ABSTRACT
The art of conversation has fallen on hard times. Instead of serious dialogue about the issues of our time, our national leaders give us sound bites and talking points. Conversation itself is sometimes considered to be a weakness among those people who favor bold, unwavering action. In times like these, readers may be skeptical of our claim that we can renew our democracy by engaging in community-wide conversations about the public purpose of our schools. Given all that we feel we must do to improve our schools, such conversations may seem like a time-intensive luxury we can ill afford.
