Free the Children (book)
| Author | Allen Graubard |
|---|---|
| Subject | Free school movement |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
Publication date | 1972 |
| Pages | 306 |
Free the Children: Radical Reform and the Free School Movement is the first book-length account of the free school movement written by Allen Graubard and published by Pantheon Books in 1972.
Contents
The "free" in free schools refers to pedagogy and not tuition. In this distinction, he includes both community-controlled schools run by racial minorities and bohemian "vegetarian geodesic dome schools".[1]
The book contains five chapters and covers a range of topics related to free schools including their philosophies, prominent examples, curricular questions, and contemplation of their usefulness to society.[1]
Graubard begins with the premise that American public education had been inadequate, as of the late 1960s, following the arguments of
Graubard then discusses schools through the perspectives of students and teachers—their breakthroughs and breakdowns.[1] The author contends that a school's format alone—such as its emphasis on friendly cooperation, free expression, student initiative—does not ensure an enriching education.[2] He also explores negative aspects of free schools, such as situations in which children received little adult guidance and in which communal, consensus-based governance became overly dramatic and personally vindictive. Graubard also notes how working-class and black parents did not trust consensus governance, preferring instead the clear rules that middle-class parents found too restrictive.[3]
While schools may exhibit social maladies, Graubard believes that the society and not the school is responsible for solving them.[1] Thus, reform efforts should not be limited to schools and pedagogy. Efforts to "humanize the public schools", he holds, will conflict with "the fundamental social realities—the sickness of American society".[4] Graubard also acknowledges that public schools will be resistant to the changes proposed in free schools.[5]
Reception
Harvard Educational Review's reviewer found Graubard's treatment of community–staff conflict to be sparse, and questioned whether the author appreciated the plight of good-intentioned but limited public school teachers.[3]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f White 1973, p. 445.
- ^ White 1973, pp. 445–446.
- ^ a b White 1973, p. 446.
- ^ White 1973, p. 447.
- ^ White 1973, p. 448.
References
- Buckley Jr., James J. (April 21, 1973). "Free the Children: Radical Reform and the Free School Movement/Facts & Feelings in the Classroom". EBSCOhost 35957996.
- Burk, Anne M. (December 15, 1972). "Rev. of Free the Children by Allen Graubard". ISSN 0363-0277.
- Fantini, Mario D. (March 1973). "Testing Time (Rev. of Free the Children by Allen Graubard)". EBSCOhost.
- Gross, Ronald (March 25, 1973). "Rev. of Free the Children by Allen Graubard". ProQuest 119640185.
- Hopkins, Richard. L. (1973). "Rev. of Free the Children by Allen Graubard". Educational Studies. 4 (2): 105. EBSCOhost 7563120.
- Justus, Hope (February 4, 1973). "Following Rousseau to Freer Education (Rev. of Free the Children)". ProQuest 169256260.
- ISSN 0028-7504.
- "Learning from Their Errors (Rev. of Free the Children by Allen Graubard)". EBSCOhost 519712706.
- Lefcourt, Robert (March 1973). "Free the Children: Radical Reform and the Free School Movement, by Allen Graubard (Book Review)". Social Policy. 3 (6): 77–80. ProQuest 1295921689.
- Lister, Ian (May 17, 1973). "Beyond Belief (Rev. of Free the Children by Allen Graubard)". ProQuest 1307092505.
- "Rev. of Free the Children by Allen Graubard". ISSN 0009-4978.
- "Rev. of Free the Children by Allen Graubard". Education Digest. 38 (5): 69–70. January 1973. EBSCOhost 18619562.
- White, George Abbott (August 1973). "Beyond Reconstruction?". EBSCOhost 519701547.
External links
- Full text at the Internet Archive
