The Education Department and Environmental Charter Schools co-presented an evening with MacArthur award-winning educator, reformer, and author Dr. Deborah Meier and educator Dr. Emily Gasoi who discussed their book These Schools Belong to You and Me: Why We Can’t Afford to Abandon Our Public Schools.
“Deborah Meier is an internationally acclaimed educator, author of many books, and a strong supporter of progressive education,” said Education Department Chair Dr. Cynthia McDermott. “She is often considered the founder of the modern small schools movement.”
Meier argues that the purpose of universal education is to provide young people with an “apprenticeship for citizenship in a democracy.” Meier and Gasoi shared their experiences working in democratically governed schools and analyze the last several decades of education reform. They applied their extensive knowledge and years of research to address the question of how public education must change in order to counter the erosion of democratic spirit and practice in schools and in the nation as a whole.
“All of our credential candidates and faculty including Dr. Fred Chapel, Dr. Richard Kahn, and Dr. Grace Arnold were in attendance supporting Deborah’s work,” added McDermott. “They encouraged and inspired us to persevere in the hard work of building and sustaining terrific schools.”
The evening’s discussion was moderated by Dr. Beth Bernstein-Yamashiro, Principal of the Environmental Charter Middle School. It took place on February 22, 2018 on the campus of the Environmental Charter High School which is located in Lawndale.
Photo Credit Diba Ahour/Environmental Charter Schools
Photo Credit Diba Ahour/Environmental Charter Schools
Photo Credit Diba Ahour/Environmental Charter Schools
Photo Credit Diba Ahour/Environmental Charter Schools
Photo Credit Diba Ahour/Environmental Charter Schools
Karen Hamilton ’17 (Antioch Los Angeles, MA) is Antioch's Director of Marketing for Content and Communications. She has used her storytelling and copywriting skills for more than twenty years, crafting articles and creating publications. She believes that communication is a powerful driver for social change.
