Dilemmas of democratic thought for educational leadership: considerations of social justice scholarship

Abstract

Efforts to include democratic ideals in public education are not new. However, current leadership efforts to foster these ideals within a PK–12 curriculum are often fruitless, partly because of a lack of common definition or perceived benefit. What exactly is meant when we suggest that educational leaders advocate teaching about democracy in our schools? First, it is important to teach about the history and values of a democratic society. Second, because students learn about democratic principles in the environment in which they live and work, we must examine the debates in philosophical thought foundational to educational decisions. The author proposes commonly understood definitions of democratic ideas and their perceived benefit to the long‐term vibrancy of American education.

Keywords:

• dilemmas
• educational leadership
• democratic thought

Acknowledgement

I acknowledge Kathleen Brown, University of Missouri‐Saint Louis, for her helpful critique of an earlier version of this paper.