Chapter 5: Central Academy: Living a Democratic Framework

The long history of the vital connection between public school and a democracy continues to find expression in contemporary progressive schools. Progressive educators believe democracy is more than the process of voting or an individual’s right to make choices. Students do not learn to live and participate in a democracy simply by reading about their constitution and legislative processes; they learn about democracy in democratically run schools. At their core, democratic educators believe democracy is an idea of how people live together. Political/social democracies put a premium on the dignity of all people and for caring about the welfare of others, the common good. Everyone has the right to just and equitable treatment, to be able to become fully informed, to pursue personal growth, and to have a say about what matters. Everyone has the obligation to be well informed, to collaborate, and to promote the general welfare of the larger society (Beane, 2005), that is, to develop the intellectual and social capacities to work together for a just and equitable society.