ABSTRACT
We are living in a period of crisis that has affected all of our economic, political, and cultural institutions. But one of the institutions that has been at the center of the crisis and struggles to overcome it is the school. We are told by neoliberals that only by turning our schools, teachers, and children over to the competitive market will we find a solution. We are told by neoconservatives that the only way out is to return to “real knowledge.” Popular knowledge, knowledge that is connected to and organized around the lives of the most disadvantaged members of our communities, is not legitimate. But are the neoliberal and neoconservative positions the only alternatives? We do not think so.
