A very readable book that includes dozens of excerpts from novels, biographies, memoirs, lectures, essays, plays, poetry, and songs, this anthology provides readers with a broad range of opinions, scenarios, and perspectives on education. It examines diversity beyond race, religion, and ethnicity, and addresses a wide range of topics and issues, especially controversial events, movements, and mandates. Interviews, dramatizations, and debates help subjects come alive, making the selections more meaningful. The selections are divided into six important themes: history, philosophy, politics and sociology of education, the nature of schools, and the teaching profession. Each section begins with an illustration from a Norman Rockwell painting, helping readers visualize that theme. An obvious choice for educators, this book is also an excellent read for anyone interested in the social and historical trends in education.
Chartock is professor of education at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She taught social studies for fifteen years at Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington, MA.
Roselle Kline Chartock is professor emerita of education at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Massachusetts. She is co-editor of an anthology on the Nazi holocaust and author of two education texts. After forty-five years of teaching on all levels, Chartock is now an artist and writer and lives with her family in the Berkshire Hills.