Description

Education Now is a clear and persuasive account of the way in which popular seventeenth- and eighteenth-century theories about the human condition formed the basis for America’s choices in the realms of politics, economics, and education. Theobald chronicles the fate of alternative, less popular ideas about the human condition—ideas that would have led to vastly different political, economic, and educational landscapes than those we experience today. This book exposes the flaws among prevalent theories and the strength of those alternatives that were dismissed or ignored. In so doing, Theobald points the way toward substantive changes across three dimensions ubiquitous to human life: politics, economics, and education.

• More than any other single source, Education Now reveals the interconnections between societal choices in the area of government, economics, and education.
• Clearly demonstrates that, contrary to popular perception, the answers to questions regarding education are fundamentally more significant to society than questions regarding politics and economics.
• Shows that the perspective available to us in the twenty-first century reveals serious shortcomings in the assumptions made by earlier political, economic, and educational decision makers.
• Is the story of how pathbreaking ideas are embraced or dismissed, and how the choice to embrace or dismiss them has created the present we now know and the future we might create.

Author Info

Paul Theobald holds the Woods-Beals Chair in Urban and Rural Education at Buffalo State College. He has published widely in the area of community-based and place-based education and is author of Teaching the Commons: Place, Pride, and the Renewal of Community (Westview 1997).

Reviews

“Educator Paul Theobald has drawn lessons from the founding fathers of our republic and the insightful analysts who have followed in putting before the reader assumptions necessary to develop the culture we could and should create. His book is a highly readable primer, a guide to renewing and sustaining the American democracy.”
—John I. Goodlad, President, Institute for Educational Inquiry, Seattle, Washington

“Education Now reminds us that the connections between schooling, political culture, and the economy have a history—and that this history matters. Paul Theobald has crafted a lucid, accessible, and historically grounded analysis that boldly reaffirms the promise of democracy, community, participation, and education. Ultimately, this book provides hope for those who still believe that schools and society can serve nobler ends than they currently do.”
—Todd Dinkelman, University of Georgia