that sees the civic value of teaching all students… that sees the worth of all who inhabit our schools. He does it while urging us toward a better dialogue about school in this country… as he writes:

If we are a nation divided, we are also a nation yearning for new ways to frame old issues, for a robust language of schooling and civic life. Public education demands a capacious critique, one that encourages both dissent and invention, anger and hope. We need an expanded vocabulary, adequate to the daily joy and daily sorrow of our public schools. And we are in desperate need of rich, detailed imagines of possibility.

I could not agree more — we need an open and honest discussion of what we dream of school… of where we succeed and where we fail. Rose’s book – Why School – is a fantastic and necessary frame for the discussion.

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