Harry Boyte, whom we have criticized in Making Citizens for founding Public Achievement, invited Making Citizens author David Randall to join him and Deborah Meier in an online conversation at Education Week. We welcome the chance for discussion, and David's second contribution is now posted online—for free, but you need to register to read the article.
Here is an excerpt from his article:
Active citizenship, public work, whatever you call it, is a welcome part of public life, but it doesn't belong in our schools. Our schools and our teachers have a responsibility to be politically impartial. They should restrict the exercise of their authority to their areas of professional expertise--which by definition cannot include civic practice, since we are equally qualified to act as citizens by virtue of turning 18. A teacher who passes on expert knowledge to his students, and instills a love of that subject matter, is already acting in the public good. There isn't a better model for how to be a good citizen.
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