Democracy Is an 'Idea,' Not a Recipe
Deborah Meier continues her conversation with Michael J. Petrilli today.
Dear Mike,
The two are inextricably connected: democratic education and education for democracy. But, you are right; they are not necessarily the same. Example: If my agenda were first and foremost to produce a generation of good carpenters, I'd be sure students were immersed in a culture of craftsmanship, keeping company with masters of the craft. It's no wonder that so many musicians come from families of musicians, etc. It might be different if I were interested in providing carpentry or music as an "add on"—like a good civics course. Agreed?
If this is true of carpentry or musicianship, the same goes for the arts and craft of democracy. Defining the D-word is hard to do in words, all the more reason then to go beyond words.
The kind of give-and-take it requires to maintain an adult community of equals, respect for the need to make compromises, to negotiate, to be open to the possibility of ... being wrong are not innate. Not to mention the shifting alliances needed to keep the whole thing aloft. Our schools can be labs for learning all of the above, or we can hope these lessons are learned somewhere else ...?
So, if democracy is something that we want to pass on to the next generation, at the very least young people should be surrounded by adults who are practicing democracy among themselves. How they operate as citizens of a school community carries a lesson in
