Sacred Trust : A Children's Education Bill of Rights

by Peter W. Cookson, Jr.

• ISBN13: 9781412981163
• ISBN10: 1412981166
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-05-10
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

Peter Cookson's Sacred Trust: An Education Bill of Rights is a book for district and school leaders, teachers, policy makers, and anyone interested in ensuring a world class education, school equity, and student well-being for K-12 students in this new century. In this thought-provoking and inspiring 'œcall to action', Cookson not only argues that equality of educational opportunity is today's great civil rights issue, he demonstrates-though the use of vivid storytelling and relevant research-how a collective, national vision is needed in order to achieve world class schooling for our children in this century. This necessary vision is what Cookson calls an education bill of rights-a set of transcendent, guiding principles designed to unite the nation in its educational reform efforts while still allowing states to retain local control over their school systems. From the right to a school that is funded for 21st century excellence; to the right to develop individual learning styles; and the right to have one's heritage and differences honored, celebrated, and incorporated into study, Cookson's education bill of rights serves as an ideal launching pad for school leaders and policy makers to create a concrete action plan that will lead to just, equitable, and excellent schools and school systems in the United States.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
About the Author	p. xv
Introduction: A Measure of Our Soul	p. 1
The Power of People and the Purpose of Public Education	p. 13
All Children Dream	p. 13
Educationally Experimenting on the Poor	p. 16
Madison Was Right: A New Policy Framework	p. 17
Turning Dreams Into Reality	p. 21
The Obtainable Utopia	p. 24
Book Study Questions	p. 24
Possible Action Steps	p. 25
Suggested Further Reading	p. 25
The Right to a Safe, Healthy, World-Class Public School	p. 27
The right to a neighborhood public school or a public school of choice that is funded for excellence	p. 27
The Great Unequalizer	p. 27
Getting to the Real Issues	p. 29
Money-spent wisely-Does Matter	p. 31
Reclaiming Horace's Dream	p. 32
Book Study Questions	p. 33
Possible Action Steps	p. 33
Suggested Further Reading	p. 34
The right to physical and emotional health and safety	p. 34
Do No Harm: The First Obligation	p. 34
Basic Justice Requires Basic Care	p. 36
Health and Social Health	p. 37
Book Study Questions	p. 38
Possible Action Steps	p. 38
Suggested Further Reading	p. 39
The Cultural and Individual Rights of Students	p. 41
The right to have his or her heritage, background, and religious differences honored, incorporated in study, and celebrated in the culture of the school	p. 41
Unity within Diversity	p. 41
The Open Mind and the Open Society	p. 44
The Empathic Civilization	p. 46
The Classroom Is the World	p. 47
Book Study Questions	p. 48
Possible Action Steps	p. 48
Suggested Further Reading	p. 49
The right to develop learning styles and strategies to the greatest extent possible	p. 49
Doubt and Its Virtues	p. 49
The Mismatch between Research and Practice	p. 50
Maximizing Children's Talent through Individualization	p. 53
Inquiry as a Way of Life	p. 56
Book Study Questions	p. 56
Possible Action Steps	p. 57
Suggested Further Reading	p. 57
The Right to High-Quality Instruction and School Leadership	p. 59
The right to an excellent and dedicated teacher	p. 59
Why Don't We Ask the Teachers?	p. 59
Elevating Teaching	p. 63
Practical Idealism Works	p. 65
Book Study Questions	p. 66
Possible Action Steps	p. 66
Suggested Further Reading	p. 67
The right to a school leader with vision and educational expertise 67
Leadership for 21st-Century Schools	p. 67
National Educational Leadership	p. 71
A School Without Vision Is Lost	p. 73
Book Study Questions	p. 73
Possible Action Steps	p. 74
Suggested Further Reading	p. 74
The Right to World-Class 21st-Century Curriculum and Technology	p. 75
The right to a curriculum based on relevance, depth, and flexibility	p. 75
Boredom-The Lucky Two Percent	p. 75
Virtual Socrates	p. 78
Eradicating Boredom	p. 80
Book Study Questions	p. 81
Possible Action Steps	p. 82
Suggested Further Reading	p. 82
The right of access to the most powerful educational technologies	p. 83
earning in the Electronic Era	p. 83
Why a Right to 21st-Century Communication Technologies?	p. 85
Technology, Technopoly, and Cyber Sanity	p. 88
What Would Socrates Say?	p. 89
Book Study Questions	p. 89
Possible Action Steps	p. 90
Suggested Further Reading	p. 90
The Right to Equality of Educational Opportunity	p. 91
The right to fair, relevant, and learner
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