Category: Family

Intrepid Middle-Class Parents Embark On Daring Search For Mythical Perfect School District

by David Labaree, posted in Family, Meritocracy, Schooling

This classic piece is from The Onion in 2014.  Here's a link to the original. Intrepid Middle-Class Parents Embark On Daring Search For Mythical Perfect School District 3/19/14 12:01PM The Lindens believe the school district of lore, which is said to prepare every pupil for college success and boast a state-of-the-art digital media lab, is … Continue reading Intrepid Middle-Class Parents Embark On Daring Search For Mythical Perfect School District

What Schools Can Do that Families Can’t: Robert Dreeben’s Analysis

by David Labaree, posted in Family, Meritocracy, Modernity, Schooling, Sociology, Teaching

In this post, I explore a key issue in understanding the social role that schools play:  Why do we need schools anyway?  For thousands of years, children grew up learning the skills, knowledge, and values they would need in order to be fully functioning adults.  They didn't need schools to accomplish this.  The family, the … Continue reading What Schools Can Do that Families Can’t: Robert Dreeben’s Analysis