Author: David Labaree

David F. Labaree is Lee L. Jacks Professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education and a professor (by courtesy) in history. His research focuses on the historical sociology of American schooling, including topics such as the evolution of high schools, the growth of consumerism, the origins and nature of education schools, and the role of schools in promoting access and advantage more than subject-matter learning. He was president of the History of Education Society and member of the executive board of the American Educational Research Association. His books include: The Making of an American High School (Yale, 1988); How to Succeed in School Without Really Learning: The Credentials Race in American Education (Yale, 1997); The Trouble with Ed Schools (Yale University Press, 2004); Someone Has to Fail: The Zero-Sum Game of Public Schooling (Harvard, 2010); and A Perfect Mess: The Unlikely Ascendancy of American Higher Education (Chicago, 2017).

Paul Fussell — “Thank God for the Atom Bomb”

by David Labaree, posted in History, War

This post is a stunning essay by Paul Fussell published in The New Republic in 1981.  Here's a link to a PDF of the original. On August 2, we observed the 76th anniversary of the atom bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.  In light of that, it seems like a good time to revisit the debate about … Continue reading Paul Fussell — “Thank God for the Atom Bomb”

Doctoral Dysfunction

by David Labaree, posted in Graduate school, Liberal democracy, Scholarship

This piece was published in Inside Higher Ed in June, 2020.  Here’s a link to the original.  It speaks for itself.  It also appears in my new book, Being a Scholar: Reflections on Doctoral Study, Scholarly Writing, and Academic Life. DOCTORAL DYSFUNCTION Many doctoral students today are tending to fall into one of two disturbing categories: academic … Continue reading Doctoral Dysfunction

Becca Rothfeld — A Philosopher’s Case for Living Playfully Without Keeping Score

by David Labaree, posted in Measurement, Meritocracy, School reform, Schooling, Statistics

This post is a review essay by Becca Rothfeld published recently in the Washington Post.  Here's a link to the original. The review focuses on the book The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game, by the philosopher C. Thi Nguyen.  The latter is a connoisseur of games, who appreciate how the rule-bound metrics of … Continue reading Becca Rothfeld — A Philosopher’s Case for Living Playfully Without Keeping Score

The Chronic Failure of Curriculum Reform

by David Labaree, posted in Curriculum, History of education, School reform

This post is about an issue I wrestled with for years, namely why reforming schools in the U.S. is so difficult.  I eventually wrote a book on the subject, Someone Has to Fail: The Zero-Sum Game of Public Schooling, which was published in 2010.  But you may not need to read it if you look at … Continue reading The Chronic Failure of Curriculum Reform

Marie Newhouse — The Campus Civility Collapse

by David Labaree, posted in Academic Life, Culture, Higher Education, History, Philosophy

This post is an essay by Marie Newhouse recently published in the Chronicle of Higher Education.  Here's a link to the original.  She is an associate professor of law, philosophy, and public policy at the University of Surrey and a visiting fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. She provides a … Continue reading Marie Newhouse — The Campus Civility Collapse

The Problem of Public Schools in a Liberal Democracy: Insights from Albert Hirschman’s “Exit, Voice, and Loyalty”

by David Labaree, posted in Democracy, Markets, Politics, School organization, Schooling

Exit, Voice, and Loyalty – a book you can't get out of your head – was written by Albert Hirschman, a political economist and total mensch (read his obituary). I find that his framework is immensely useful in thinking about schools. The core argument is that political and economic organizations are responsive to different kinds … Continue reading The Problem of Public Schools in a Liberal Democracy: Insights from Albert Hirschman’s “Exit, Voice, and Loyalty”

The Triumph and Tragedy of the Byzantine Empire — How It Preserved the West and Devastated the East

by David Labaree, posted in Empire, History

This post is about, of all things, the Byzantine Empire.  Unlike its western counterpart, what is usually called the Roman Empire, it has received little respect over the years.  Even the name is a calumny (drawn from the name of the original Greek city of Byzantium that later became the empire's capital, Constantinople), which was … Continue reading The Triumph and Tragedy of the Byzantine Empire — How It Preserved the West and Devastated the East

Peculiar Problems of Preparing Educational Researchers

by David Labaree, posted in Ed schools, History, Teacher education

This post is a chapter from my 2004 book, The Trouble with Ed Schools.  Here's a link to an earlier version that was published in 2003 in Educational Researcher.   I wrote this in response to my experience teaching doctoral students in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University.  Nearly all of the students … Continue reading Peculiar Problems of Preparing Educational Researchers

Steven Mintz — When Words Still Mattered: Shakespeare, Language, and the Birth of Historical Consciousness

by David Labaree, posted in Academic writing, History, Language, Literature, Writing

This post is an essay by historian Steven Mintz, recently published in his Substack.  Here's a link to the original.  I strongly recommend that you check out his posts, which are both prolific and memorable. Here he weaves together two arguments around Shakespeare's historical plays.  One is about the power of his language.  The other … Continue reading Steven Mintz — When Words Still Mattered: Shakespeare, Language, and the Birth of Historical Consciousness

Public Schools for Private Gain: The Declining American Commitment to Serving the Public Good

by David Labaree, posted in History of education, Private good, Public Good, Schooling

This post is a piece I published in Kappan in November, 2018.  Here’s a link to the original. Public schools for private gain: The declining American commitment to serving the public good When schooling comes to be viewed mainly as a source of private benefit, both schools and society suffer grave consequences.  Here's an overview: In … Continue reading Public Schools for Private Gain: The Declining American Commitment to Serving the Public Good